PENDLETON — In one of the more unique settings for high school football in Oregon, Bend High muscled past Pendleton 27-17 in a nonconference showdown at the famous Round-Up grounds.

Hunter McDonald powered his way to 205 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries to lead the Lava Bears to 400 yards of total offense and a victory over their former Intermountain Conference rival.

“We’re feeling good,” Bend coach Matt Craven said. “We came up here and won a hard-fought game.”

McDonald accounted for three of Bend’s four touchdowns on the night, including his lone catch going for a 12-yard score late in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. The win was Lava Bears’ third in a row and spoiled Pendleton’s home opener.

“He’s big, he’s quick, and he sees the field real well,” Craven said of McDonald. “When he gets hot, we give him the ball.”

While Bend rushed for 267 yards on the night, the Bears displayed an effective aerial attack as quarterback Creighton Simmonds completed 7 of 12 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. Chris Wallace was on the receiving end of one score, and he finished with 96 receiving yards to go along with 51 yards on the ground.

“I think this is a confident team,” said Craven, whose squad outscored Pendleton 20-7 after allowing a field goal early in the second quarter. “They believe in themselves. Confident teams need to win when they’re supposed to win. I think these kids felt like they were supposed to win this game. … When the chips were down, they made some plays and got the win.”

Bend High begins IMC play next Friday with a trip to Redmond High.