Update: Information for state-playoff pairings and seeds added. Information for Aberdeen-Ridgefield game added.
1A Crossover
Montesano 58, King’s Way Christian 14
Montesano scored 30 unanswered points in the second half en route to a 58-14 victory over King’s Way Christian in a 1A crossover game on Friday in Montesano, punching its ticket to the state tournament in the process.
Monte (10-0 overall) struck early, scoring on the first play from scrimmage when receiver Sam Winter took a swing pass from quarterback Trace Ridgway, stiff-armed King’s Way Christian’s Kai Butterworth and sprinted down the sideline 57 yards to put Monte up 7-0 after the subsequent point-after.
Montesano receiver Sam Winter stiff-arms King’s Way Christian defender Kai Butterworth en route to a 57 yard touchdown reception during Friday’s game in Montesano. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)
The Bulldogs extended their lead to 14-0 later in the quarter on running back Brent Hollatz’s 1-yard TD run, and it looked like Monte was heading for another first-half blowout.
But the Knights (5-5) found holes over the middle of the Monte defense and cut into Monte’s lead when quarterback Kemper Shrock threw a 9-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter.
Ridgway scored on a 5-yard run to put Monte up 21-7 with 3:04 left in the first half, but KWC responded once again and appeared to be heading to halftime down by a touchdown after Shrock scored on a 3-yard run with 1:07 left in the half.
Bulldogs senior Braden Dohrmann had other ideas.
Dohrmann caught the ensuing kickoff at the 20-yard line, weaved through the Knights’ defender, and sprinted 80 yards for a touchdown, setting of a roar from the capacity crowd and sending a charge through the Bulldogs sideline.
“We were a little apprehensive in the first half,” said Monte head coach Terry Jensen, who noted Dohrmann’s play helped the Bulldogs settle into the game. “We seized the momentum and they really didn’t stop us on offense all night. … This is playoff football and a two touchdown lead at the half is good.”
After the half, the game belonged to Monte.
Jordan King hit a 30-yard field goal with just under seven minutes left in the third quarter and then scored on an 11-yard reception from Ridgway approximately two minutes later after the Monte defense forced a turnover.
Winter scored on a 15-yard run early in the fourth quarter to put Monte up 45-14 and was followed by a Ridgway 19-yard TD connection to King.
Issac Pierce closed out the scoring with a 48-yard TD run with 3:26 left in the game.
Ridgway went 10-for-15 for 200 yards as the Bulldogs had 566 total yards on the evening.
KWC amassed 308 yards of total offense, 228 of those coming in the first half.
Montesano running back Brent Hollatz, left, bowls over King’s Way Christian safety Bryson Metz during the first half of the Bulldogs’ 58-14 victory in a 1A crossover game on Friday in Montesano. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)
Jensen said the messagesfrom the Bulldogs coaching staff at halftime made the difference.
“We told the kids we just needed to play faster,” he said. “When we play fast, especially on defense, we play well. … We just tackled better and were more aggressive playing the ball in the air. We were more in sync in the second half.”
Montesano earned a No. 3 seed when the first-round state playoff pairings were released on Sunday.
The Bulldogs will host No. 14 Meridian to open the state tournament at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
If Monte wins, the Bulldogs will host a state-quarterfinal matchup against the winner of No. 6 Deer Park-No. 11 Zillah the following week.
King’s Way Christian 0 14 0 0 — 14
Montesano 14 14 10 20 — 58
Passing Leaders: Ridgway (10-15-2, 200, 3 TD)
Hoquiam 50, Castle Rock 22
Malaki Eaton scored five touchdowns and accounted for more than 300 yards of offense as the Grizzlies earned a trip to the state tournament with a 50-22 victory over Castle Rock on Friday at Castle Rock High School.
The Grizzlies (7-3) took a 14-7 lead after the first quarter on Eaton scoring runs of nine and 10 yards sandwiched around a 50-yard TD run by Castle Rock’s Wyatt Partridge.
After a Castle Rock touchdown tied the game at 14-14, Hoquiam’s offense drove to the 2-yard line just before halftime. But the Grizzlies drive stalled out as the game went into the break tied at 14 apiece.
“I’ve got to tip my hat to Castle Rock, they were prepared, had a great team and great plan,” Hoquiam head coach Jeremy McMillan said of the Rockets’ first-half game plan. “But we made some very good adjustments in all three phases of game at halftime.”
McMillan may be understating the situation, as Hoquiam owned the second half.
The Grizzlies’ offense chewed up nearly five minutes of clock and regained the lead when Eaton scored on an 8-yard run, giving Hoquiam a 20-14 lead.
On the subsequent possession, the Rockets (7-3) gambled on a fourth down play near midfield, and lost as the Hoquiam defense held firm.
The Grizzlies offense made Castle Rock pay, taking a two-score lead when quarterback Dane McMillan ran it in from 5-yards out for a 28-14 lead.
With 1:19 left in the quarter, McMillan hit Eaton on a 63-yard catch-and-run pass play to make it a 36-14 Grizzlies lead.
That was followed by a Kyle Larsen touchdown reception from McMillan for 21 yards to put Hoquiam up 44-14.
After a Partridge 36-yard TD run, Eaton closed out the scoring with a 10-yard run at the 3:17 mark of the fourth quarter.
Eaton finished the game with 244 yards rushing on 41 carries with four touchdowns to go along with his 63-yard touchdown reception.
“On the road, at that place, the kids played really well tonight and the way they responded after halftime, that was pretty good football they played in the third quarter,” Coach McMillan said.
The victory was the second this season for Hoquiam over Castle Rock, as the Grizzlies defeated the Rockets 48-12 to open the season.
Castle Rock had won seven of its last eight games until Friday’s loss.
Hoquiam earned a No. 12 seed and will take on No. 5 Mt. Baker on the road to open the playoffs next week. at 2 p.m. on Saturday in Bellingham.
Hoquiam 14 0 22 14 — 50
Castle Rock 7 7 0 8 — 22
Passing Leaders: Hoquiam — McMillan (8-11-0, 154, 2 TD)
Rushing Leaders: Hoquiam — Eaton (41-244, 4 TD)
Receiving Leaders: Hoquiam — Cameron Bumstead (4-71)
La Center 42, Elma 14
The Elma Eagles’ state-playoff hopes were dashed when the Eagles fell to La Center 42-14 on Friday in La Center.
The Eagles (5-5) fell behind 14-0 before quarterback Cody Vollan broke loose for a 55-yard touchdown run.
But La Center (9-0) took a 21-6 lead into the half after Bryten Schmitz scored on a 39-yard run.
After Nic Budke scored on a 26-yard run at 4:48 in the third quarter to make it a 28-6 ballgame, Vollan connected with receiver Tysen Richardson for a 14-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 28-14 after the two-point conversion.
But that was as close as Elma would get as the Wolves scored 14 unanswered points to close out the game, and the Eagles’ season.
After all Elma had been through this season, including the recent leukemia diagnosis for senior Jesus Torres, Elma head coach Ron Clark was proud of the perseverance his players showed in 2019.
“It’s been a difficult season with everything, including injuries and Jesus’ sickness,” Clark said. “But the kids were willing to play hurt. They figured out a way to get back on the field and not stay off it, which is rare this day and age.
Clark also reflected on his senior class and coaching staff after the game.
“This senior class is an exceptional group of young men. They are going to be great for society,” he said. “And I’d like to thank all my assistant coaches. They just keep getting better and it makes my job very easy.”
Elma 6 0 8 0 — 14
La Center 14 7 14 7 — 42
Passing Leaders: Elma — Vollan (10-18-1, 116, TD)
Rushing Leaders: Elma — Vollan (10-58, TD)
Receiving Leaders: Elma — Richardson (5-41, TD)
2B Crossover
Ranier 28, Pe Ell-Willapa Valley 20
Bad bounces caught up with the Pe Ell-Willapa Valley Titans in a 28-20 2B crossover game on Friday in Menlo.
After falling behind 14-0 after Rainier quarterback Michael Green connected with Brody Klein for two first-half touchdowns, PWV (6-4) rallied to cut the lead to 14-7 on a 1-yard touchdown run by Landin Isaksen just before halftime.
The Titans tied the game in the third quarter when running back Max Smith, who was one of three Titans playing with a cast on his hand, scored from a yard out. Garrett Keaton’s subsequent point-after kick tied the game at 14-all.
Klein scored on a 4-yard run with 10:45 left in the game to give Rainier (6-4) a 20-14 lead.
Then a series of bad breaks hamstrung PWV. A Titans fumble on the ensuing kickoff was recovered by Rainier.
On the Mountaineers drive, a pass attempt was tipped and went through the hands off the facemask of a PWV defender. A few plays later, Green hit Klein for a 3-yard touchdown to put PWV further in the hole at 28-14.
Smith scored from 5-yards out to make it a 28-20 game with 1:28 left in the game.
On PWV’s subsequent onside-kick attempt, the Titans got their hands on the bouncing ball, but were unable to come up with the recovery.
Rainier was able to run out the clock, earning a trip to the state playoffs and ending the Titans’ season.
“Their speed killed us a bit,” PWV head coach Josh Fluke said. “Every time there was a tipped ball or a fumble, it never went our way. It was one of those games where the ball never bounced our way.”
Smith ran for 89 yards on 16 carries to lead PWV.
Rainier outgained PWV in total yardage 337-290.
Smith, as well as starters Luke Gerow and Kobe Hoffman, all played with casts on their hands due to various injuries for a PWV team that has been without starting quarterback Logan Walker (collarbone) and Peter Hamilton (knee) for several weeks now.
Though the injuries piled up and eventually got the better of the Titans, Fluke was proud of the way his younger players stepped into key roles.
“The injuries are something you can’t do anything about, they’re a part of football,” he said. “But other young kids stepped up and played well. You got to take the good with the bad, we were league champions again and are still happy with the season.”
Rainier 6 8 0 14 — 28
PWV 0 7 7 6 — 20
Passing Leaders: PWV — Tyler Adkins (13-26-1, 182, 3 TD)
Rushing Leaders: PWV — Smith (16-69, TD); Isaksen (14-69); Kollin Jurek (14-67)
Adna 41, Ocosta 14
Ocosta’s season ended with a 41-14 loss to the Adna Pirates in a 2B crossover game on Friday in Westport.
The Wildcats end the season with an 8-2 record and second-place finish in league.
No further information was available for this game at the time of this writing.
2A Crossover
Ridgefield 49, Aberdeen 6
The Aberdeen Bobcats saw its season come to an end with a 49-6 loss to Ridgefield on Saturday at Ridgefield High School.
The Bobcats (3-7) fell behind early and looked to tie with an 11-play drive that drove inside the Spudders’ 30-yard line. But an incomplete pass on 4th-and-3 ended the Aberdeen threat.
Ridgefield (6-4) made the Bobcats pay, driving downfield and scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run by Hunter Abrams, his second of the game, to take a 14-0 lead.
But the Bobcats responded when running back Ethan Morrill carried the ball to the Ridgefield 31-yard line on a 32-yard run play.
The Bobcats then capped the 14-play, 80-yard drive that took over seven minutes off the clock when Morrill scored on an 8-yard run, cutting Ridgefield’s lead to 14-6.
But Aberdeen struggled keeping Abrams and the Spudders offense in check, allowing Abrams to score his third rushing TD with just 30 seconds left in the half to extend the Spudders’ lead to 20-6.
The second half belonged to the Spudders as Ridgefield’s offense took to the air, and blew the game open in the process.
Back-to-Back pass plays set up a 1-yard Abrams TD run early in the third quarter followed a few minutes later by a touchdown pass from Spudders quarterback Josh Mansur to receiver Luke Price for 30 yards to make it a 35-6 game at the end of the third.
Mansur passes set up two more short touchdown runs as the Bobcats fell to the Spudders by the final score of 49-6.
Aberdeen 0 6 0 0 — 6
Ridgefield 7 13 15 14 — 49
