All week in practice, W.F. West’s Hudson McCallum knew that if Columbia River’s running back stayed in to block, he could win that matchup one-on-one.
“We had it kind of drawn up,” McCallum said. “We were planning for it all week.”
Late in the first quarter, McCallum got his chance against that back, beating him and sacking the quarterback in the end zone for a safety.
“I saw that come at me, saw the quarterback still had the ball, and it’s there,” McCallum said. “It’s cool to see that.”
That was one of several big plays the W.F. West defense made on Friday night at Bearcat Stadium, where the unit pitched their second consecutive shutout to lead the W.F. West to a 45-0 victory over Columbia River in the Round of 32.
The Bearcats held the Rapids to just 120 total yards, including 6 rushing yards on 21 carries, and they limited them to a mark of just 10 for 22 through the air.
Jack Becker came away with an interception just before halftime for the game’s lone turnover, thwarting Columbia River’s best drive of the night.
“The defense was lights out,” W.F. West coach Dan Hill said. “The game plan was solid, and our guys executed. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
McCallum gave kudos to W.F. West’s scout team, saying that their work in practice throughout the week makes it easy for the Bearcats come gameday.
“We gotta give props to them,” McCallum said. “We come into the games prepared, and we know what the other team is gonna run. I love our scout team guys. They’re a big part of it.”
The offense did its part as well.
Wyatt Hoffman broke off a 33-yard rushing touchdown on the Bearcats’ opening drive, and both Miles Martin and Kade Mohoric added rushing touchdowns later in the game.
Hoffman scored another two on the ground, and he capped his night with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Connor Coleman, who won a jump ball just inside the goal line up the far sideline.
Hoffman finished with 280 total yards and four total touchdowns.
“I got full confidence in him,” Hill said. “We’re still learning every game. Some things get a little haywire, but he does a good job using his God-given ability with his legs to keep things alive, make plays, and be a playmaker. That’s what he is. Very proud of him tonight.”
Coleman finished with 60 receiving yards and his TD, while Mohoric added 73 rushing yards and Martin tallied 63 total yards. As a team, the Bearcats finished with 440 total yards, including 201 on the ground.
W.F. West (8-2) will now look towards the Round of 16, but it won’t know its seed or opponent until Sunday when the seeding committee meets.
Depending on the matchup and potential travel arrangements, the Bearcats will take the field on either Friday or Saturday.
If the unofficial seeding from the Round of 32 holds, W.F. West could end up meeting Franklin Pierce in Tacoma, where the Bearcats dominated a state quarterfinal last fall.
“We’re gonna be ready for whoever we get next,” McCallum said. “We go out there, we bond, and we get going. Hopefully, we get another shutout and keep playing Bearcat football. We’re excited.”
