Elma made key plays down the stretch to snap a losing streak as we review Twin Harbors prep football games for Week 6 of the 2024 season.

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PREP FOOTBALL

Elma 27, Tenino 16

Elma gave its fans a welcome homecoming gift with a 27-16 win over Tenino on Friday at Davis Field in Elma.

Coming off a three-game losing streak and needing a victory to remain in contention for one of the 1A Evergreen League’s top two playoff spots, the Eagles (3-3 overall, 1-1 1A Evergreen) made the key plays late in the game to pull away from the Beavers (3-3, 0-2) down the stretch.

Elma trailed 8-0 after a short touchdown run by Tenino running back Mikey Vasser in the first quarter.

Elma senior Traden Carter then made his mark on the game, scoring twice in the second quarter on touchdown passes from quarterback Isaac McGaffey, one for 22 yards and another later in the quarter for a 40-yard score, staking Elma to a 13-8 halftime lead.

Another Vasser touchdown run in the third quarter put Tenino up 16-13 heading into the final 12 minutes of play.

Early in the fourth quarter, Elma drove to the Beavers’ 23-yard line thanks to a 35-yard pass from McGaffey to receiver Ethan Camus.

But an unsportsmanlike penalty on the Eagles pushed the ball back to the 28 one play later.

On third down and very long, McGaffey connected with Camus for a 24-yard touchdown. Kicker Matthew Wood’s extra point put Elma up 20-16 with 9:47 to play.

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Elma receiver Ethan Camus had a game-high 144 receiving yards in the Eagles’ 27-16 victory over Tenino on Friday at Davis Field in Elma.

Later in the quarter, Tenino drove to the Elma 23 until Carter came up with another big play, intercepting an Austin Gonia pass and racing 68 yards for a game-clinching touchdown with just over four minutes to play.

The Eagles defense would stop Tenino’s subsequent 11 play, 74-yard drive just short of the goal line to secure the Elma victory.

”This was another tough game that had a lot of adversity in it, but we definitely wanted to get a victory, especially our last home game and it was homecoming for our seniors and their last game on Davis Field,” Elma head coach Larry Raynes said. “So we wanted to make sure they got sent off with a victory.”

McGaffey went 11 for 23 for 217 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.

Carter caught two passes for 62 yards while Camus led all receivers with five catches for 144 yards, including a 60-yard screen pass that led to Elma’s first score.

Elma had 278 yards to 255 for Tenino as the Beavers held a 144-61 advantage in rushing yards, led by Vasser’s 22 carries for 96 yards.

Elma had just seven first downs compared to 16 for Tenino and had to overcome 12 penalties for 178 yards.

“It was a battle … It was such a team effort. Everyone was out there playing their hardest and everyone was able to get it done,” said Raynes, who described the environment in the Elma locker room after snapping the three-game skid. “They were singing the fight song in the locker room and pounding their helmets on the lockers. It was a great sight to see.”

With the win, Elma sits alone in third place in the 1A Evergreen League and will take on Black Hills in a non-league game set for 7 p.m. on Friday in Tumwater.

Tenino 8 0 8 0 – 16

Elma 0 13 0 14 – 27

Scoring

First quarter

Tenino – Vasser 3 run (Vasser run).

Second quarter

Elma – Carter 22 pass from McGaffey (conversion fail).

E – Carter 40 pass from McGaffey (Wood kick).

Third quarter

T – Vasser 13 run (Vasser run).

Fourth quarter

E – Camus 24 pass from McGaffey (Wood kick).

E – Carter 68 interception return (Wood kick).

Passing: Tenino – Gonia 12-23-1-111, Pauley 0-1-0-0. Elma – McGaffey 11-23-0-217, Brookins 0-1-0-0.

Rushing: T – Vasser 22-96, Ash 10-32, Gonia 4-16. E – McGaffey 7-29, Radamacher 8-26, Carter 3-22, Muller 6-6, Landstrom 1-(-4), Brookins 1-(-5).

Receiving: T – Whitaker 2-30, White 3-30, Espinoza 2-26, Minerich 4-24, Ash 1-1. E – Camus 5-144, Carter 2-62, Landstrom 2-10, Brookins 2-2.

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Pe Ell-Willapa Valley 36, Toledo 6

Pe Ell-Willapa Valley won for the third consecutive week with a 36-6 drubbing of Ilwaco on Saturday at Ilwaco High School.

The Titans (4-2, 2-0 2B Central-West) held on to a 16-6 lead early in the fourth quarter before scoring three unanswered touchdowns to close out the game.

Running back Lucas Lusk scored on a 3-yard run at the 7:33 mark followed by Blaine King returning an interception 34 yards for a pick-6 touchdown just 23 seconds later.

Lusk capped off the win with a 6-yard scoring run with 4:43 left to play.

PWV quarterback Nathan Fluke went 8 for 15 passing with two touchdowns – one to receiver Cody Strozyk in the second quarter and another to King in the third – while Lusk led all rushers with 146 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

King caught three passes for 34 yards and had two interceptions from his defensive back position.

The victory was the third under interim head coach Josh Seymour and puts the Titans a half-game behind league-leading Napavine in the win column.

PWV hosts fourth-place Forks at 7 p.m. Friday in Pe Ell.

PWV 0 8 8 20 – 36

Ilwaco 0 0 0 6 – 6

Scoring

First quarter

None.

Second quarter

PWV – Strozyk 13 pass from Fluke (Strozyk run), 5:13.

Third quarter

PWV – King 7 pass from Fluke (Strozyk run), 5:01.

Fourth quarter

Ilwaco – Johnson 1 run (conversion fail), 10:19.

PWV – Lusk 3 run (kick fail), 7:33.

PWV – King 34 interception return (kick fail), 7:10.

PWV – Lusk 6 run (Lusk run), 4:43.

Passing: PWV – Fluke 8-15-120.

Rushing: PWV – Lusk 11-146, Strozyk 10-48, King 5-24.

Receiving: PWV – Strozyk 3-47, King 3-34.

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Napavine 61, Raymond-South Bend 7

Raymond-South Bend was no match for powerhouse Napavine in a 61-7 loss on Friday at South Bend High School.

The Ravens (1-5, 0-3, 2B Central-West) fell behind 27-0 after the first quarter and were out of it by halftime, trailing 56-0 to the Tigers (4-2, 3-0).

RSB lost five fumbles in the game – one returned by Karsen Denault for a 53-yard touchdown just before the end of the first quarter – and a pass by Ravens quarterback Chris Quintana was intercepted by Colin Shields and returned 58 yards for a touchdown in the second frame.

Napavine quarterback Grady Wilson passed for 83 yards and three scores while rushing for 118 yards and a touchdown on just three carries.

RSB running back Isaac Schlueter scored the Ravens’ lone touchdown on a 32-yard fourth-quarter run and finished with 98 yards on 13 carries.

RSB hosts East Jefferson in a non-league game set for 7 p.m. Friday at South Bend High School.

Napavine 27 28 0 6 — 61

Raymond-South Bend 0 0 0 7 — 7

Scoring

First quarter

Napavine – Wilson 54 run (PAT good).

N — Shields 49 run (PAT good).

N — Denault 21 pass from Wilson (PAT fail).

N — Denault 53 fumble return (PAT good).

Second quarter

N — Denault 13 pass from Wilson (PAT good).

N — Shields 19 pass from Wilson (PAT good).

N — Shields 58 interception return (PAT good).

N — Moniz-Taitague 22 run (PAT good).

Third quarter

None.

Fourth quarter

RSB — Schlueter 32 run (PAT good).

N — Hamilton 11 run (PAT fail).

Passing: N — Wilson 5-8-0-83, RSB — Quintana 1-2-1-21.

Rushing: N — Wilson 3-118, Shields 2-54, Hamilton 7-52. RSB — Schlueter 13-98, Banker 8-59.

Receiving: N — Denault 3-48, Shields 2-35. RSB — Jimenez-Diaz 1-21.

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Ocosta 64, Taholah 60

Ocosta held off a second-half surge from Taholah to win 64-60 on Friday at Taholah High School.

The Wildcats (4-2, 4-2 SWW 8-man) scored on their first two offensive possessions with a 14-yard touchdown run by running back Ronin Rutzer and a 4-yard run up the middle by Ben Tackett.

Ocosta would take a 30-24 lead into halftime with second-quarter touchdown runs by Tackett, this time for nine yards, and a 2-yard plunge by quarterback Kayden Turner.

After Taholah (2-2, 2-2) scored on the first possession of the second half, Rutzer broke loose for a 70-yard kickoff return touchdown.

Rutzer and Turner would each score on rushing touchdowns in the third quarter while Mark Seville would run one in from 2-yards out in the fourth.

Rutzer would close out Ocosta’s scoring with a 50-yard pick-6 interception return in the final period to secure the victory.

The Wildcats amassed 567 yards of offense in the high-scoring affair.

Turner went 7 for 10 for 172 passing yards while rushing for 131 yards on 17 carries.

Rutzer had 145 rushing yards on 16 carries for an Ocosta ground game that racked up 395 rushing yards.

Taholah plays at Naselle at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Ocosta has a bye week and will be back in action against Naselle at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25 in Westport.

Ocosta 14 16 16 18 – 64

Taholah 8 16 16 20 – 60

Passing: Ocosta – Turner 7-10-0-172.

Rushing: O – Rutzer 16-145, Turner 17-131, Seville Ceja 15-69, Tackett 9-50.

Receiving: Lemaster 1-62, Lewis 1-51, Wyland 1-36, Rutzer 2-10, Tackett 1-7, Sevilla Ceja 1-6.

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Other games

Wahkiakum 54, North Beach 12