As if playing in one of the state’s, if not the nation’s most storied and longest-running high school football rivalries wasn’t enough, the Aberdeen Bobcats brought extra motivation to the 115th Myrtle Street Rivalry against the Hoquiam Grizzlies on Saturday.
“It’s not lost on us that we’ve lost six straight to Hoquiam,” Aberdeen head coach Todd Bridge said in the week leading up to the game. “We’re well aware of that.”
Aberdeen (3-3 overall) used whatever motivation it could to earn a convincing 30-8 victory over Hoquiam at Stewart Field, ending a losing streak to the Grizzlies that dates back to 2013.
“(This win) means everything,” Aberdeen quarterback Eli Brown said. “We’ve lost to them every year since I’ve been here so it just feels good to come out here and turn the tide for this program.”
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen running back Jeremy Sawyer (20) carries Hoquiam defenders on a run in the second half of Saturday’s game in Aberdeen. Sawyer finished the game with 214 yards and three touchdowns.
In what turned out to be an ominous beginning for Hoquiam, the Grizzlies received the first-half kickoff and promptly fumbled it away to the Bobcats, setting up Aberdeen with excellent field position at the Hoquiam 42-yard line.
After chewing up nearly six minutes of game time and driving deep into Hoquiam territory, Brown punched home a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Bobcats the early lead. Bobcats running back Connar Sherman converted the two-point conversion to give Aberdeen an 8-0 advantage halfway through the first quarter.
Hoquiam (1-5) responded with a drive deep into Aberdeen territory, but a Grizzlies false-start penalty on the Aberdeen 9-yard line turned a 4th-and-inches play into 4th-and-6. A scramble by Hoquiam quarterback Dane McMillan on the subsequent play fell short of the first-down marker, giving Aberdeen possession on their own 11-yard line.
Aberdeen doubled its lead on a long drive in the second quarter, going 82 yards on 11 plays capped by a 16-yard touchdown run by Bobcats running back Jeremy Sawyer with 5:33 left in the first half. Brown hit receiver Austin Neeley for the two-point conversion to stretch Aberdeen’s lead to 16-0.
After Hoquiam turned the ball over on downs in its ensuing possession followed immediately by an Aberdeen fumble, the Grizzlies drove to the Aberdeen 30 but failed to sustain the drive, turning the ball over on downs for the fourth time in the half.
But rather than run out the clock and rest on a 16-0 halftime lead, Aberdeen rolled the dice. The Bobcats moved the ball to the Hoquiam 47-yard line after two Sawyer runs. With just seconds remaining in the half, Brown let loose a long pass toward the Hoquiam end zone. Aberdeen receiver Isiah Watson leaped and made the grab at the Aberdeen 2-yard line with just two seconds remaining.
After a Hoquiam pass interference call allowed for one more Aberdeen offensive play with no time on the clock, Sawyer scored on a 2-yard run. A pass from Brown to Neeley for two points gave Aberdeen a commanding 24-0 lead at the half.
Hoquiam got on the board early in the fourth quarter, turning defensive back Troy McMinn’s interception into points when backup quarterback Junior Ensminger scored on a 4-yard run to get the Grizzlies back in the game at 24-8 with 11:55 remaining.
But Aberdeen responded when Sawyer scored on a 3-yard run for his third touchdown of the game and a 30-8 lead with 7:34 to go.
Aberdeen finished with 295 rushing yards, 214 of those coming on 34 carries from Sawyer.
Sherman finished his prep career with 12 carries for 68 yards.
Hoquiam was led by McMillan, who rushed 11 times for 98 yards and McMinn, who had 14 carries for 59 yards.
Brown led all passers, going 5-for-9 for 60 yards and an interception.
McMillan and Ensminger combined to go 7-for-14 for 62 yards and a third-quarter interception by Aberdeen defensive back Jakob Bowers.
PHOTO BY BEN WINKELMAN Aberdeen defensive back Jakob Bowers, right, intercepts a pass in front of Hoquiam receiver Abraham Morales during Saturday’s game at Stewart Field in Aberdeen.
Bridge how last season’s senior leadership helped to pave the way for Saturday’s victory.
“They bought in and they believed from Day 1,” he said of the 2019 seniors. “They set foundational blocks and believed in what we were preaching. It takes a while to turn a program around. We haven’t made it yet, but we can see the corner. … Tonight we kept our composure, took care of the rock and controlled the tempo of the game.”
Another key motivator for Aberdeen was the crowd. With recent restrictions on the number of fans allowed at football games being lifted, the sizable crowd that included several hundred fans for both teams made the environment feel closer to the traditional high school football Twin Harbors fans have become accustomed to, leading to a raucous atmosphere fitting of the Myrtle Street Rivalry moniker.
“It’s a whole different environment with the crowd. The energy level is three to four times higher. Everything is just more fun. Having the crowd react to all the good plays, it’s just a whole different environment,” Brown said. “We weren’t really doing that well in warm-ups, but when that crowd started cheering, everything flipped on and it was go-time.”
PHOTO BY BEN WINKELMAN Hoquiam School District Superintendent Mike Villarreal (sitting) makes good on a friendly wager with Aberdeen SD Superintendent Dr. Alicia Henderson after Aberdeen’s 30-8 win on Saturday at Stewart Field in Aberdeen.
Hoquiam 0 0 0 8 — 8
Aberdeen 8 16 0 6 — 30
Passing Leaders: Aberdeen — Brown (5-9-1 60 yards). Hoquiam — McMillan (4-8-1 30 yds.); Ensminger (3-6-0 32 yds.).
Rushing Leaders: Aberdeen — Sawyer (34-214, 3 TD), Sherman (12-68). Hoquiam — McMillan (11-98); McMinn (14-59), Ensminger (3-19, TD).
Receiving Leaders: Aberdeen — Watson (1-45), Sherman (2-9). Hoquiam — McMinn (4-42).
