Tenino quarterback Calvin Guzman looks to break an Eatonville tackle during the first quarter of an Evergreen 2A/1A League football game on Friday night in Tenino.
Images from Tenino's Evergreen 2A/1A League football game against Eatonville on Friday, Oct. 16, 2015 in Tenino. Eatonville rallied late to beat Tenino, 42-41.
Tenino's Kaleb Strawn is tackled near the goal line during the first quarter of an Evergreen 2A/1A League football game against Eatonville on Friday night in Tenino.
Tenino's Thomas Pier stretches out for the end zone over an Eatonville defender during first quarter of an Evergreen 2A/1A League football game against on Friday night in Tenino. Pier scored on the play.
A gang of Tenino defenders tackles Eatonville's Zeke Scruggs during the first quarter of an Evergreen 2A/1A League game in Tenino on Friday night.
Tenino's Thomas Pier catches a pass over his shoulder from Calvin Guzman during the first quarter of an Evergreen 2A/1A League game in Tenino on Friday night. Holding was called back on the play which negated the long touchdown strike.
Tenino's Thomas Pier is tackled after a small gain on the ground by a trio of Eatonville defenders during the second quarter of an Evergreen 2A/1A League game in Tenino on Friday night.
After picking up a fumble by Tenino's Thomas Pier, lower left, Eatonville's Justin Brandt goes runs into the end zone to cut the Tenino lead to 7 points midway through the second quarter of an Evergreen 2A/1A League game in Tenino on Friday night.
Tenino's Thomas Pier breaks through an Eatonville tackle in the backfield during the second quarter of an Evergreen 2A/1A League game in Tenino on Friday night.
Eatonville's Zeke Scruggs looks for the flag claiming there was pass interference on the play as Tenino's Jayce Griffis, left, and Guy Murrillo, look on in the second quarter of an Evergreen 2A/1A League game in Tenino on Friday night.
Images from Tenino's Evergreen 2A/1A League football game against Eatonville on Friday, Oct. 16, 2015 in Tenino. Eatonville rallied late to beat Tenino, 42-41.
Eatonville's Tristan Schoepf gets into the end zone for a touchdown after catching a pass from quarterback Jacob McCormick late in the first half of an Evergreen 2A/1A League football game against Tenino on Friday night in Tenino.
Tenino's Thomas Pier breaks through an Eatonville tackle in the backfield during the second quarter of an Evergreen 2A/1A League game in Tenino on Friday night.
TENINO — Thomas Pier’s sixth touchdown of the night came on a 26-yard scamper up the left side of the field, giving the Beavers a small, but legitimate, lead over Eatonville with a minute and 43 seconds remaining in their Friday night Evergreen 2A/1A League homecoming contest.
The way the Cruisers moved the ball in their eventual 42-41 victory, however, it may as well have been an eternity.
The Beavers’ squibb attempt on the kickoff went slightly awry, setting Eatonville up 48 yards from the goal line. Two complete passes and an 18-yard run set the Cruisers up on the 5-yard line, and quarterback Jacob McCormick powered it in with 25 seconds left.
The Beavers, of course, knew how fragile their brief 41-34 lead was.
“They were throwing bombs away,” Tenino coach Randy Swilley said. “That’s a six-second play.”
The touchdown pulled Eatonville to within 41-40 and presented the Cruisers with a win-or-tie dilemma on their extra-point offering.
Playing on the road, they opted to skip overtime. McCormick found Justin Brandt — draped in defenders, tackled immediately and already a few inches across the goal line — on the left side for the go-ahead conversion.
“We were prepared for both (a kick or a 2-point attempt),” Swilley said. “It’s the cliche ‘it’s a game of inches.’ The kid caught it, literally, right inside (the goal line). You’re just like, ‘really?’”
The Beavers managed to get off two last plays, the latter of which was a go-for-broke pass attempt picked off by Eatonville’s Ray Springer with around 10 seconds left to essentially end a rolicking shootout of a game.
Pier finished with 248 yards — and all six of the Beavers’ touchdowns — on 25 carries, and the Beavers racked up 444 yards on the ground. McCormick, meanwhile, attempted 35 passes, completing 17 for 224 yards and two touchdowns and running in three more scores.
“Oh, I’m sure it was fun to watch,” Swilley said. “I wouldn’t say there was a lot of defense.”
The Beavers held a 21-7 lead midway through the second quarter, but Brandt returned a fumble 18 yards for a touchdown and McCormick found Tucker Poil on a 31-yard completion to tie things up in the final minute of the first half.
The Cruisers scored midway through the third quarter, on a 1-yard plunge by McCormick that gave them a 28-21 lead.
Pier’s 1-yard touchdown with 8:23 pulled the Beavers to within a point at 28-27, but the extra point was blocked. Another Pier touchdown, from 13 yards out 3 ½ minutes later, gave the Beavers a 33-28 lead, but the run conversion failed and Eatonville answered, taking a 34-33 advantage to set up Pier’s final score. The Beavers opted not to kick and Kaleb Strawn snagged a bobbled pass in the end zone for the conversion, setting up Eatonville’s final drive.
“We played really well at times, and then we made some — I mean, there’s not a better word to say than just huge — mistakes, really bad mental mistakes,” Swilley said. “That’s a good football team. Their record didn’t indicate their team. You can’t beat a good program by making really bad mistakes.”
Pier kicked off the scoring with a 70-yard touchdown run, breaking a handful of players and staying on his feet by bouncing off of a Cruiser defender on the turf, on Tenino’s first play from scrimmage.
Beaver quarterback Calvin Guzman ran 14 times for 98 yards, and Kaleb Strawn had 16 carries for 85 yards.
“I think all of our running backs played really well,” Swilley said. “We have three legit, really good running backs. … All three of those guys played really well tonight.
Poil led Eatonville with seven catches for 112 yards.
Tenino (5-2, 3-2 league) will play at Montesano on Friday, while defending Evergreen champ Eatonville (3-4, 2-3 league) will host Elma on Friday.
“This team has a lot of character, and it’s not like we got killed,” Swilley said. “We’ve played hard all year, and it just comes down to, we have to eliminate our mistakes.”
Notes: Strawn and Courtney Pendergrast were named homecoming king and queen during the halftime ceremonies. … The game wrapped up at just past 10 p.m., clocking in at over three hours. … The game’s final 34 points were scored in the last 8:23.
