High School Football: Graham's kick at the horn puts Woodland over Kalama
8-Mile War: Beavers walk-off with 16-14 win over 'Nooks on opening night
By Drew Lawson for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com
WOODLAND — One side said the Beavers called a timeout with one second left. The other side swore Woodland quarterback Michael Belvin was down in bounds as the clock expired.
And the fact is the final scoreboard? It read 16-14, with Woodland taking the rivalry win over Kalama in the 8-Mile War thanks to the leg of senior Josiah Graham, who took full advantage of the singular second put back on the clock with a horn-beating 18-yard field goal Beavers’ fans aren’t going to forget anytime soon.
But what led to such a dramatic finish in the riveting Week 1 contest? Well, the game featured plenty of flags (both of the yellow penalty variety, and one featuring Glen-Flanagan’s-superimposed-face-on-an-American), runaway footballs, and bits of paper from team tattered team banners, along with reporters notebooks and the scorekeeper’s sanity all at the mercy of winds that made the Ol’ Forest City feel more like Chicago’s Windy City.
And it was a final drive filled with theatrics and controversy to dramatically conclude what had been — save for a few memorable moments — a rather uneventful season opener between the two South Cowlitz County rivals.
In the waning minutes of the instant classic, Woodland’s defense forced a Kalama punt. Home field advantage put the wind at the Beavers’ back, leading to good field position at the 45-yard line and a burgeoning belief that something special was about to happen.
“The wind was huge tonight,” Flanagan said. Everybody going this way (as he pointed toward the victorious goal posts) seemed to be doing a lot better.”
— Highlights from Woodland’s 16-14 win over Kalama in the 8-Mile War, Friday, Sept. 5, at Beaver Stadium. / Video by Patrick Durgeloh for Blast Zone Media —
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