Prep Football: Kelso comes alive late at Bremerton

Slow Start: Aden Mintonye rushes for two TD's in 21-0 win

By Jordan Nailon / blastzonenews@gmail.com

The Hilanders had their fans trying to act like they weren’t nervous Friday night before finally finding their footing in a 21-0 non-league football win at Bremerton.

Coming in at 3-0 on the season, the 3A Hilanders looked like a heavy favorite over the winless 2A Knights. But games are funny like that, and it took a stout defensive stand late in the second quarter for Kelso to escape to the locker room locked in a scoreless tie.

But with 7:44 left in the third quarter Kelso running back Aden Mintonye got loose for the first of his two touchdowns on the night. That run went for just eight yards before he found pay dirt, but early in the fourth quarter the roughneck Hilander rumbled 32 yards to the end zone for another touchdown.

Blake Parsons capped the Kelso scoring in the fourth quarter when he crossed the goal line on a rush from seven yards out. Tate Meade sent all three extra point kicks through the uprights.

All told, Kelso won the battle of attrition 234-153 in yardage gained, with 176 of those hash marks piling up in the second half for the Hilanders.

Kelso quarterback Tucker Amrine threw just seven passes all evening, connecting on three of them for just five yards. Meanwhile, Mintnoye piled up 149 yards and the two touchdowns on 21 carries.

Zaden Hoover added a 20-yard run for the Hilanders, and came up big with several clutch tackles to thwart promising Bremerton drives in the first half.

Kelso (3-0) will begin league play next Friday at 7 p.m. against Evergreen at McKenzie Stadium.