Fueled by a two-headed tandem out of the back field, the Pe Ell/Willapa Valley football team waltzed by Winlock 40-8 in a non-league Week 1 contest in Pe Ell.
Sophomore Lucas Lusk and senior Cody Strozyk each found the end zone twice in a 40-point outburst in the first half. Already up 16-0 after the opening 12 minutes, the Titans (1-0) added three more touchdowns plus three two-point conversions to put the game out of reach.
“I was happy with the way we played,” PWV second-year head coach Nate Smith. “We got a pretty tough group. We got some kids that do OK.”
Lusk was “surprised” by the coaching staff after his 65-yard day. He found paydirt both times in the first quarter, then Strozyk took over and helped the Titans total 380 yards on the ground. Quarterback Nate Fluke found speedy wideout Blaine King for a 70-yard bomb.
Winlock (0-1) avoided the shutout with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Landen Cline to Carter Svenson in the fourth. The Cardinals struggled to take care of the ball, three times fumbling the ball and losing it twice.
PWV heads to Onalaska for a high-powered non-league game while Winlock welcomes Ilwaco town for the home opener.
