1B Football: Mendoza, Villanueva Lead Vikings Past Taholah

Posted

Mossyrock racked up 355 yards of offense at home on Friday night to crush Taholah, 42-16, in eight-man football action.

Matteo Mendoza led the way with 98 rushing yards on 10 carries and a pair of touchdowns, while TJ Villanueva added 77 yards and two scores on just five carries.

The duo did most of their damage in the first half, scoring Mossyrock’s first four touchdowns and helping the Vikings to a 30-0 halftime lead.

“We played pretty well,” Mossyrock coach Eric Ollikainen said. “We’re just focusing on getting better every week.”

Gunnar Mulligan added a pair of receiving touchdowns, grabbing an eight-yard pass from Aiden Weist in the second quarter and scoring on a 30-yard pass from Keegan Kolb in the fourth.



Weist, who started at quarterback, went 5 of 13 for 57 yards, and freshman Marshall Brockway scored on a 44-yard run in the third quarter.

Mendoza played well on both sides of the ball, Ollikainen said.

“He had a great night,” the coach pointed out. “He had a bunch of tackles, too. He’s kind of coming into his own as a running back.”

The offensive line, Ollikainen added, played well and has been improving.

Mossyrock (2-1) hosts Winlock on Friday.