For the fifth week in a row, Onalaska proved it is still the best team in the 2B Southwest Washington Football League, and likely the entire 2B state, with a thrilling 68-58 shootout victory over powerhouse Kalama at home Friday in the regular-season finale.
The Loggers (5-0) have little left to prove after having toppled the Chinooks, Forks and perennial powerhouse Napavine, which was ranked No. 1 in the preseason.
Friday’s victory sets up one final showdown, a rematch with the Tigers for the 2B SWW Football League title on Saturday, March 20, to determine what is pretty much the best 2B team in the state.
“We’re going back to work on Sunday to prepare for Napavine,” Onalaska coach Mazen Saade said. “They’re the best team in Washington; hands down. So we’ll take this opportunity to try and compete with them. Napavine is a good, good football team.”
For now, the Loggers will soak in Friday’s gratifying victory over Kalama.
Junior fullback Marshall Haight was the individual star of the game for the Loggers, rushing for a game-high 288 yards and five touchdowns on 43 carries. The first quarter and a half was basically Haight and Kalama’s junior quarterback Jackson Esary battling it out in a scoring duel.
Haight barreled in from 3 yards out to put Ony up 8-0 on the opening drive of the game. Esary answered with a 2-yard run of his own to tie it up. Haight responded with a 46-yard touchdown burst where he left Kalama defenders grasping air. Then Esary broke free for a 25-yard rushing score to tie it back up at 16 a piece. Esary finished with 14 carries for 209 yards and four TDs, while throwing for 227 yards and three more scores.
Haight, again, scored from 12 yards out, while Esary tacked on a 23-yard run to even the score at 22 even. That’s when the Loggers’ forced fumble and recovery stole the momentum and sparked three unanswered scores.
Danny Dalsted connected with Braedon Marshall for a 12-yard TD strike, followed by Dalsted’s back-to-back touchdown scampers, of 6 and 2 yards, respectively, to give the Loggers a commanding 46-22 lead with just a few minutes left before the half.
But a pass interference call on the Loggers during a Kalama hail-mary pass set up the Chinooks’ 52-yard TD reception just before the break to make the score 46-30.
Kalama came out firing in the second half, on a 35-yard touchdown pass and a 72-yard scoop and score to pull the Chinooks within two at 46-44.
But Marshall came up big again for the Loggers, this time hauling in a 50-yard pass from Dalsted for a touchdown. Esary again answered with a 1-yard TD run, followed by Haight’s 1-yarder, to make it 60-50 Ony.
Kalama tacked on one more score late in the fourth, a 20-yard reception to pull within two at 60-58, but Haight powered through for a 7-yard run and a two-point conversion run to put the game away.
“Overall, I’m happy with how the kids played tonight,” Saade said. “We have some small things we need to shore up and fix.”
Saade praised the offensive line, which is the best in the state in the 2B ranks, for creating holes and scoring opportunities. He also commended Haight for his performance both offensively and defensively, and Kolby Mozingo and Kayden Allison for their hard-nosed defense.
“We knew what was ahead of us,” Saade said. “Winning the South (Division) is a huge thing. Our No. 1 thing every year is to win the league first. I’m happy for the kids and the program.”
Onalaska’s title matchup with Napavine on Saturday, March 20, does not have a time or location set as of Friday night.
Napavine took care of business at home Friday, shellacking Wahkiakum 61-20 to set up a rematch showdown with undefeated Onalaska in the 2B Southwest Washington Football League championship next week.
The Tigers (4-1) are now on a four-game tear with wins over some of the top 2B teams in the state (Kalama, Forks and Rainier). Coach Josh Fay and his Tigers are no longer the same team that got shutout by Onalaska (5-0) in a snowy season opener back in February. And now they get a shot at redemption in a showdown rematch of what are likely the two best 2B teams in the entire state.
“We’re always excited to play the best teams,” Fay said. “Onalaska is obviously one of the best, if not the best. We’re excited to have the opportunity. We’ll see what happens.”
On Friday, Tigers do-it-all quarterback Laythan Demarest threw for 177 yards and three scores while also running for 100 yards and two more touchdowns on just five carries.
Napavine exploded for 540 total yards as a team, including 363 on the ground and 177 through the air, and Fay praised the offensive line for creating opportunities for the offense.
Eight different Tigers scored touchdowns, including Tanner Low, who finished with 44 yards and a TD on two carries. Austin Chapman torched Mules’ defenders for a 92-yard touchdown run, Fernando Gaona added a 4-yard TD rush and Dayton Keyes tacked on a 4-yard TD run.
Receiving wise, Dahl hauled in three catches for a game-high 101 yards and one score, while all-state tight end Cade Evander caught three passes for 47 yards and a TD and Ashton Demarest added a 27-yard TD reception.
“Offensively, there wasn’t a lot we couldn’t do,” Fay said. “Defensively, Wahkiakum was well prepared. They had a few gadget plays, they beat us on a double pass and a halfback pass. Wahkiakum played their hearts out. They’re a well-coached program.”
Ten Napavine seniors played their final games at home, and Fay said it was a perfect way to end their final game here.
Napavine and Onalaska will clash for the 2B SWW Football League championship on Saturday at a time and location yet to be determined.
Davin Kinsman ran for a game-high 124 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries to propel Toledo to a 37-0 shutout over Adna in 2B Southwest Washington Football action at home Friday.
“Adna didn’t make it easy for us on the ground,” Toledo coach Mike Christensen said. “So we mixed it up through the air.”
Toledo quarterback Ryan Bloomstrom threw for 124 yards and a touchdown on 4-for-6 passing. Jacob Marley ran 10 times for 112 yards and a 52-yard touchdown, Carlo Arceo-Hansen caught four passes for 103 yards and a 73-yard TD and senior Thomas Glass caught his first career pass for 21 yards.
Marley started the scoring off with a 52-yard run, followed by Bloomstrom’s 73-yard pass to Arceo-Hansen. Kinsman then had back-to-back rushing scores of 1 and 5 yards, followed by Jesse Towns’ 6-yard touchdown rush that ended the scoring.
The Indians improve to 3-2 on the season and face the loser of Saturday’s Rainier-Forks game in the 2B Southwest Washington League crossover playoff next week.
In a game that was about as evenly-matched as it could get, Morton-White Pass was unable to come out on top in an 18-12 double-overtime road defeat to Stevenson Friday.
The Timberwolves had a chance to end it in regulation when quarterback Layten Collette took off on a scramble with 10 seconds left but was brought down at the 1-yard line to send it into overtime. Both teams were unable to score in the first OT, then the Bulldogs’ quarterback punched it in from 1-yard out in the second OT to end the game.
“We were evenly matched,” MWP coach Lee Metcalf said. “It was a well-played game.”
MWP fell behind 12-0 after Stevenson’s 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, followed by a 6-yard touchdown pass in the second. L. Collette found cousin Kysen Collette on a 52-yard long bomb to pull the T-Wolves within six later in the second quarter.
Ethan Smathers then fell on a Stevenson fumble in the endzone to tie the game up at 12-12 at the end of regulation. But Stevenson fired back in the second round of OT, starting with a 20-yard diving reception on third down that set up the 1-yard dagger to end the game.
Collette led the T-Wolves with 20 rushes for 79 yards to go with 1-for-5 passing for 52 yards and a touchdown. MWP finished with 184 total yards.
The Timberwolves (3-2) end their season on Friday when they host Raymond-South Bend at 7 p.m.
