Bulldog running back Lane Seals finds a hole in the Newport defense and goes for some yardage Friday evening. Seals led North Bend with 75 yards rushing. World Photo by Lou Sennick.

Score one for the defense.

North Bend got its first victory of the season by shutting out visiting Newport 8-0 at Vic Adams Field on Friday night.

The Bulldogs were just as dominant on defense as the final score suggested. Newport finished with just five first downs and 59 total yards.

“Fifty-nine yards - that's ridiculous,” said North Bend's Garrett Caldwell, who provided two of North Bend's four interceptions on the night. “I think we definitely stepped it up on defense.”

The defense even provided the first score of the night.

Early in the second quarter, the Bulldogs pinned Newport inside its own 5-yard line on a punt and then stopped the Cubs three straight plays. On fourth down, Newport punter Bruce Burbank dropped the snap from center and Bulldog Kale Forrester came steaming in from the outside and tackled Burbank for a safety.

“I just gave us an opportunity,” Forrester said. “I wanted to make a play for our team - to make a statement.”

Forrester scored the rest of North Bend's points on the ensuing drive, finishing off a 10-play, 46-yard march with a one-yard blast over the middle behind the blocking of regular lineman Jerad Jaehnig, who had lined up in the backfield.

Lane Seals did much of the work on the drive, rushing for 28 yards, including a 9-yard dash around the end one play before Forrester's score.

North Bend moved the ball at various times through the evening, but all the Bulldogs' other drives stalled. Caldwell was just short on a 39-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter and had a 37-yard attempt blocked midway through the fourth.

North Bend coach Bill Masei wasn't disappointed with the offensive output, though.

“I don't think we played bad,” Masei said. “We didn't make mistakes.”

North Bend did have a couple of untimely penalties to stop drives, but had no turnovers for the second straight week.

“That's big for us,” Forrester said.

And, as Caldwell noted, North Bend nearly broke several big runs.

“I think we're just a couple of blocks away from making big plays,” he said.

Seals finished with 75 yards on 12 carries and Forrester had 50 yards on 19 carries as both surpassed the output of the Cubs.

It was the defense that had Masei most excited.

“We emphasized some things like flying to the football,” he said. “The kids practiced hard (this week). We were definitely not happy with the effort against Marshfield.”

The Pirates won 40-7 last week and had a couple of big plays after North Bend missed tackles.

That wasn't the case Friday.

“We did more tackling drills and worked on our keys and flew around,” Caldwell said. “The shutout - that kind of speaks for itself.”

North Bend goes on the road for the first time next week, against Cottage Grove, a team Masei described as “dang tough” and “extremely well coached.”

“We're going to have to play better,” he said.

At least North Bend enters the game with some momentum.

“I'm glad we got the W,” Masei said. “That's always nice.”