ONALASKA — There are parallels developing between the 2019 and 2024 versions of the Onalaska High School football team.
About the only difference is the group five years ago went perfect en route to the Class 2B state title. Yet the athletes’ skillset, the coaching staff and peaking at the right time all are similar.
So too is the attitude in the locker room.
“At the core of this team is love, these guys love each other,” Loggers head coach Mazen Saade said. “When you say the word love, people get super mushy. They like being around each other. They enjoy practice, they enjoy team dinners, they enjoy road trips.”
The senior group that has been through plenty of highs experienced one final one on Friday night, playing their final home game at Memorial Field in the first round of the 2B playoffs and dismantling 13th-seeded Newport 60-8.
Seeded fourth in the bracket, Onalaska (11-1) will face either No. 5 Freeman or No. 12 Goldendale next week in the quarterfinals. The victors of 10 straight were the standalone classification game on a chilly November evening.
The Loggers made sure to soak it all in. Roughly 30 minutes after the final horn, there were still a handful of players on the grass talking with one another.
“We wanted to make a memory we’d be happy to look back on when we’re older,” senior tailback Rodrigo Rodriguez said. “I’m just glad to be a part of it with my guys.”
About the only fireworks in the game that had a running clock the entire second half was one of the Newport coaches calling Saade a scumbag during the postgame handshake line.
As well as some in-game chirping, including one of Onalaska’s players having their helmet yanked off. Despite the extra curriculars, the Loggers never lost their composure.
Primarily because from the opening quarter, they were in complete control.
Onalaska allowed just three total yards in the first half and 10 for the night. The defense didn’t allow a point for the fifth consecutive game, but Newport did avoid the shutout with an 80 yard kickoff return in the first quarter.
It was the first time a 2B school scored against the Loggers since Week 3. On the very next drive, Rodriguez darted 65 yards to put them back up by two scores.
“You gotta respond,” Rodriguez said. “We’re knocking the bad stuff out and replacing it with good.”
Since allowing 1A state qualifier Nooksack Valley to score 42 points in the season opener, Onalaska has given up a grand total of 38 combined since Week 2.
“Your biggest growth is from Week 1 to Week 2,” Saade said. “Really impressed with how our defense played. Very proud of them.”
Sam Pannkuk got the Loggers going with a 32-yard scamper to put them up 8-0. They racked up over 500 yards of total offense, 452 on the ground. Rodriguez had TD runs of 65, 24 and 61 yards plus caught a 7-yard pass from Lane Gordon.
Gordon finished with four completions for 91 yards. Pannkuk also snared a first half interception.
“We’ve proved we deserve to be here,” Rodriguez said. “Just working hard everyday to reach the ultimate goal.”
The Loggers will find out who they play between Goldendale and Freeman tomorrow afternoon in a quarterfinal to be played on turf.
“They’re excited to play whoever,” Saade said.
