Aberdeen used a punishing ground game and stalwart defense to blank Hoquiam 40-0 on Friday at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam, earning a third-straight Myrtle Street Rivalry victory in the process.

Aberdeen (1-0 overall) overcame a sluggish start that included two turnovers — a botched handoff and an interception by Hoquiam’s Alejandro Atwell — in its first two possessions to post one of its most dominant performances in recent rivalry history.

Led by a breakout night from senior running back Trey Anderson and a convincing defensive effort, Aberdeen outgained Hoquiam (0-1) in total yardage 426-50.

Anderson led the way with 130 yards on just 12 carries and a pair of touchdowns for an Aberdeen ground game that ran for 333 yards in the game.

The Bobcats D was just as impressive, holding Hoquiam to minus-17 yards of offense in the first half.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Hoquiam receiver Owen McNeill, left, gets his hand caught in the facemask of Aberdeen defender Trey Anderson during Aberdeen’s 40-0 victory on Friday in Hoquiam. The two teams combined for 20 penalties in the season-opening game.

“The kids adjusted and started running our stuff clean, periodically,” Aberdeen head coach Todd Bridge about his team’s ability to overcome some early-season rust. “We were getting in the wrong formations coming out of the huddle and guys were scrambling around. Defensively though, my gosh.”

Aberdeen held Hoquiam to just 21 yards rushing and 29 passing, much of that coming in the final five minutes of the game against Bobcats reserves. The Cats D was constantly in the Hoquiam backfield disrupting plays and pressuring Hoquiam junior quarterback Zander Jump.

“We had trouble with their O-line and D-Line up front,” Hoquiam head coach Jeremy McMillan said. “They have a pretty good thing going on over there. All three levels of their defense are pretty good. Their passing game is pretty decent and they have a couple of dynamic running backs that can make explosive plays.”

The game started on an even yet sloppy footing for both teams when, after Hoquiam defensive linemen James Monroe recovered Aberdeen’s aforementioned first-play fumble, the Bobcats returned the favor when defensive back Aidan Watkins recovered a Hoquiam fumble on the Grizzlies’ first possession.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Hoquiam lineman James Monroe (61) celebrates with his teammates after recovering an Aberdeen fumble on the first play from scrimmage during the Bobcats’ 40-0 victory on Friday in Hoquiam.

The game was also marred by yellow laundry as the teams combined to commit 20 penalties for 158 yards.

“(Hoquiam) got a couple of first downs and we helped them out with penalties,” said Bridge, whose team committed 15 penalties for 83 yards. “We had too many turnovers and we’re lucky to win it.”

Aberdeen broke a scoreless tie with senior running back Jeremy Sawyer took a handoff from quarterback Kale Goings and cutback through a seam up the middle or a 9-yard scoring run with just over three minutes left in the first quarter.

The Bobcats extended their lead when Anderson broke a tackle then sprinted toward the left pylon for a 13-0 lead at 8:07 of the second quarter.

In the third quarter, a 43-yard scamper from Sawyer set up a Goings 1-yard plunge for a score to put the Bobcats up 19-0 heading into the final frame.

Sawyer scored on a 23-yard run to make it a 26-0 game early in the fourth followed by an 8-yard rushing touchdown from Anderson for a 33-0 lead with 7:30 left.

The Aberdeen reserves put the icing on the cake when sophomore running back Marcus Hale outran the Hoquiam defense for a 44-yard touchdown run with just under five minutes left in the game.

Senior kicker Alan Avalos drilled his fourth PAT of the game to make it a 40-0 final score.

“At the beginning of the game, we kind of made the game a little bigger than it was, especially us seniors. We were overthinking a few things and that turned into turnovers, slipping on the ball and not breaking down,” Anderson said. “But after we got our composure and got everything together, we felt like we could run anything. … It worked to perfection.”

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen running back Trey Anderson (21) tries to escape the tackle of Hoquiam’s Zander Jump during the Bobcats’ 40-0 victory on Friday in Hoquiam. Anderson scored two touchdowns and led all rushers with 130 yards on Friday.

In addition to Anderson’s big game on the ground, Sawyer finished with 90 yards on 13 carries and led the team in receiving with three catches for 58 yards.

“(The offensive line) did absolutely amazing tonight,” said Anderson, who gained the majority of his yards on runs to the right side of Hoquiam’s defense. “After a few plays, we got our groove and felt like we could do anything. They were just amazing and made key blocks on my run plays. Without them, I’d have negative yards.”

“Hats off to Hoquiam. Those kids played as hard as they could. They’re feisty,” Bridge said of the Grizzlies. “Jeremy (McMillan) and his staff has got them playing hard.”

Despite losing to Aberdeen for the third consecutive season, McMillan saw some positives from his young team on Friday.

“Sloppy play and penalties are going to happen the first game,” he said. “But the kids played tough and played hard. It’s definitely not the same team we had last year. The sky is the limit with these guys. We’ve just got to hunker down and get back to work.”

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen running back Jeremy Sawyer (20) is tackled by Hoquiam defenders Zander Jump (10) and Jake Templer (16) during the Bobcats’ 40-0 victory on Friday in Hoquiam.

Hoquiam 0 0 0 0 — 0

Aberdeen 7 6 6 21 — 40

First Quarter

Aberdeen —Sawyer 9 run (Avalos kick), 3:10.

Second Quarter

A — Anderson 24 run (kick fail), 8:07

Third Quarter

A — Goings 1 run (pass fail), 8:36.

Fourth Quarter

A — Sawyer 23 run (Avalos kick), 11:22.

A — Anderson 8 run (Avalos kick), 7:30.

A — Hale 44 run (Avalos kick), 4:50.

Rushing

Aberdeen — Anderson 12-130, Sawyer 13-90, Goings 9-63, Hale 2-47, Watkins 1-3. Hoquiam — Burtenshaw 9-12, Templer 4-7, Jump 12-1, Hobucket 1-1.

Passing

A — Goings 8-14-2-93. H — Jump 5-8-0-29. Hobucket 0-1-0-0.

Receiving

A — Sawyer 3-58, Watkins 3-27, Walsh 2-8. H — McNeill 3-2, Bennett 1-14, LaBounty 1-9, Wonderly-Leonard 1-2.