Prep Football: Week 2 reveals areas for refinement before league play
Kelso's Mintonye, Kalama's Brown and Ilwaco's Johnson rack up big points
Jordan Nailon / Blast Zone Media
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Mintonye’s 5 TDs carry Kelso over River Ridge
The Hilanders looked good on both sides of the ball in Week 2, but had to overcome a few gaffes on special teams plays on the way to a 40-21 win at home over River Ridge, Friday.
Running back Aden Mintonye started the scoring in the first quarter with the first of his game-high five touchdowns. The hosts in the golden helmets held a two-score lead midway through the second quarter after a 92-yard touchdown pass from Tucker Amrine to Alex Dieter. But a pair of mistakes in the extra phases of football put Kelso on high-alert before halftime.
“We were in control for most of it but a couple special teams deals let them back in it,” Kelso head coach Steve Amrine said.
Those “deals” included a 75-yard kickoff return by Kaden Haggard, and a jumbled snap on a punt attempt. Following a 13-yard touchdown pass from Darian Harper to Naiveo Brown, the Hilanders were all of a sudden playing from behind with just 1:33 left in the second quarter.
Beneath the lights at Schroeder Field, it was gut check time.
“We just decided it was pretty important to us,” Amrine said. “Aden got hot and we made a couple other plays.”
Like a convoy picking up speed, Mintonye put the hammer down again and crossed the goal line just 14 seconds before the intermission. That 58-yard rumble helped put the Hilanders ahead 20-14 at the break.
River Ridge retook the lead 21-20 with 4:38 left in the third quarter when Josh Buchanan capped a drive with a two-yard rushing touchdown.
“They were not the team they were last year. They were really physical,” coach Amrine said.
But once again, Mintonye answered the call and punched through for a 59-yard run through would-be road-blockers to put Kelso back in for good.
Mintonye’s longest scoring play of the night went for 80 yards with short time remaining in the third quarter. He added his fifth touchdown late in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 262 rushing yards on 21 carries.
Tucker Amrine added 137 yards through the air, completing four of eight passes with one touchdown. Dieter caught two of those passes for 97 yards and Zaden Hoover hauled in one pass for 41 yards.
Defensively, the Hilanders had to dig in deep in order to hold off a strong opponent in the second half. Jason Sloan and Kainoa Fili stepped up to fill the gaps from their linebacker spots.”
“Our linebackers continue to play well,” Amrine said.
Coach Amrine added that Tate Mead handled containment at defensive end (and kicked the extra points), with Hoover once again providing first rate coverage in the secondary, and Carter Huntley recovering a fumble as a defensive back.
The Hilanders (2-0) have emerged nearly unscathed through the first two weeks of the season and will now gear up to play at Bellarmine Prep on Friday.
“They’re 2-0, a big 3A team out of Tacoma, so it’s going to be our first road test against a really solid program,” coach Amrine said.
Beavers blanked by La Center in Lewis River Cup
The Beavers suffered another rivalry loss in Week 2 and will enter league play looking for their first win of the season after falling to La Center 28-0 last Friday.
The Wildcats amassed 325 yards on 64 plays in the Lewis River Cup. Running back Isaac Chromey led La Center with two touchdowns, while picking up 175 yards on 28 carries. Quarterback Wyatt Eisland completed 12 of 22 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown.
After a scoreless first quarter La Center took a 7-0 lead into halftime. The Wildcats added a score in the third quarter before adding two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, Woodland’s offense managed just 63 yards of total offense on 42 plays against a stout La Center defense.
Quarterback Elijah Andersen completed just 8 of 17 passes for 55 yards and threw three interceptions. He also picked up 10 yards on the ground on 16 carries. Karsen Northcut added 15 yards on two carries, while hauling in five passes for 16 more yards.
Woodland’s Zach Young added two catches for 21 yards, but none of that was enough to reach the end zone.
On the defensive side of the ball, Andersen led the Beavers with a dozen tackles and an interception. Logan Busig added eight tackles in the loss.
Woodland (0-2) will host Washougal on Friday at 7 p.m.
La Center (2-0) will host Columbia (White Salmon) on Friday.
Rockets rally back to beat Rochester
Castle Rock decided to play with fire last Friday when it spotted the Warriors two touchdowns. But the Rockets didn’t get burned in their Week 2 non-league football matchup, walking away with a 20-14 win and a case of heart burn for head coach Cody Warner.
“It was a pretty exciting game,” Warner deadpanned.
The Rockets allowed two touchdowns in the first quarter and trailed 14-0 before fortifying their defense.
Castle Rock began its comeback in the second quarter with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Trevor Rogen on a fade to Owen Langdon. After halftime Rogen came out and handled business himself with a 26-yard touchdown run on a quarterback keeper.
But with just 1:16 left in the game, The Rock was still chasing two points and rapidly running out of opportunity. On 3rd down and 30, Rogen reared back and let loose a long ball that had far better luck than the astronauts currently stuck in space.
“The ball bounced off the defender’s hands and into Landon ‘Chuck’ Fulton’s hands and he was able to walk in for the score,” Warner noted. “A pretty miraculous play!”
And like those astronaut’s currently sitting in a tin can, Chuck Fulton’s exploits couldn’t be contained to just one realm. He racked up four solo tackles and 12 assists to go with a sack on defense. John Soden added 14 tackles for the Rockets’ defense.
With that epic tale already written, Castle Rock found a way to add one more hero to its story when Logan Engkraf reeled in an interception on Rochester’s final possession in order to seal the victory.
Rogen finished the game having completed 9 of 17 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception on his ledger. He also led the team with 33 rushing yards on nine carries. Langdon was the leading receiver for the Rockets with 86 yards and a touchdown on five catches.
Castle Rock (1-1) will open 1A Trico League play by hosting Seton Catholic (2-0) on Friday at 7 p.m.
Brown’s six TDs lift Kalama over Tenino
Playing on the black top in Tenino, the Chinooks needed every last yard they could muster on the way to a 38-35 win over the Beavers in Week 2 non-league football action.
Aiden Brown, a senior quarterback, rushed for 212 yards and four touchdowns to lead Kalama to victory. His scoring plays came on jaunts of 32, 86, 25 and 23 yards. He also completed nine of 25 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing two interceptions.
All told, the Kalama quarterback accounted for 378 yards and a half dozen touchdowns.
Kalama’s Drew Schlangen grabbed four passes for 64 yards, while Henry Sigfridson hauled in four catches for 44 yards and a touchdown. Jonny Martinez reeled in the other touchdown pass, covering 58 yards on his way to pay dirt.
On the defensive side, Abel Koski helped lock down the win with an interception late in the game. Schlangen pitched in with 18 tackles, including one tackle for a loss, and one forced fumble.
Kalama (2-0) will host King’s Way Christian on Friday at 7 p.m.
Tenino (1-1) will play at Adna on Friday at 7 p.m.
Toledo Doubles Up Goldendale
The Riverahawks were facing a tall task in Week 2 when they welcomed Goldendale to Cheese Town. Last season, Goldendale played all the way to the State quarterfinals and this year they had a bye in the opening week of the season.
That meant that Toledo knew they were going to be playing a good team with high expectations, but they had no new film to study and no idea what to prepare for. So when the Timberwolves showed up at Hippi Stadium with a brand new offense and defense, Toledo had to scramble to adjust.
“They’re a big, strong, physical football team,” Toledo coach Mike Christensen said. “That’s one of the reasons I wanted to put them on the schedule.”
All that scrambling paid off with a 26-13 win in front of the Riverhawks’ home fans on Saturday.
“I was proud of the way our guys responded,” Christensen added. “I thought we adjusted well throughout the game.”
Toledo fell behind 6-0 in the first quarter and had to play from behind until Carter Swofford got loose for a 27-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. The Riverhawks went to their bag of tricks just before halftime in order to take the lead for good with a perfectly executed hook and ladder that went 70 yards for a touchdown.
Quarterback Eli Weeks set up the score with a short pass to Adam Kruger, who promptly pitched the ball to Trevin Gale as he made a sweep for the sideline. Seventy yards later the Riverhawks were celebrating what would hold up as a 12-6 lead at halftime.
“Those plays don’t usually work out,” Christensen said. “Adam made a perfect pitch and Trevin caught it in stride and he’s pretty fast so they couldn’t catch him down the sideline.”
Toledo was able to add on after the intermission thanks to a 47-yard touchdown run by Swofford and a two-yard quarterback keeper by Weeks.
Weeks finished with more than 200 total yards on offense, while Swofford totaled 147 yards on the ground.
Defensively, Christensen pointed out linebackers Leland McCree, Masson Ruiz and Nico Acosta for helping to hold Goldendale scoreless down the stretch. Nathan Beaver, Weeks and Gale also helped slow down the T-Wolves with one interception each.
In the end, Toledo was able to out-gain Goldendale 366-182 in total offensive yards.
Toledo (2-0) will continue its tough non-league slate in Week 3 when it heads to Menlo for a date with Pe Ell-Willapa Valley on Friday at 7 p.m.
Christensen said the Titans remind him of “Napavine circa 2017” based on the film he’s watched so far. He noted that they’ve got a strong quarterback and a lot of experienced seniors on the line.
“It’s gonna be difficult to go out there and get a win,” Christensen insisted.
Ilwaco cuts to the chase against Cardinals
The Fishermen found themselves in a shootout in Week 2 when they hit the road for a visit to the Egg City. Luckily for Ilwaco, the hosts from Winlock ran out of ammunition in the first half on the way to a 58-12 loss.
The home town Cardinals took an early lead on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Landon Cline to Jaxyn Pelagio, but saw the Fishermen even things up on an 8-yard rushing score by Corbin Johnson later in the first quarter. Winlock reclaimed the lead at 12-6 early in the second quarter when Cline again connected with Pelagio, this time from 27-yards out.
But that was all the scoring the Cards were able to put up for their home fans as they were out-scored 52-0 the rest of the way.
Johnson finished with a game-high five touchdowns to go with 128 yards on 16 carries. Cody Kaino added a rushing touchdown and chipped in 64 rushing yards on eight carries. Dylan Pelas and Brexten Weidner also found the end zone while toting the pigskin for the Fishermen.
All told, Ilwaco picked up 357 yards on offense while limiting Winlock to just 136 yards.
James Cusson led Winlock with 67 rushing yards on 18 carries. Cline finished the game 5 of 14 through the air for 51 yards and both of the Cards’ touchdowns.
Winlock (0-2) will play at Toutle Lake on Friday at 7 p.m.
Ilwaco (2-0) will host Wahkiakum on Friday at 7 p.m.
Toutle Lake sends Trappers away empty-handed.
When the Fighting Ducks looked on the schedule and saw Fort Vancouver in Week 2 they immediately developed a collective chip on their shoulder. That’s a natural reaction when you see a traditional Greater St. Helens League team dropping down in search of a win way out in East Cowlitz County.
Well, Toutle Lake got the last laugh in a 34-0 win at home over the Trappers, now at home in the 1A Trico League, last Friday.
Jamison Schelb led the hosts with two passing touchdowns and another on the ground.
Caleb Webber hauled in two touchdown catches for the Ducks and Austin Webber ran in another two scores for Toutle Lake.
Toutle Lake (1-1) is set to host Winlock on Friday at 7 p.m.
Comets whip Wahkiakum, retain KM Mountain crown
Naselle took the air out of the Battle of KM Mountain faster than you can teach a city slicker to say Skamokawa. Playing their traditional rivalry game against Wahkiakum for the first time in nearly a decade, the Comets blitzed the Mules 72-6 to keep the trophy in Pacific County for at least a little while longer.
“We put a lot of pressure on them and they didn’t have an answer,” Naselle coach Kevin McNulty said. “The game was pretty well out of hand by the end of the first quarter.”
Jacob Lindstrom was the star of the show for the Comets early on in the 1B Southwest Division, but bad news was waiting around the corner the senior do-it-all. Lindstrom completed 4 of 5 passes for 33 yards and ran for another 121 yards and three touchdowns on just seven carries. He also returned a failed onside kick for a touchdown and returned an interception to the house before breaking his collar bone at the end of a long scramble later in the game.
“He did break it. A clean break, so hopefully he can return in six to eight weeks,” McNulty said. “Right now it’s next man up.”
The next man up approach worked out flawlessly against the Mules, with Eli Gardner and Leith Chadwick going a combined 4 for 4 on their passes for 134 yards. Notably, Chadwick was 3 for 3 through the air with three touchdowns to show for his efforts.
On the other side, the Mules were bogged down most of the evening and managed just 111 yards of offense all game long. Parker Leitz accounted for 95 of those yards himself with five catches and one touchdown. Quarterback Jayden Stoddard completed 7 of 20 attempts for 109 yards and the touchdown strike to Leitz in the second quarter.
On a night where they played far too much defense, the Mules were led by Mason Waldeck’s five solo tackles. Stoddard also had his head in on five tackles, while Joseph Merz added four tackles to the cause.
It was Jack Strange who set the tone for the Comets’ defensive unit, but there were plenty of blue and yellow helmets swarming to the ball all evening.
“Jack Strange led us in tackles, but our D-line had a lot of pressure on their quarterback,” McNulty noted. “He was getting chewed up and didn’t have a lot of time to throw.”
Scott Hennington added an interception for the Comets.
Naselle (2-0) will host Sound Christian for a league contest on Friday at 7 p.m.
Wahkiakum (0-2) will play at Ilwaco on Friday at 7 p.m.
Columbians cool off quickly at Willamina
Rainier took an early lead in Week 2 but failed to score the rest of the way in a 42-6 loss at Willamina in non-league football action.
Adrian Nguyen put the Columbians on the board in the first quarter after intercepting a pass and returning it 70-yards the other way for a touchdown. He went on to add five tackles on defense, a total surpassed only by Dale Schaffner and his nine takedowns.
However, the Rainier offense was held scoreless for the entirety of the game with just 119 yards gained.
Quarterback Deric Coberly picked up 96 yards through the air while completing five of 14 passes, but he also threw an interception. Gage Mohammad caught three of those passes for 55 yards, while Jayden Quivedo hauled in one pass for 32 yards.
The Columbians picked up just 21 yards on the ground, with Angel Becerra earning 10 yards on a team-high six carries. Nguyen added nine yards on three carries.
Still, the Columbians trailed just 13-6 at halftime. But then the floodgates opened up after the intermission when the hosts put up 22 points in the third quarter.
Rainier (0-2) will play at Yamhill-Carlton on Friday at 7 p.m.
Clatskanie misfires in loss at Stanfield
The Tigers were stifled nearly all game long in a 36-6 loss at Stanfield, Saturday, in non-league football play.
A tough opponent and an outbreak of turnovers put Clatskanie in jeopardy of being shut out in its first road contest of the season. However, the Tigers found pay dirt on the final play of the day when quarterback Will VanVoorst connected with Braydon Top for a touchdown pass.
“Our standouts were probably on the defensive side,” Clatskanie coach Sean Gorley noted. “Russell Carver, Ryder Gorley and Lucas Andreason all had 10+ tackles.”
Ryder Ryder also forced fumble and Andreason came up with two fumble recoveries to help limit Stanfield offense. Ayden Blackshire turned in an interception for the Tigers.
Clatskanie (0-2) will play at Vernonia/Jewell on Friday at 7 p.m.
ICYMI Scores
R.A. Long 21, Centralia 15 (OT) *
Seton Catholic 46, Mark Morris 0 *
*As previously reported on Blast Zone Media
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