UPDATE: Information added for Elma at Tenino and Mossyrock at Ocosta games.
In a low-scoring contest, key Aberdeen mistakes proved costly in a 7-0 loss to Black Hills on Saturday in Tumwater.
The Bobcats (0-2 overall) failed to score despite out-rushing Black Hills (1-1) 113-48, largely due to what Bobcats head coach Todd Bridge called an “inept offense” and three crucial drive-killing penalties.
The only score of the game came midway through the second quarter after a blown Aberdeen coverage led to an 82-yard touchdown reception for the Wolves.
Aside from that, Aberdeen’s defense held firm.
“The defense is playing well,” Bridge said. “If we take care of business and have the right guys in the right place on that one play, we’re probably still playing.”
Running back Jeremy Sawyer gained 106 yards for Aberdeen, but the Bobcats committed costly mistakes on offense. Aberdeen had two turnovers — a fumble and an interception — and three personal-foul penalties that killed scoring opportunities, none more critical than a personal foul call when the Bobcats drove to the Wolves’ 1-yard line.
“That personal foul puts us back to the 16-yard line and we ended up not scoring,” Bridge said. “When you are a ball-control offense, you just can’t have that.”
According to Bridge, Aberdeen had approximately 60 yards in penalties, leading to the notion that the Bobcats shot themselves in the foot far too often.
“We stopped our drives more than they did,” Bride said. “I think we actually ran out of toes.”
Bridge put the loss squarely on himself and said his team will learn from what was a “gut-wrenching” defeat.
“Tonight’s loss is on me,” he said. “I didn’t have our kids disciplined enough to not retaliate when people said stuff and we got three personal fouls that put us behind the chains, and when you are a ball-control offense and you are behind the chains, it’s going to be a long night. We will fix that. We have to learn how to play with a chip and an edge on our shoulder, but know when to turn it off and know what the limit is.”
Aberdeen 0 0 0 0 — 0
Black Hills 0 7 0 0 — 7
Ocosta’s Andrew Martin scored the Wildcats’ only touchdown of the game in a 36-8 loss on Saturday in Westport. (Photo by Jennifer Raffelson)
Mossyrock 36, Ocosta 8
Ocosta fell behind 34-0 before breaking the shutout in the fourth quarter of a 36-8 loss to Mossyrock on Saturday in Westport.
“Like last week, we ran out of steam,” Ocosta assistant coach Cameron Ness said of the loss. “We’re still learning this 8-man (football) thing.”
Ocosta (0-2), which is heavy in underclassmen and made the switch to 8-man football late in the preseason, fell behind 34-0 before breaking the shutout early in the fourth quarter.
Wildcats freshman receiver Andrew Martin scampered 19 yards after receiving a shovel pass from quarterback Isaac O’Hagan to give Ocosta its first points of the game. Martin ran in the two-point conversion to make it a 34-8 ballgame.
Mossyrock scored on a safety with three minutes left in the game to complete the scoring.
After allowing 26 points in the first half, Ness stated the Wildcats defense showed it started to figure things out in the second half.
Ocosta’s Harley Figueroa and O’Hagan each recorded double-digit tackles in the game, with Figueroa collecting six in the first quarter alone.
“The defense played better in the second half and started to slow them down a bit,” Ness said.
Mossyrock 14 12 8 2 — 36
Ocosta 0 0 0 8 — 8
North Beach 20, Toutle Lake 6
After going winless in 2019, the North Beach Hyaks opened the season with a 20-6 victory over Toutle Lake on Saturday in Ocean Shores.
Trailing 6-0 in the first quarter, North Beach (1-0) got on the scoreboard when quarterback Sam Teague hit receiver Kyle Fry for a 20-yard touchdown to tie the game at 6-all going into halftime.
The Hyaks took the lead when Teague found Josh Bighead for a 15-yard scoring strike early in the third quarter. The two-point conversion gave North Beach a 14-6 advantage.
Later in the third, North Beach backup quarterback Wyeland Lomedico — in for Teague due to a minor injury — hit Mavrik Ashe from 10-yards out to put North Beach up 20-6.
After giving up the early touchdown, the Hyaks defense held Toutle Lake scoreless the rest of the way, led by defensive linemen Jonathon Jerome (10 tackles for loss) and Takwitaano Estavillo.
“There was a lot of excitement and relief for the players to move past it,” North Beach head coach Jaime Moodenbaugh said of ending the losing streak. “They’re ready to go again.”
Toutle Lake 6 0 0 0 — 6
North Beach 6 0 14 0 — 20
Elma 6, Tenino 2
One impactful offensive play was all that was needed for Elma to come out with a 6-2 road victory over Tenino on Saturday.
In a game that had nearly as many penalty yards and offensive yardage, Jarred Bailey’s 57-yard touchdown run with 6:59 left in the game was enough for the Eagles to emerge victorious.
Tenino’s only points came in the final half-minute of the contest, when Elma quarterback René Duran ran through the back of the end zone to take a safety. The play allowed Elma to switch field position and force Tenino to start its next possession from the Beavers side of the field rather than the Eagles punt from their own goal line.
Elma (2-0) compiled 120 yards on offense, 117 of those on the ground with Tenino accumulating 119 total yards.
The two teams combined for 21 penalties for 155 yards, with Elma accounting for 12 of those penalties for 90 yards.
Elma had just four first downs to just six for Tenino.
“It was a very tough game and our defense pitched a shutout,” Elma head coach Ron Clark said, noting the baseball nature of the final score. “Lots of mistakes and Tenino is a much-improved team.”
Bailey finished with 79 yards on seven attempts to lead the Eagles.
Defensively, Brody Rustemeyer (6 tackles) and Nathan Comer (5 tackles, sack) led Elma.
Elma 0 0 0 6 — 6
Tenino 0 0 0 2 — 2
