WF West offense too much for Aberdeen in 42-15 loss

No. 4 Bearcats pass for 296 yards against Bobcats

By Ryan Sparks • October 21, 2022 6:00 am

An Aberdeen team beset by injuries tried but couldn’t slow down the high-powered WF West Bearcats in a 42-15 loss on Thursday at South Bend High School.

The game was originally scheduled to take place in Chehalis, but poor air quality caused a venue change to the neutral site of Millam Field in South Bend.

The change of venue didn’t seem to affect the Bearcats much as WF West took a 21-0 first half lead.

WF West receiver Gage Brumfield opened the scoring by catching a 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Gavin Fugate halfway through the first quarter.

The fourth-ranked Bearcats (6-1 overall, 5-0 2A Evergreen) got two rushing touchdowns from running back Tucker Land — for 16 and 2 yards — to take a 21-0 lead in the second quarter before Aberdeen (4-4, 3-2) responded to get on the scoreboard just before halftime.

Aberdeen quarterback Grady Springer found junior wide receiver Aidan Watkins for a 51-yard score with 1:36 on the clock, cutting the halftime deficit to 21-7.

PHOTO BY ERIC TRENT Aberdeen receiver Aidan Watkins (19) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter of a 42-15 loss to WF West on Thursday in South Bend.

But that was as close as the Bobcats would get as two big pass plays by Fugate — a 54-yarder to Cristo Parriott and a 63-yard strike to Brumfield — in the third quarter put the Bearcats up 35-7.

A 4-yard run from WF West’s Beau Guyette put the Bearcats up 42-7 in the fourth period.

Aberdeen scored with just over a minute left in the game when Kale Goings punched it in from a yard out, with Watkins catching the 2-point pass to complete the scoring at 42-15.

Aberdeen had backups filling four offensive positions and five defensive spots on Thursday, and outrushed the Bearcats 207-199.

But the Bobcats couldn’t slow down the WF West passing attack as the Bearcats gained 296 yards through the air.

WF West gained a total of 495 yards to 293 for the Bobcats.

Aberdeen was led by Watkins, who carried the ball five times for a team-high 66 yards and caught three passes for 92 yards.

“We never stopped fighting and we never gave up,” Aberdeen head coach Todd Bridge said.

The Bobcats are in a position to secure at least the No. 3 spot in the 2A Evergreen Conference with a win over Shelton in the final game of the regular season.

The Bobcats are set to play the Highclimbers at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28 at Shelton High School.