On Friday night, the Guardians played the Oregon City Pioneers at Pioneer Memorial Stadium, just eleven miles from Ida B. Wells but a world apart. The lackluster Oregon City student section had no excuse for not showing up; the stands were completely sheltered from the constant drizzle that the teams played through. 

Ida B. Wells entered this playoff game riding a three game winning streak and competing in the playoffs for the first time since 2015. This playoff berth came despite a 5-4 season, unremarkable by most standards, but a miracle for Ida B. Wells.

The reason the Guardians received a spot in the playoffs is due to the addition of the Columbia Cup bracket, a new lower level of highschool football playoffs. Teams that earn a spot in this bracket are not competing for the state championship along with schools such as West Linn and Tualatin, but instead against less competitive teams. 

As the rain poured down, both teams wasted no time scoring; an Oregon City touchdown with 2:03 left in the first quarter plus a two point conversion made the score 24-8 by the end of the first quarter. 

With 9:28 left in the second quarter, a resounding Wells first down put the ball near the 15 yard line and resulted in a Guardians touchdown and a two point conversion, reducing the deficit to eight points. 

After Wells’ defense stopped an Oregon City drive late in the second quarter, anticipation was in the air as the Guardians ran the ball to a first down near the 35 yard line. Unfortunately, the clock ran out and Wells came up empty.

In the second half, the steady stream of rainfall did not cease, but the steady stream of Guardian scoring did. They could not make any magic happen, as they quickly turned the ball over on downs. Marcus Jordan, of Oregon City, tacked on six points with a fifteen yard touchdown run, making the score 30-16.

Wells’ defeat was capped off with a remarkable Oregon City touchdown run in the fourth quarter, once again at the hands of the seemingly unstoppable Marcus Jordan. From the opposite 15 yard line, he was uncatchable as he flew into the endzone untouched. The score became 36-16. 

The fate of the Wells football season was sealed with this touchdown; Oregon City had now put up twelve points in the second half, and the Guardians’ successful defense in the second quarter was now but a distant memory. 

Despite this relatively unremarkable loss at the hands of a team with a similar record, Wells’ football season is not to be overlooked. This is their first winning season in seven years, and it offered a glimmer of hope that maybe Guardian football is on the track to a competitive future.