Day After Report Part III (2A, 1A, B): Week 2
After a wonderful Sunday of NFL football, time for part III of my Day After Report for Week 2. The first part dealt with the rivalry games. The second part was the other 4A and 3A teams that either won or played each other. This part is designated for the small schools. However, I’ll have a note or two on a couple 3A teams in this report because they played 2A teams.
By the way, to all Raider fans out there, the Day After Report salutes you as we prepare for the late game on Monday Night Football. Remember, there are only two kinds of fans in the world. Raider fans and those who wish they had the dedication, loyalty, and passion to be Raider fans.
To the games …
HOCKINSON 60, FORT VANCOUVER 7
A case of a really good team against a team that is struggling.
From one win to seven wins to who knows: It sure has been an amazing ride for the Hockinson program in recent years. The 2010 squad went 1-8 (2-8 if you count a Week 10 game that was not a playoff). Last year, the Hawks turned it around and went 7-2, including a 4-0 mark in the 2A Greater St. Helens League. Yes, they lost in Week 10 to finish 7-3, but that was a playoff game for the league champions.
Now it might be hard to judge after Week 2’s win because we know that Fort is struggling. However, the Hawks put up 60 points, and the Hawks used a lot of playmakers. Should be fun to see if this team is better than last year.
Didn’t mean to score 60: The Hawks scored 28 points in the first quarter. They led 46-7 at the half. But Hockinson coach Rick Steele said he did not want to run up the score.
His squad did come out passing in the third quarter, but just short routes. In fact, he instructed his receivers to run out of bounds after making a catch. His goal was to get starting quarterback Jess Krahn a few more throws before he went to the bench.
The Hawks got a touchdown to make it a running clock. It appeared the game would end at 53-7 but reserve quarterback Jacob Pearrow scored on a run late in the game after he had taken a knee on a couple of plays.
However, as he was going to a knee, he took a hard hit from a Fort defender who was just playing hard. Nothing against the rules or unsportsmanlike. Just playing hard.
Steele then instructed his quarterback to run a regular play, to run hard. After all, injuries can happen when one team is playing full speed and the other is not. It turned out, Pearrow found an opening and ran it in for a touchdown.
“I didn’t think he was going to score,” Steele said.
This brings up something I’ve noticed for years in high school games. When teams are taking a knee, the QBs sometimes pause a second or two before going to a knee. Sometimes, the QBs are just trying to kill an extra second or two.
In one-possession games, defenses do try to get to the QB before the knee goes down, in an effort to cause a fumble. Understandable.
However, in blowout games, defenders need to understand the game is finished. Rarely do we see NFL or college players trying to hit a QB hard in these situations. There usually is mutual respect, an acknowledgement that the game is done.
Again, not saying that what happened Friday was unsportsmanlike. Even Steele said there was nothing wrong with the hit on his QB. The defense was just playing hard.
We see these hard hits in high school because players are not used to letting up for any play. They are not trained to let up. And no coach wants to teach the proper etiquette of how to play defense when the other team is taking a knee.
As football players mature into college and then professional players, they understand the proper way to deal with teams taking a knee.
Perhaps a word from the coaches from the sideline could help educate the players when the situation arises.
In blowout games, when the QB is taking a knee, extend a hand to the lineman in front of you and say well done.
Remember when: Continuing my series of asking head coaches what they remember of their first starts as a varsity football players.
Rick Steele felt right at home Friday at Kiggins Bowl. That’s because the Hockinson coach played for the Hudson’s Bay Eagles. He started as a guard and a defensive end in the fall of 1981.
“I think we got our tails kicked,” Steele said.
Yep. Looked it up. Evergreen 23, Hudson’s Bay 0.
Steele, now a firefighter who still looks like he could play college ball, said he was small back then.
“I was only 180 pounds in high school. I wish I could have played my size now. Two-thirty would be a lot better,” he said.
Fort highlights: Throwing the ball to William Doty is a good idea. A really, really good idea. A tall guy with hands is a big weapon. Doty, a 6-7 wide receiver, caught eight balls for 116 yards and Fort’s lone touchdown. Taylor VanHeck had six catches for 87 yards.
Cool play: The Hawks had several big plays, big performances. I did not see every play (I was at Kiggins early to prepare for the 8 p.m. game that night but was working on other Columbian things.) I did see Nick Guinett’s 60-yard TD reception from Krahn.
What impressed me is that after the catch, Guinett had to break a tackle, and then he had to get back to speed in a hurry. A Fort defender had the angle on Guinett but Guinett outran the pursuit angle and raced into the end zone.
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RIDGEFIELD 34, KALAMA 7
The Spudders scored three touchdowns in the second quarter to take command.
Stat corrections: Our statistics were off in Saturday morning’s paper. Thanks to the Ridgefield stat-keeper, I have updated the online boxscore. Sorry for the delay.
Among the Ridgefield highlights, Clayton Farr had three touchdowns runs and Sam Gillenwater caught a 61-yard TD pass from Gunnar Long.
Kalama scored first, but Ridgefield got the next five touchdowns.
The Spudders improved to 2-0 in 2012.
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WOODLAND 28, CASTLE ROCK 20
The Beavers held off the Rockets near the goal line in the closing minute to preserve the victory.
Strange result from a stat like this: Fumbling the ball seven times and losing five of those fumbles does not usually result in a victory.
Count the Beavers either lucky or good enough to overcome that stat.
Coach Mark Greenleaf said the Beavers lost two of those fumbles in the fourth quarter. Three of the lost fumbles were drive-stoppers inside the Castle Rock 30-yard line.
Special play: The first score of the game came when Woodland’s Troy Flanagan blocked a punt that was recovered in the end zone by Trevor Huddleston for a touchdown.
Stuffed: The Woodland defense stood tall in the end, stopping Castle Rock on a fourth-down play with 19 seconds remaining. Castle Rock had four shots at the end zone from inside the 10-yard line, the last play coming from the Woodland 3-yard line.
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TENINO 55, WASHOUGAL 28
Four touchdowns wasn’t enough for the Panthers.
No report: Never heard from the Panthers. Hope to track down their statistics this week.
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MARK MORRIS 63, HUDSON’S BAY 0
The Eagles have given up 113 points in two weeks.
No report: Never heard from the Eagles. Hope to track down their statistics this week.
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LA CENTER 46, STEVENSON 6
La Center can pass the ball. Seriously.
Air campaign: We at the Day After Report cannot confirm the rumor that the ghost of Don “Air” Coryell has taken over La Center coach John Lambert’s body. All we know is Lambert, who never met a down-and-distance he could not run on, has a team that can pass this year.
(For you youngsters, Coryell was an NFL coach who was innovative in the passing game. Hence the nickname “Air.” Cool nickname, even if he coached for the hated Chargers.)
Friday night, La Center quarterback Dylan King completed 10 of 18 passes for 150 yards and four touchdowns. King now has six TD passes in two games.
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ILWACO 66, SETON CATHOLIC 28
The Cougars have to feel good about scoring 28 points in just their second varsity game.
In it into the third quarter: The first-year Cougars trailed 16-0 after the first quarter but then scored the next two touchdowns to pull within two points. It was 28-21 after Seton scored the first touchdown of the second half. Ilwaco would score the next four touchdowns. Still, a quality effort from Seton.
Riley McShane had two rushing TDs and also threw a TD pass.
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KING’S WAY 56, SUNNYSIDE CHRISTIAN 30
The Knights improved to 2-0.
Big second quarter: King’s Way scored four touchdowns and 30 points in the second quarter to take command. Jay Becker had a 50-yard TD run and threw two TD passes to Joshua Tulley in the period.
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That’s it for this week. Thanks to Jeff Klein for the Woodland notes.
And always remember, The Autumn Wind is a Raider.
