2B Prep Football: Toledo rolls Forks to open postseason

Committed to the Bit — Riverhawks pile up points in 2nd half for 63-20 win

Toledo’s Carter Swofford pulls off a jump pivot while running the ball during a 2B football playoff crossover against Forks, Friday, Nov. 8, in Kelso. The Riverhawks went on to win 63-20. — Skyler Smith / Framed Photography

Sam Barbee for Blast Zone Media

You hear a lot about standards from coaches. They talk about playing up their own internal standards. Playing against ourselves. Doing what we do best.

It’s a ploy designed to not fall victim to comparisons, to stay, like a racehorse with those black things to keep us from seeing anything but what’s right in front of us.

And it’s things like this that usually pop up after games like Toledo played Friday night.

In a first round 2B football playoff game, the Toledo Riverhawks beat Forks 63-20 at Laulainen Stadium in Kelso. The clock was running at the end. Toledo scored seven touchdowns after the Spartans score two in the second quarter.

Toledo’s Adam Kruger hauls in a touchdown pass during a 63-20 win over Forks in the opening round of the 2B football playoffs, Friday, Nov. 8, in Kelso. — Skyler Smith / Framed Photography

So a 43-point win that sees the higher ranked team win going away. That’s cause for celebration, right?

Wrong. A football coach is never happy with a five-yard gain, because it should’ve been seven, because they should’ve got a cleaner seal on that guy and the running back should’ve hit the whole harder and gotten vertical.

Wins are the same way. Things need to be better, cleaner, sharper, especially when you get deeper and the teams get better and the mistakes become more magnified.

Toledo’s Eli Weeks leaps to break up a pass attempt by Forks during a 2B football playoff crossover, Friday, Nov. 8, in Kelso. The Riverhawks went on to win 63-20. — Skyler Smith / Framed Photography

“Our mentality is always it doesn’t matter who we’re playing. We want to play Toledo football: execute really well and do the things we need to do,” Toledo coach Mike Christensen said. “And the scoreboard usually reflects that.

“It’s hard to say without looking at the film, but I think we can play better. I know we can play better.”