The song may have been the same, but the arrangement was much different.
Mazama (1-0) and Klamath Union (0-1) opened their 2024 campaigns with the 56th Canal Bowl at Modoc Field Thursday–the first time in 22 years that the game was the season opener for both teams. It was also the first Canal Bowl since 1982 to feature two first-year head coaches, with former Henley star Josh Overstreet guiding the Pelicans and longtime Yreka (CA) coach Orlyn Culp leading the Vikings. On top of that, both teams featured quarterbacks making their first varsity starts: Klamath Union sophomore Reese Johnson (who led the JV Pelicans to an undefeated season in 2023) and Mazama junior Brody Van Gastel (the younger brother of Tyson Van Gastel, who was named honorable mention all-state as the Vikings’ starter last year).
Ultimately, Mazama extended its Canal Bowl winning streak to 11 (the longest in series history) with a 55-24 victory, but Klamath Union was not as overmatched as in recent years (e.g. last season, when the Vikings took a 40-0 lead with 8:36 to go in the second quarter). The 31-point margin was the smallest in a Canal Bowl since 2019, and the Pelicans’ 24 points were their most against Mazama since 2013.
Same song, much different arrangement–and one that left the Klamath Union sideline feeling much more hopeful.
“It was a great night for KU football,” Overstreet said.
The teams traded touchdowns for the first three possessions. The Vikings opened the scoring with a 6-yard run by senior Kris Baldwin that gave them a 6-0 lead with 8:45 left in the quarter after the PAT missed wide right. On the Pelicans’ second play of the game, Johnson found classmate Anthony Weiser wide open for a 73-yard touchdown. The ensuing PAT was muffed, keeping the score tied. Baldwin answered with a 51-yard touchdown run with 5:07 on the clock to put Mazama up 13-7.
The Vikings got the ball back on the Klamath Union 41-yard line after forcing a three-and-out on the ensuing possession. They drove to the Pelicans 7-yard line before fumbling back-to-back snaps, giving them a third-and-goal from the 14-yard line. Unperturbed, Van Gastel ran the ball in for a touchdown as time expired to give Mazama a 20-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Klamath Union got it back to a one-possession game at 20-12 when junior Gavin Coe beat his defender off the snap and hauled in a pass from Johnson for a 28-yard touchdown with 6:47 left in the first half (the 2-point conversion failed). After that, things began to unravel for the Pelicans; they recovered a Vikings fumble at their own 3-yard line but gave it back on the very next play, setting up a 3-yard touchdown run by Van Gastel with 1:47 remaining. Then, senior Koy Mauch returned an interception to the Klamath Union 32-yard line, allowing Van Gastel to loft a 32-yard touchdown pass to senior Kai Hunt with 47 seconds on the clock.
Leading 34-12 to start the second half, Mazama stopped the Pelicans on the opening drive, then scored in three plays on a 20-yard run by Van Gastel to go up 41-12 with 9:12 left in the third quarter. Klamath Union was able to end the Vikings’ 21-0 run on the next possession, with Johnson delivering a 15-yard strike to senior Octavio Ortega (taking a hit in the process) to make it a 41-18 game with 3:53 remaining after the 2-point conversion failed.
Just as in the first half, though, Mazama quickly countered the Pelicans’ touchdown with two of its own. Baldwin broke off an 81-yard touchdown run on the first play of the ensuing drive, then scored on a 39-yard run two plays after Hunt secured the Vikings’ second interception of the night. With 1:54 to go in the third quarter, the score was 55-18.
The fourth quarter went quickly with the running clock in effect, but Klamath Union found the end zone one more time with 2:41 remaining when Weiser took a screen pass 52 yards for a touchdown.
“Great win for the kids,” Culp said. “They just played hard. They played in the moment. We gave up some big plays…but these guys were resilient. They just kept playing.
“It was fun to watch them compete.”
Although the new offense Culp installed at Mazama is designed to allow for greater playcalling flexibility than the veer, which the Vikings ran under previous head coach Vic Lease, the ground game still proved highly successful. Mazama outgained Klamath Union 470-46 in rushing yards and 535-271 in total offense.
Kris Baldwin finished with 371 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries, while Brody Van Gastel had 53 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries. Senior Levi Hicks led Klamath Union with 40 rushing yards on 12 carries.
“I’m able to read the defense a little bit [with the new offense],” Baldwin said. “I just saw holes open up and I just started running that way…the linemen were getting blocks, so I was able to get a couple long runs because of them.”
Reese Johnson completed 16-of-23 passes for 225 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Van Gastel completed 4-of-7 passes for 65 yards and one touchdown. Weiser had three receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns to lead Klamath Union, while Hunt had two receptions for 43 yards and one touchdown to lead Mazama.
“Reese did well,” Overstreet said. “Our line worked their tails off. We were able to share the ball…give us a few weeks and we’re going to be a very dangerous team offensively.”
With the win, Mazama extends its series lead over Klamath Union to 24-22. Last year’s win gave the Vikings the series lead for the first time ever. The 2024 Canal Bowl was also the highest-scoring game in series history, with the teams’ 79 combined points beating the previous record of 68 set in 2020.
For all of the changes within both programs that were on display Thursday night, there was one that some fans may have missed: Mazama’s winged helmets (à la Michigan, Princeton and Delaware) are gone after 11 seasons, replaced with a Viking horn on each side.
“We just put them on before the game,” Baldwin said. “It looks good, in my opinion.”
Both teams continue their non-league slates at 7 p.m. Sept. 13. Mazama travels to 5A Mountain View (1-0), while Klamath Union travels to La Pine.