UPDATE: Added Ocosta-Toutle Lake and Lake Quinault-Northwest Christian game information.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article contained incorrect information. Montesano running back Gabe Bodwell rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns.
Montesano took another step toward returning as champions of the 1A Evergreen League with a 47-6 victory over Hoquiam on Friday at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam.
Fourth-ranked Montesano (6-1 overall, 2-0 1A Evergreen) used a key 14-point swing and exploded for 20 points in the third quarter to turn a close 14-0 game into a rout.
Leading 14-0 against a Grizzlies team, Monte head coach Terry Jensen said they “played us really tough.”
Montesano led by two touchdowns after a 13-yard run from quarterback Jaxson Wilson in the first quarter followed by a 1-yard run from running back Gabe Bodwell in the second quarter.
Hoquiam (3-4, 1-2) kept the game close by employing a sound strategy utilized by many coaches throughout the history of the game to slow down high-powered offenses: Hold on to the football and chew up game clock.
The strategy was working as it appeared the game would be within reach at 14-0 going into the half, but a Grizzlies fumble with approximately two minutes left in the second quarter gave an extra opportunity to the Bulldogs, and they took advantage of it.
Monte running back Ethan Blundred cashed in on the turnover, scoring on a 12-yard run with 30 seconds left in the first half to give Monte a 21-0 halftime lead.
The Bulldogs received the second-half kickoff and promptly drove downfield and took a 28-0 lead on Bodwell’s second rushing touchdown of the game, this time from 12-yards out.
“That was 14 points in a couple minutes of game time,” Jensen said. “That was a big momentum-changer there.”
Hoquiam responded with a 35-yard touchdown catch from senior receiver Owen McNeill on a pass from quarterback Zander Jump at the 6:45 mark.
PHOTO BY BEN WINKELMAN Hoquiam senior receiver Owen McNeill (3) makes a touchdown catch while being defended by Montesano’s Bode Poler (22) during the Bulldogs’ 47-6 victory on Friday at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam.
Monte’s offense was too much for Hoquiam to stop as Bodwell broke open a 57-yard run for a score followed by a 3-yard TD run from Bode Poler late in the third quarter for a 40-6 lead.
Wilson hit Poler for a 2-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring at 47-6.
“We played really well, but I thought Hoquiam did a really good job also with their game plan and what they were trying to accomplish,” Jensen said.
Monte was led by linebacker Mateo Sanchez, who had a team-best 14 tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and a sack for a Bulldogs defense that allowed 159 total yards of offense.
PHOTO BY BEN WINKELMAN Hoquiam running back Jake Templer (18) is pursued by Montesano defenders Mateo Sanchez (52) and Tyler Johansen (24) during the Bulldogs’ 47-6 victory on Friday at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam.
The Bulldogs tallied 432 yards of total offense — 355 on the ground — and were led by Bodwell, who rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns and Blundred, who had 115 yards on the evening..
Monte will host No. 8 Tenino at 7 p.m. on Friday.
A win would put Monte just one more victory away from clinching a 1A Evergreen League title.
“(Tenino) is really physical up front and their backs run hard,” Jensen said. “They present a lot of challenges for us.”
Tenino 66, Elma 26
Scoring hasn’t been the problem for the Elma Eagles this season.
Stopping other teams has been.
Elma struggled to slow down the running attack of the Tenino Beavers in a 66-26 loss on Friday at Tenino High School.
The Eagles (2-5, 0-2) allowed 22 points in each of the first two quarters as No. 8 Tenino (6-1, 3-1) racked up 503 yards of offense in the game, 472 on the ground.
Tenino senior running back Dylan Spicer rushed for 252 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 13 carries while Brody Noonan added 56 yards and three touchdowns on four attempts.
Elma was led by junior quarterback Carter Studer, who went 13-for-30 for 223 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
Senior receiver Gibson Cain caught six passes for 164 yards and scored on a 69-yard pass in the first quarter to cut the Eagles deficit to 24-8.
Elma receiver Kyren Hackney (5 receptions, 54 yards) caught touchdown passes of eight and 11 yards in the second half.
As a team, Elma held the ball for nearly 30 minutes (29:28) to just 18:32 for Tenino, and ran 56 plays to 38 for Tenino.
But the Beavers’ big-play ability led to touchdown runs of 38, 75 and 46 yards.
Elma host Eatonville on Saturday (time to be determined).
Ocosta 60, Toutle Lake 34
Big plays were the name of the game in Ocosta’s 60-34 win over Toutle Lake on Friday in Westport.
The Wildcats (5-1, 4-0 2B Central-Lower) had five scoring plays of 30 yards or more in downing the Ducks (0-6, 0-6).
Ocosta scored on a 56-yard touchdown run by running back Andrew Martin in the first half and opened the second half with an 80-yard kickoff return by senior Josh Figueroa.
Martin scored on a TD run of 33 yards and on a 63-yard pass from Kevin Agramon in the second half.
Agramon also crossed the goal line on a 41-yard run in the second half.
Ocosta led 21-8 at the half and also got first-half scores from Figueroa (5-yard run) and Martin (1-yard run).
In the second half, Ocosta receiver Davontay Garrett scored on a 10-yard run, and running back Mark Sevilla recorded a TD on a 4-yard run.
Ocosta’s defense recorded a safety in the first half.
The Wildcats have now won three games in a row and are a game ahead of Chief Leschi in the 2B Central-Lower League.
The Wildcats will face Chief Leschi in a key league contest at 7 p.m. on Friday in Puyallup.
Lake Quinault 73, Northwest Christian 32
The Lake Quinault Elks continue to be the team to beat in the state’s 6-man ranks after defeating Northwest Christian 73-32 on Saturday at Lake Quinault High School.
The Elks (5-0, 4-0 1B Coastal 6-man) got three touchdowns each from Cody Perry and Charles Gumecindo, but Lake Quinault head coach Melvyn Houtz gave much of the credit for Saturday’s win to the efforts of his offensive line, which made the proper audibles and correct blocking schemes throughout the victory.
“The offensive line opened up holes big time,” he said of the performance of linemen Perry, Wyatt Holland and Luis Ferris. “They’re pretty smart and I can’t say enough about them. … They’re the reason why we make this offense work.”
Lake Quinault will face Taholah for the first “River Bowl” matchup in 12 years.
The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Lake Quinault High School.
Other scores
Chief Leschi 68, North Beach 34
Clallam Bay 52, Wishkah Valley 19
Evergreen Lutheran 52, Taholah 14
