BELLINGHAM — One of the better seasons in the history of the Elma High School football program came to an abrupt end on Saturday, as the Eagles lost to Meridian 40-21 in Saturday’s 1A State Tournament opening-round game.

The Eagles (8-3 overall), in the state playoffs for the first time since 2001, traded blows with Meridian (8-3) for much of the first half.

The Trojans opened the scoring with a short touchdown run from quarterback Dawson Logan midway through the first quarter. But Elma quarterback Cody Vollan tied things up when he hit receiver Tysen Richardson for a 28-yard touchdown with 3:12 left in the first half.

The two teams would trade scores in the second quarter. Meridian re-took the lead when Logan ran it in from 13-yards out, but that was followed by Vollan breaking loose for a 51-yards score. Kicker Alejandro Hernandez’s extra-point gave Elma a slim 14-13 lead late in the first half.

Elma quarterback Cody Vollan carries the footbal in the Eagles’ 40-21 loss against Meridian on Saturday. Vollan ran for a team-high 104 yards in the game (Eric Trent | Lynden Tribune)

The Eagles were unable to take the lead into halftime, however, as Logan hit receiver Kevin Galiano for a 3-yard score with three seconds left in the half, giving the Trojans a 19-14 halftime lead.

Meridian extended its lead to 26-14 on Dylan Hickok’s 3-yard run with 6:44 to go in the third quarter.

Elma running back, Taitum Brumfield, who had largely been held in check by the Trojans defense, followed with a 1-yard TD run, bringing the Eagles to within one score at 26-21 with 3:51 left in the game.

But another Logan TD run extended the Meridian lead to 33-21 with 2:32 left and the Trojans put the game away when Galiano intercepted a Vollan pass and scored with less than two minutes left, giving Meridian the 40-21 playoff victory.

“It was a hard-fought game and we had a chance to win it in the end,” said Elma head coach Ron Clark, who had nothing but praise for all those involved in putting together a resurgent season for the Eagles. “I just want to thank the players, coaching staff, booster, everyone that helps this program. They’re the best in the world.”

Elma’s rushing attack, led by Brumfield, had an atypical quiet night against a Trojans defense keyed on stopping it. The Eagles gained 167 yards on the ground to Meridian’s 284. While the Trojans held Brumfield to a season-low 30 yards on 14 carries, Vollan stepped up to gain 104 yards on 12 carries. He also threw for 105 yards on 8-of-17 passing, though he had one touchdown to three interceptions.

Logan was too much for Elma to deal with on Saturday, as the dual-threat quarterback ran for a game-high 191 yards and was 8-for-18 for 157 yards and a touchdown to lead Meridian.

Though its a bitter end to a promising season for the Eagles, Clark’s outlook for the future of the Elma program is very bright. He let his team know as much.

“I told them after the game, ‘You have changed Elma football forever,’” he said. “They set a new standard of play…. We went 22-6 at all three levels (Frosh, JV, Varsity) and our football IQ went way up.

He also praised defensive coordinator Larry Raynes for his work with a defense that set school records.

“Kudos to him,” Clark said of Raynes, whose defense set the record for sacks in a season eight weeks into the 2018 campaign.

Elma 7 7 0 7 — 21

Meridian 7 12 7 14 — 40

Top Rushers: Meridian — Logan (29-191, TD); Elma — Vollan (12-104, TD)

Top Passer: Meridian — Logan (8-18-0, 157, TD); Elma — Vollan (8-17-3, 105, TD)

Top Receiver: Meridian — Kickok (3-84); Elma — Carter Jacobson (4-55), Richardson (3-33)