Two weeks into the season, Twin Harbors football teams are in the heart of non-league games. For the third week, just about every area team is on the road.
The only home game on the Harbor will be at Davis Field in Elma when the Eagles host Aberdeen. Everyone else are on the road, including Hoquiam taking the long trip to Stevenson and Montesano traveling to Castle Rock.
Aberdeen-Elma
Friday night’s contest for Aberdeen will conclude an opening three-week, non-league journey around Grays Harbor with a visit to Davis Field and the Elma Eagles. This is an underrated in-county rivalry game and it is one both teams have marked on their schedules as ‘must-win’ games.
“Elma is going to be a great rivalry game,” AHS head coach Kevin Ridout said. “(The four big schools) are all within 20 miles of each other. The kids know each other and the coaches know each other. There is such a great tradition of football between all of the schools.”
Aberdeen kept Hoquiam in range until the fourth quarter in a 35-7 loss at Stewart Field last week. Elma fell down 21-0 early and rallied before White Salmon escaped, 54-49.
Junior running back Kylan Touch was held in check on the ground (21 yards on 16 carries), but senior Braden Castleberry-Taylor got his yards off the arms of quarterback Ben Dublanko and an option pass from Touch — 97 yards on five catches and one score — against Hoquiam. Dublanko threw for 119 yards on 10-of-20 passing and one touchdown.
Elma’s Ira Hartford ran for 336 yards and six touchdown on 23 carries. Four of his touchdowns came in a four-minute span in the third quarter and all of his scores came in the second half. Hoquiam’s Artimus Johnson had a big rushing day against Aberdeen last week, so expect the Bobcats to shore up their rushing defense.
“I’m impressed with the job Ron Clark did; his kids didn’t quit and that’s a testament to how he and his staff is coaching,” Ridout said. “It would have been easy to fold up when you are down 21-0. Elma had the game won at the end. We’re going in believing we’re in for a battle. They may not have a win, but they are putting things together.”
Clark noted his team is in a learning and growing process and the young Eagles are progressing.
“The kids played a very competitive second half against White Salmon, but we need to make critical plays at critical times especially being able to both convert third downs and stop teams on third and fourth downs,” Clark said. “As far as Aberdeen goes, I think they are better than I have seen them in the last four years that I have scouted them. I give credit to Coach Ridout and his staff. Of course, we are concerned with the big play abilities of Touch and Castleberry-Taylor. Aberdeen does a good job of getting them the ball in various ways.”
Ridout cited Nick Newcomb for his work on offense and defense at tight end/defensive end, offensive lineman Dan Hunt and quarterback Ben Dublanko for escaping Hoquiam’s pressure. Ridout also singled out Touch (11 tackles) and Bailey Delahanty (7 1/2 tackles) for their work on defense.
Hoquiam-Stevenson
Last week, Elma took the longest road trip to White Salmon. This week, Hoquiam will head over the Bridge of the Gods — 185 miles one-way — to take on the Stevenson Bulldogs.
In the team’s meeting at Olympic Stadium last season, the Grizzlies got plenty of offensive practice in a 62-7 rout. This year, the Bulldogs enter Friday’s game with a 2-0 record — wins over Lyle-Wishram and Corbett, Ore.
“We’re focusing on how we do things,” HHS head coach Rick Moore said. “We want to improve our execution, our third-down conversions, staying on blocks and improve on our fundamentals. I feel good going in, but it is never over until it is over.”
Artimus Johnson made Hoquiam look like a power running team, running for 234 yards and two touchdowns, plus a touchdown reception from Gregory Dick. Dick threw for 195 yards on 10-for-18 attempts and two touchdowns against Aberdeen.
“Statistically, I think you can say that after the last game,” Moore added about his team’s rushing game. “That will make it tough on teams preparing for us. They know we can do both. The running game will open up the passing game, so that’s good. This will diversity us and that will make it tough on our opponents.”
Moore cited Johnson for his work on defense as well, along with linebackers Chewy Maro and Jerod Steen and defensive linemen Jordan Spears, Matt Brown, Jarrett Skorzewski and Garrett Bradley.
Rob Burns: (360) 537-3926; rburns@thedailyworld.com; Twitter: @RobRVR
