High School Football: Kelso beats down Evergreen the old fashioned way
Gang Tackle — Kaino Fili’s 3 rushing TDs lead Hilanders over Plainsmen 35-22
Nick Sisson and Jordan Nailon for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com
High School Football / Report
SCHROEDER FIELD – Some things never change in K-Town.
That much was apparent Friday night at Laulainen Stadium when the Hilanders led from wire to wire in a 35-22 win over Evergreen in 3A Greater St. Helens League action on Schroeder Field. And if it’s helpful to have a list, here you go:
Kelso will run the football, a lot
Kelso will make the pads clap, whenever possible
Kelso will honor its legends,
If you need another pillar of stability to lean on, the Scots don’t lose to Evergreen at home – almost ever. In fact, the last time the Plainsmen left Kelso with a win was 2008. They remember.
And the Hilanders remember, too. They have memories like elephants after all. But on this day the Scots were playing for the heart of the community, as opposed to the chips on their shoulder. That’s because the family of former Kelso head coach Ed Laulainen was on hand acting as honorary captains for the game.
Coach Laulainen, who died at the age of 88 last month, led the Hilanders to that State title in 1983, and left a legacy that largely overshadowed even that top of the mountain moment. (Editor’s Note: Be sure to check BlastZoneMedia.com, soon, for our feature coverage on the life, times, and memory of coach Ed Laulainen.)
And facing an Evergreen team that was predicted to win by many “experts” the Hilanders overcame the odds in a way that Coach Laulainen would have been proud of. That is to say, they ignored the experts, racking up five rushing touchdowns with just one incomplete pass on the ledger in a thrilling victory in front of the home fans at Laulainen Stadium
“It was really great to see (the Laulainen family), and it felt fitting that there’s a team across from us that we know going in that athletically – on paper – they’re a little different caliber team than we are,” Gardner said. “But there’s still a lot to be said about the kind of toughness that Coach Laulainen instilled in his players and that still exists here. It just added a little extra to the evening.”
—Kelso kept it old-school on Friday, Oct. 3, at Schroeder Field — run, run, and run some more. The Hilanders punched in all 5fiveof their touchdowns on the ground and didn’t bother airing it out, proving that sometimes ground-and-pound can still get the job done. / Video by Skyler Smith for Blast Zone Media —
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