MENLO — After a lackluster performance in a blowout loss to Adna last week, the Pe Ell-Willapa Valley Titans were hoping to right the ship against the visiting Concrete Lions on Saturday.
They did that and more.
PWV running back Peter Hamilton rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns and the Titans defense held the Lions to a minuscule 85 yards of offense in a 42-0 PWV rout.
“Our backs are hard-runners and the O-line did a hell of a job,” PWV head coach Josh Fluke said. “There were a few mistakes, but not many.”
Hamilton opened the scoring just over a minute into the game when he broke loose for a 38-yard touchdown jaunt. He gave the Titans (1-1 overall) a 14-0 lead with a 4-yard scoring scamper with 3:15 left in the first quarter.
PWV took a 20-0 lead when Max Smith, who ran for 106 yards in the game, scored on a 6-yard run at the 7:40 mark of the second quarter.
After PWV recovered a muffed kickoff reception, they extended their lead to 28-0 when backup quarterback Logan Walker, who was in for an injured Matt Pearson, hit receiver Sam Western for a 15-yard touchdown connection and a 28-0 lead the Titans would take to halftime.
While the PWV offense was busy putting points on the board, its defense was occupied stuffing any Lions attack. Led by Smith’s team-high eight tackles and two interceptions from defensive back Carson Cox, the Titans defense held Concrete to just 81 total yards. The Lions ran the ball 20 times for just 15 yards and held Concrete quarterback Dalton Newby to a 6-for-17 passing line with 66 yards and three interceptions.
“They were flying to the football,” Fluke said of his team’s stout defensive effort. “We were having gang tackles and stuff. They definitely came through and to comeback from a whipping against Adna, it shows you the kind of team I have.”
Hamilton scored on a 10-yard run around the left edge — a play PWV called multiple times throughout the game with much success — for a 35-0 lead in the third quarter.
A 1-yard Walker sneak with just over six minutes to go in the fourth quarter gave PWV a 42-0 lead and started a running clock for the remainder of the contest.
Fluke said the intensity of last week’s practice leading up to Saturday’s game was key in securing PWV’s first win of the season, especially after losing Pearson and three other starters against Adna.
“We’re hurt right now,” Fluke admitted. “So some kids I threw in their spots, some kids that have never played varsity ball before today, to come out and play ball like that, that was really good on their part.
“The theme all week was intensity, intensity, intensity. … It’s all we talked about. It obviously showed. They brought it out.”
Concrete 0 0 0 0 — 0
PWV 14 14 7 7 — 42
Rushing Leaders: PWV — Hamilton (19-126, 3 TD), Smith (16-102, TD)
Passing Leaders: PWV — Walker (7-13-0, 80, TD); Concrete — Newby (6-17-3, 66)
Defensive Leaders: PWV — Smith (8 tackles), Hamilton (7 tackles), Kollin Jurek (7 tackles), Cox (3 tackles, 2 INT)
PWV quarterback Logan Walker throw a pass during the Titans’ 42-0 win over Concrete on Saturday in Menlo. (Ryan Sparks | The Daily World)
A pass lands just out of reach of Pe Ell-Willapa Valley receiver Sam Winter in a game against Concrete High School on Saturday at Willapa Valley High School. (Ryan Sparks | The Daily World)
PWV defenders Kollin Jurek, left, and Sam Winter tackle Concrete receiver Devin Blankenship during the Titans’ 42-0 victory on Saturday in Menlo. (Ryan Sparks | The Daily World)
