Day After Report (2A, 1A, B): Week 1
It’s Part II of the Day After Report.
Longtime readers of this blog understand that the Day After is a relative term. It could be the Day After the Day After, if you know what I mean. Kind of depends on my schedule. In the first part of this week’s DAR, I wrote about the 4A and 3A teams. This one will deal with the smaller schools.
However, before getting to the games, I thought it would be fun to ask a head coach or two every week about their high school careers. So, as I started in the first part of the DAR, I’m uncovering the secrets of their past.
What are your memories from your first varsity start as a high school player?
John Lambert, La Center coach: Played for the Hudson’s Bay Eagles. Lambert said he really does not remember much from his first start, which came in the middle of his sophomore season.
“I just remember it was about time. At the time I felt I should have been starting,” he said. “The coaches were smart enough to figure it out halfway through the year.”
Instead of memories from that particular game, his biggest memory from that season came while watching video with the coaches and his teammates.
“I remember watching film with the coaches and them raving about my play,” Lambert said. “A coach saying to me, in front of a film session, in front of all the seniors, ‘Hey guys that’s how you do it.'”
Hmmmm, John Lambert’s best memory of his first year as a starting varsity player came from watching the game? And you wonder how he was called to coach.
To the games …
LA CENTER 56, ILWACO 6
The Wildcats scored the first 49 points on 12 offensive plays.
What do you do? La Center coach John Lambert said it is never any fun to play in a game when one team is so far superior than the other. He also is afraid that it will happen a lot this year. There are plenty of haves in the Trico League, but also a lot of have-nots.
La Center could do anything it wanted against Ilwaco.
“We went really basic right away,” Lambert said. “We only really had eight plays that we were able to run as if it were a real (competitive) game.”
Finding competition: Of course, part of the reason for the margin of victory is La Center has a really good team. Lambert expects this squad to battle for a league title. Last Monday, his Class 1A Wildcats hosted a jamboree against Class 2A Hockinson and Class 3A Mountain View.
“We had a very competitive scrimmage with both teams,” Lambert said. “We got a lot of our first-game jitters out of the way. We were able to work on things over the week.”
Whatever the Wildcats did, it worked.
WASHOUGAL 50, HUDSON’S BAY 0
The 2A Panthers dominated the Class 3A Eagles in similar fashion last year, too.
For what it’s worth: I’m not surprised Washougal won this game. The Panthers beat the Eagles 41-9 last year in Week 1, and the Panthers just missed out on a 2A playoff berth in 2011, losing two overtime league games and another game on a last-second touchdown. Still, I was surprised to see this score this time. There was a new buzz at Hudson’s Bay during the August practices last month, and I expected them to have a better showing. But it could very well be that Washougal is a lot stronger this year. That would be good news for both programs after such a lopsided result.
Paul Danzer reports: Washougal had 15 running plays that went for 10 or more yards en route to 362 rushing yards against Hudson’s Bay. The Panthers’ misdirection running game produced 19 first downs and wore down the Bay defense after the first quarter.
Washougal’s first pass attempt of the game produced a touchdown, with Guy LaRue throwing to tight end Nathan Adams on a third-and-7 play from the Bay 11 in the second quarter.
The Washougal defense was dominant after Bay’s Devon Casey opened the game with runs of 20 and 50 yards. The Panthers tackled Eagles for loss 17 times, and held them to no gain on 13 more plays, meaning Hudson’s Bay gained yardage on only nine plays during the game.
Casey’s runs around the left end produced two of Bay’s six first downs. Quarterback TJ Brumfield scrambled for two first downs, and two late-game pass interference penalties against Washougal gave Bay first downs.
For the Panthers defense, Mathew Randall, Luke Hiersche and Spencer Adams intercepted passes.
HOCKINSON 40, ELMA 21
The Hawks trailed early in the third quarter, then took off for the win.
Wake-up call: Elma scored the first touchdown of the second half to take a 14-13 lead. The Hawks then scored three touchdowns in the third quarter. Game over.
Triple play: Nick Barclay had a play to remember in the first half for the Hawks.
With the game tied at 7, Barclay blocked a field goal attempt, got up off the ground before scooping up the ball, and then he returned the blocked kick 90 yards for a touchdown.
WOODLAND 55, KALAMA 6
This was another game that was a “running clock” for the entire second half.
Welcome to the league: The Beavers, a 2A GSHL program last year, are in the Trico League this year as a 1A program. In other words, the Beavers went from being a very small 2A school to being one of the biggest 1A schools. It showed Friday. They played big.
Cy Whitmire rushed for 139 yards on 12 carries and scored the first two touchdowns of the season.
Well said: Woodland coach Mark Greenleaf made sure to note to our reporter that Kalama was forced to use freshmen on the varsity team. All involved knew it was going to be a lopsided game.
“They showed a lot of courage and battle very hard, for how young they are,” Greenleaf said.
RIDGEFIELD 29, ROCHESTER 7
The Spudders get a win for their coach
Nice debut: Dan Andersen is 1-0 as Ridgefield’s football coach.
Little bit of everything: Clayton Farr rushed for 57 yards, had 72 receiving yards and scored a touchdown on the ground and through the air. Gunnar Long threw for 231 yards. It appears the Spudders, with their new coach, will be trying for a balanced offensive attack.
Statistically speaking: We hope to track down the specific individual statistics for each Ridgefield Spudder who touched the ball Friday night so we can list the Spudders in our stats data base. On Friday, the Spudders were on the road and the coaching staff did not have all the information in time for deadline.
CASTLE ROCK 62, SETON CATHOLIC 7
The loss is not what matters. What matters is Seton Catholic is playing football.
Varsity! The Seton Catholic Cougars played their first football game as a varsity program. The Cougars might take their lumps this season. After all, they have the numbers of a B school but opted up to 1A. But at least they are here, trying to build the foundation.
Touchdown Cougars: The answer to the trivia question will be Will Noce-Sheldon. He was the first Seton Catholic football player to score a touchdown in a varsity game. The really cool part of this TD is it came in the first quarter, not in the fourth quarter of a blowout. That’s a good thing, moving forward, for Seton Catholic.
TOLEDO 49, STEVENSON 8
The Bulldogs avoided the shutout with a late TD.
Appreciated: Through the years, we’ve had various successes and failures in regard to getting Stevenson sports information in the paper. Some coaching staffs call all the time. Some not so much. We appreciate all of our teams/coaches/stat-keepers who report their information to us. We need their help.
Anyway, it was much appreciated when the Stevenson stat-keeper called in Friday night. It’s never fun to call in when your team is on the wrong end of a 49-8 score. Again, thanks for your cooperation, Stevenson.
First TD: Zach Irwin gets credit with the first TD of the year for the Bulldogs.
KING’S WAY 72, POWDER VALLEY 36
Gotta love 8-man football scores!
Love these numbers: Jay Becker threw for 235 yards and three touchdowns. Pretty good game, huh? Well, there’s more. Lots more. How about 255 yards rushing and SIX touchdowns?
Josh Tully had four receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Preston Danberg had seven tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown. Brad Benton had 13 tackles, including a sack. And Josiah Tully had seven tackles and an interception.
Thanks to Paul Danzer and Tim Martinez for helping in this report.
