Wednesday, March 04, 2015

Jeff Durham gambles, wins with shovel pass



Source: Oregonian, Oct. 16, 1976

Never let it be said Forest Grove High School football coach Jeff Durham (McMinnville High Class of 1958 and Linfield Class of 1963) isn't a gambler.

The Vikings used one of the oldest plays in the book -- the halfback shovel pass -- into a 20-yard touchdown run to break a scoreless tie in the second quarter and pave the way for a 16-6 Coast-Valley League high school football action Friday night, Oct. 15, 1975, on McMinnville High School's football field.

"It was a play my dad (Paul Durham, former Linfield football coach) had given me years ago," said Durham of the play on a fourth-and-17 situation moments into the second quarter. "My coaches always kid me about it, but when I asked them about using it tonight they didn't object. It was the first time we're run that play this year."

Durham admitted the win over his former high school coach, Don Mabee, and the Grizzlies was a big one.