All season long, the Elma Eagles have hoping the time would come when they together a complete game.
Turned out that time was Friday night.
Elma clicked on all cylinders in the second half en route to a 41-7 win over Hoquiam at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam.
The Eagles (3-2 overall, 1-0 1A Evergreen) took over in the second half, turning what was a 7-7 tie at the half into a 34-point win by way of a punishing defense and an offense that found its groove.
Though Elma delivered the final blows, it was Hoquiam that came out swinging.
The Grizzlies (1-4, 0-1) took the opening kickoff downfield, entering into the Elma red zone via edge runs from senior quarterback Zander Jump and scoring on a 16-yard scamper up the middle from running back Dominic Standstipher.
The Eagles would tie the game in the second quarter when Elma senior quarterback Carter Studer – who hit several short-range passes during an eight-play drive – pump-faked and found a wide-open Ethan Camus down the sideline for a 35-yard touchdown to tie the game.
After the Eagles defense forced a turnover on downs on a 4th-and-short play at midfield, Studer connected on another long, pump-fake pass play for a touchdown to running back Isaac Phillips, but the score was erased due to an Elma holding penalty.
The Eagles drive would stall out at midfield and the two teams entered halftime knotted up at 7-all.
That would change on the first play of the second half. Elma sophomore Blaize Salazar took a short kickoff to open the third quarter and justified his namesake, speeding down the left sideline for a 60-yard touchdown that gave Elma its first lead and super-charged the Eagles and their fans.
“That Blaize Salazar return for a touchdown, that was amazing,” Studer said.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Elma running back Bo Muller (22) runs against Hoquiam defender Zander Jump (10) during the Eagles’ 41-7 victory on Friday in Hoquiam.
From that point on, the game belonged to Elma.
The Eagles defense held Hoquiam to three-and-out on the following possession.
Elma’s offense quickly got back into the Grizzlies red zone when Studer hit Camus for 40 yards, giving the Eagles a 1st-and-goal at the 4-yard line. Two plays later, Phillips ran it in from 2-yards for a 21-7 lead.
Elma was at it again later in the third quarter, embarking on an 8-play, 51-yard drive that culminated with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Studer to receiver Jacob Meadows for a 28-7 lead 11 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Later, Studer found Camus in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown and a 34-7 lead with 5:47 left in the game.
A 25-yard jaunt from Elma running back Kale Reeves with approximately a minute left closed out the scoring at 41-7.
Elma racked up 389 yards of total offense led by Studer, who was sharp in completing 17-of-26 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns.
The senior signal-caller gave credit to his receivers after the game.
“The receivers were running great routes. They were open and I was hitting them,” Studer said of his success. “I wasn’t trying to do too much.”
Camus was Studer’s favorite target, catching 11 balls for 178 yards and two touchdowns.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Elma wide receiver Ethan Camus had 178 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-7 win over Hoquiam on Friday at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam.
“It’s been hit and miss all year long, trying to find our rhythm with our short game,” Elma co-head coach Casey Doyle said. “(Studer) does such a great job of getting rid of the ball quickly, we’ve got great skill guys who are going to make plays on the outside and tonight he just started hitting.”
Elma’s defense held Hoquiam to 174 yards on offense, the bulk of those coming from 134 yards on the ground.
Standstipher led the Grizzlies with 79 yards on 21 carries.
“We started falling in love with hitting,” Doyle said of his team’s defense, noting senior linebacker Traden Carter had an impact with his physicality in his football debut. “He came out and started hitting. It just got us fired up. … It’s contagious. When guys start making hits, that energy is contagious and you start rallying as a defense. They did a great job in the second half rallying to the ball and stopping things.”
“I think that kickoff return just took the air right out of us. We got so many young guys that are starting in key places on this team, they have to adapt and overcome those mistakes,” said Hoquiam head coach Jeremy McMillan, who had six sophomore starting on defense due to injury. “We’re just young and continually making mistakes and hopefully we’ll adapt and comeback to work on Monday.”
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Hoquiam running back Dominic Standstipher, right, carries the ball against Elma defensive back Eastin Wright during the Eagles’ 41-7 victory on Friday in Hoquiam.
With the victory, the Eagles are on an inside track for a playoff spot in the 1A Evergreen League, which looks to be wide open after favored Montesano.
“It was huge,” Studer said of the win. “We lost to (Hoquiam) last year, that was horrible, and we knew we had to win this game.”
McMillan said the parity of the league means the Grizzlies still have a great shot at a postseason slot, but added his team will need to be more competitive if the playoffs are in its future.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” he said. “We have a ton of potential, we really do, it’s just a matter of when it all comes together.”
Elma 0 7 14 20 – 41
Hoquiam 7 0 0 0 – 7
Scoring
First quarter
H – Standstipher 16 run (LaBounty kick), 6:08
Second quarter
E – Camus 34 pass from Studer (Wood kick), 2:37
Third quarter
E – Salazar 60 kickoff return (Wood kick), 11:52
E – Phillips 3 run (Wood kick), 7:44
Fourth quarter
E – Meadows 5 pass from Studer (Wood kick), 11:49
E – Camus 14 pass from Studer (kick fail), 5:17
E – Reeves 25 run (Wood kick), 1:01
Passing leaders: E – Studer 12-26-0-225, McGaffey 1-1-0-18. H – Jump 5-18-0-40.
Rushing leaders: E – Muller 7-44, Reeves 7-44, Studer 4-28, Phillips 4-14, Rademacher 1-14, McGaffey 1-2. H – Standstipher 21-79, Jump 19-47, Kaikaka 1-5.
Receiving leaders: E – Camus 11-178, Meadows 4-42, Schneider 2-21, Carter 1-2. H – Bennet-Bryson 2-22, Standstipher 2-18, Koth 1-0.
