The prep football playoffs began for Twin Harbors teams last weekend with Montesano, Elma and Raymond-South Bend competing in their respective crossover games on Friday.
PREP FOOTBALL
Montesano 71, Stevenson 0
It’s hard to imagine a better start to the postseason that what the Montesano Bulldogs were able to accomplish on Friday evening.
Montesano had what is likely one of the highest-scoring quarters in the decorated program’s history, tallying 44 points in the first quarter en route to a 71-0 thrashing of Stevenson in a 1A crossover game at Jack Rottle Field in Montesano.
“It was pretty amazing,” Montesano head coach Terry Jensen said of the first-quarter barrage. “We just played lights out tonight and might have even taken the will out of (Stevenson) a little bit. They were kind of standing around in the second quarter with their hands on their hips and you can’t play football that way.”
Monte (10-0 overall) started scoring right away and didn’t let up until halftime against overmatched Stevenson (3-6).
Senior Bode Poler received the opening kickoff and handed off to sophomore teammate Toren Crites on a reverse. Crites did the rest, sprinting down the right sideline for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the game.
On the ensuing kickoff, Montesano recovered an onside kick at their own 48-yard line. Montesano’s offense then drove 52 yards in nine plays, taking a 14-0 lead when sophomore quarterback Tyson Perry scored on a 21-yard run at the 7:40 mark.
Monte struck again a few plays later when linebacker Mason Rasmussen jumped a route and leaped over a Stevenson receiver to intercept a pass from quarterback Kacen Bach. Rasmussen raced 26 yards into the end zone for Monte’s third touchdown in 5:15 of game time.
An interception by Crites on Stevenson’s next play from scrimmage gave Monte the ball back at the Stevenson 41-yard line.
Two plays later, Monte found the end zone again when sophomore running back Terek Gunter scored on a 12-yard run to put Monte up 28-0 with 5:52 on the clock.
Monte’s defense forced Stevenson’s next drive to move in the wrong direction, culminating when junior Felix Romero recorded a safety by tackling the Stevenson punter in the end zone for a 30-0 lead.
Just 28 seconds later, Romero scored on a 35-yard run and would kick the subsequent extra point for a 37-0 run.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano’s Felix Romero, left, eludes the grasp of a Stevenson defender during a 71-0 win in a 1A crossover playoff game on Friday in Montesano.
An interception by Monte senior defensive back Tucker Eaton led to another Romero touchdown run – this time from 25 yards out – for a commanding 44-0 lead, wrapping up one of the highest-scoring quarters in Montesano history.
Monte continued to batter Stevenson in the second quarter, taking a 64-0 lead into halftime on a 5-yard Poler TD run followed by two scoring runs by newly-crowned 1A Evergreen League MVP Gabe Bodwell, ensuring a running clock and a second-half breather for Monte’s starters.
Monte’s second-stringers would complete an impressive drive in the fourth quarter when freshman quarterback Brody Williamsen ran it in from 4-yards out to break the 70-point barrier in the final minute of the game.
Montesano totalled 403 yards of offense – 369 on the ground – and was led by Bodwell, who rushed for 105 yards on just nine carries.
Monte’s stellar defense held Stevenson to zero rushing yards on the evening – negative 12 yards in the first half – and allowed a mere 18 total yards in the game to record its sixth shutout in a row.
Rasmussen had two interceptions in the game to lead a Monte defense that held Stevenson to just two first downs in the game and won the turnover battle 3-1.
“I thought we did a really good job of taking care of the ball in these weather conditions,” Jensen said. “In playoff football, you want to win the turnover battle and that was huge.”
With the win, Monte advances to the 1A State Tournament, which is set to begin this Friday. Monte was ranked seventh for the tournament and will play number 10 Freeman at 7 p.m. at Montesano High School.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano’s Gabe Bodwell (44) sacks Stevenson quarterback Kacen Bach (15) during a 71-0 win in a 1A crossover game on Friday in Montesano.
Jensen said his team is in the mindset of fighting to play one more game, a chant that reverberated among Monte players after Friday’s victory.
“The big theme was we want to play for another 48 minutes,” Jensen said. “We told them, ‘If we lose somewhere down the road, some of us will probably cry, some of us will be disapointed, some of us won’t be affected too much. You’ll have winter sports starting in a couple days. But if you win a state championship, your life will change forever.’”
Stevenson 0 0 0 0 – 0
Montesano 44 20 0 7 – 71
Scoring
First quarter
M – T. Crites 75 kickoff return (Romero kick), 11:43
M – Perry 22 run (Romero kick), 7:48
M – Rasmussen 26 interception return (Romero kick), 6:45
M – Gunter 13 run (Romero kick), 5:58
M – Romero safety (Romero kick), 3:58
M – Romero 35 run (Romero kick), 3:20
M – Romero 25 run (Romero kick), 2:25
Second quarter
M – Poler 5 run (kick fail), 9:47
M – Bodwell 9 run (Romero kick), 5:59
M – Bodwell 1 run (Romero kick), 1:40
Third quarter
None
Fourth quarter
M – Williamsen 4 run (Romero kick), 0:37
Passing leaders: Stevenson – Bach 7-22-3-18. Montesano – Perry 4-5-0-34.
Rushing leaders: S – Anderson 9-4, Bach 6-(-5). M – Bodwell 9-105, Romero 5-85, Eaton 5-48, Gunter 3-38, Perry 3-27, Williamsen 4-24, Poler 2-21, Bruland 2-14, Timmons 3-12.
Receiving leaders: S – White 3-(-4), Wyniger 1-15, Bach 1-6, Travinski 1-2, Waymire 1-(-1). M – Poler 3-24, Gunter 1-10.
La Center 50, Elma 7
Elma’s season came to an end with a 50-7 loss to undefeated La Center in a 1A crossover game on Friday in La Center.
Elma’s lone touchdown came in the first quarter when running back Bo Muller connected a pass to senior receiver Jackson Schneider for a 72-yard touchdown. Luis Torres’ extra point tied the game at 7-7, where the score would remain at the end of the first quarter.
That was as close as Elma (4-6) would get as the Wildcats (10-0) scored 23 points in the second quarter – highlighted by a 72-yard touchdown run from running back Jalen Ward – to take a 30-7 lead into halftime.
La Center’s Isaac Chromey scored on a 2-yard run in the third quarter to put the Wildcats up 36-7 entering the final stanza.
La Center receiver Kaden Emerson scored on an 8-yard pass from quarterback Houston Coyle and was followed later in the quarter by a 33-yard touchdown from Wyatt Eiesland on an interception of a pass from Elma senior quarterback Carter Studer.
Studer completed 15-of-34 passes for 149 yards with two interceptions to lead Elma, his favorite target being Schneider, who caught five passes for 109 yards and a touchdown.
Muller had 3.5 tackles and a pair of sacks to lead Elma’s defense.
Elma 7 0 0 0 – 7
La Center 7 23 6 14 – 50
Scoring
First quarter
LC – Coyle 4 run (Rembisz kick)
E – Schneider 72 pass from Muller (Torres kick)
Second quarter
LC – Ward 72 run (Rembisz kick)
LC – Chromey 26 pass from Coyle (Rembisz kick)
LC – Coyle 15 run (Coyle run)
Third quarter
LC – Chromey 2 run
Fourth quarter
LC – Emerson 8 pass from Coyle (Rembisz kick)
LC – Eiesland 33 interception return (Rembisz kick)
Passing leaders: Elma – Studer 15-34-2-149, Muller 2-2-0-72, Schneider 1-1-0-11. LC – Coyle 10-16-2-109.
Rushing leaders: E – Muller 5-5, Reeves 2-3, Studer 2-1, Landstrom 1-(-3), Phillips 4-(-4). LC – Ward 9-153, Coyle 15-80, Chromey 6-43, Emerson 1-6.
Receiving leaders: E – Schneider 5-109, Phillips 4-44, Wright 5-41, Muller 2-14, Camus 2-13, Landstrom 1-11. LC – Chromey 3-78, Nixon 2-14, Emerson 3-7, Ward 1-1, McKinney 1-(-9).
Toledo 36, Raymond-South Bend 14
Raymond-South Bend’s season ended one game short of the 2B State Tournament after a 36-14 loss to Toledo on Friday in South Bend.
The Ravens (5-4) trailed 7-0 after one quarter but took a 14-7 lead at halftime thanks to a 40-yard touchdown run by senior running back Ferrill Johnson and an 18-yard scoring scamper from senior quarterback Austin Snodgrass.
Toledo (8-2) took a 15-14 lead after a 5-yard touchdown run by Eli Weeks and a subsequent two-point conversion in the third quarter.
The final period belonged to the Riverhawks as Toledo scored 21 straight points – highlighted by a 53-yard TD run from Weeks and two touchdown runs by Ethen Carver – to beat the Ravens for the second time this season.
The Ravens were led by Johnson, who ended his stellar senior season with 153 yards on 23 carries, giving the speedy running back 1,477 yards and 15 touchdowns this season.
Snodgrass completed his prep career with 40 yards on 10 carries.
Toledo 7 0 8 21 – 36
RSB 0 14 0 0 – 14
Scoring
First quarter
T – Weeks 1 run (PAT good), 6:22
Second quarter
RSB – Johnson 40 run (2 pt. fail), 9:16
RSB – Snodgrass 18 run (Johnson pass from Snodgrass), 5:15
Third quarter
T – Weeks 5 run (2 pt. good), 5:14
Fourth quarter
T – Weeks 53 run (2 pt. good), 10:54
T – Carver 8 run (2 pt. good), 6:49
T – Carver 27 run (PAT good), 1:29
Leading rushers: RSB – Johnson 23-153, Snodgrass 10-40.
Washougal 35, Aberdeen 21
Aberdeen’s season ended with a 35-21 loss to Washougal in a 2A crossover game on Saturday at Washougal High School.
The Bobcats (6-4) outgained the Panthers (8-2) 253-143 and kept the high-scoring Washougal offense relatively in check as the two teams were tied at 21-all in the fourth quarter.
Aberdeen looked to take the lead as it marched downfield on its first drive of the fourth quarter, but a fumble was recovered by Washougal.
The Panthers then embarked on an 11-play scoring drive to take the lead.
“It gave them momentum, but by no means did we give up,” Aberdeen head coach Todd Bridge said. “It took them 11 plays to drive 55 yards. That’s our boys fighting to stay alive.”
Four Aberdeen turnovers – two interceptions and two lost fumbles – and 10 penalties for 90 yards proved costly for the Bobcats. By contrast, the Panthers had one lost fumble in the game and two penalties for 20 yards.
“Our boys played hard and smart for the entirety of the game,” Bridge said. “But it is pretty tough to win the football game with four turnovers.”
Aberdeen senior running back Aidan Watkins led the way with 123 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries, giving the all-state candidate 1,098 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season. Fellow senior running back Marcus Hale added 62 yards on 14 carries for Aberdeen.
The Bobcats rushed for 219 yards – 132 in the first half – and held highly-touted Panthers quarterback Holden Bea to 116 yards on 10-of-17 passing.
The loss ended an Aberdeen season where the Bobcats finished in third place in the 2A Evergreen Conference and reached six wins for the first time in more than 20 years.
Six wins in a season, we’ll take that,” Bridge said.
Aberdeen 14 0 7 0 – 21
Washougal 7 14 0 14 – 35
Scoring
First quarter
A – Watkins 3 run (Brown kick), 9:48
W – Evers 19 pass from Bea (Johnson kick), 7:01
A – Watkins 15 run (Brown kick), 0:46
Second quarter
W – Austenfield 22 pass from Bea (Johnson kick), 9:31
W – Goodell pass from Bea (Johnson kick), 4:18
Third quarter
A – Watkins 2 run (Brown kick), 1:00
Fourth quarter
W – Johnston 17 run (Johnson kick), 4:18
W – Bea 3 run (Johnson kick), 1:31
Passing leaders: Aberdeen – Springer 3-11-2-34. Washougal – Bea 10-17-0-116.
Rusing leaders: A – Watkins 20-123, Hale 14-62, Schroeder 6-19, Springer 7-15. W – Cooper 14-37, Johnston 2-11, Bea 9-2, Johnson 1-(-23).
Receiving leaders: A – Hale 1-27, Watkins 2-7. W – Evers 3-41, Goodell 2-48, Austenfeld 3-43, Padilla 1-6.
Kalama 30, Pe Ell-Willapa Valley 12
Pe Ell-Willapa Valley’s season ended in the 2B crossover round with a 30-12 loss to Kalama on Saturday at Kalama High School.
PWV (6-5) led 12-8 late in the second quarter before a 20-yard touchdown run by Chinooks quarterback Aiden Brown put the Titans down 14-12 at the half.
PWV drove inside the Kalama 30-yard line in the third quarter, but a penalty killed the drive, eventually leading to a turnover on downs. In the fourth quarter, a PWV interception was called back due to a pass interference penalty.
“We had some things that didn’t go our way that should have gone our way,” PWV head coach Nate Smith said. “Overall, I think we played really well. … We’d get in the red zone but couldn’t stick it in when we needed to.”
PWV was led by senior running back Blake Howard who rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, giving him 823 yards this season.
Titans quarterback Nathan Fluke completed 5-of-12 passes for 82 yards and an interception. Fluke hit receiver Blaine King for a 71-yard touchdown to give the Titans a 12-8 lead in the second quarter.
“They played one tough schedule,” Smith said of his players. “They played hard every game and came out swinging. We don’t have much size, but we stuck around with some teams that were a lot bigger and a lot faster than us. Our team played team-like. It was never about one individual.”
Pe Ell-Willapa Valley 0 12 0 0 – 12
Kalama 8 6 0 16 – 30
Scoring
First quarter
K – Schlangen 20 pass from Brown (2 pt. good), 7:40
Second quarter
PWV – Howard 5 run (2 pt. fail), 10:28
PWV – King 71 pass from Fluke (2 pt. fail), 4:30
K – Brown 20 run (2 pt. fail), 1:04
Third quarter
None.
Fourth quarter
K – Brown 6 run (2 pt. good), 5:49
K – Brown 2 run (2 pt. good), 1:23
Passing leaders: PWV – Fluke 5-14-1-82.
Rushing leaders: PWV – Howard 20-98, Strozyk 6-32, Swogger 4-38.
Receiving leaders: PWV – King 2-76.
