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Black Hills needed just one week to match its win total from last season, taking on a good 1A side in Montesano and coming away with a 33-20 win.
“We just kept trucking, kept going, kept grinding away,” second-year head coach Garrett Baldwin said. “That was exciting. We didn’t flinch.”
Sophomore quarterback Jaxsen Beck finished his night 14-for-23 with a trio of passing touchdowns — two to Xander Shepler, one to Bronson Campbell — along with 206 yards. On the ground, Johnnie Stallings took the ball 21 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns, while tight end Keegan Rongen featured in the rushing game to the tune of 47 yards.
Campbell led the Wolves with four catches, while Braiden Bond took three for a team-high 68 yards, and Maddox Hodge also had three receptions.
“We spread the ball around well,” Baldwin said. “The sophomore made sophomore mistakes, but three touchdowns, one interception, a 60% completion rate, got the ball to multiple guys, we’re happy with him.”
Starting the scoring with a 34-yard strike from Beck to Shepler, Black Hills led the whole way, though the lead never grew beyond 13 points. Montesano cut the deficit back to single digits late in the third, but Black Hills blocked the ensuing extra point attempt to keep things at 26-20, and Stallings iced the game with a 10-yard touchdown in the fourth.
Black Hills will try to make its good start even better next Friday, heading up to North Thurston.
