TENINO — Seniors Jack Burkhardt and Hunter Sweet were two of four players in street clothes pregame. Then in pads, notable contributors Michael Vassar and Austin Johnson were injured on Friday night.
A couple other players on the Tenino High School football team sat on the medical table as the game progressed. The Beavers felt the grind of a nine-week regular season in one fell swoop.
Montesano grabbed momentum and never gave it up.
Despite several chances to turn a two-score deficit to one, the Beavers succumbed to three interceptions and the inability to stop the run in the second half as the Bulldogs claimed a 31-13 Class 1A Evergreen league triumph at Beaver Stadium.
The second half offensive possessions for Tenino (3-2, 0-1 Evergreen) went as follows: Interception, interception, punt, interception, end of game.
“We didn’t execute,” Beavers head coach Darren Tinnerstet said. “I thought we had things rolling and I thought we were in good shape. We said it was going to be a heavyweight fight.”
Vassar left the game with a nagging ankle injury; Tinnerstet stated they pulled him as a precaution. Johnson had to be helped off the field late in the fourth quarter. There were no updates on Burkhardt and Sweet.
In a season that was bullish on preseason expectations, the Beavers now stare winless in league with back-to-back road games against Elma and Hoquiam on deck. They host Rochester in Week 8 in what could be a vital game for a crossover spot.
Senior lineman Cadance Dell didn’t sugarcoat what Friday meant in terms of big picture thinking.
“This is an eye-opener to what league is,” Dell stated. “You gotta be able to take that first hit. It is not patty-cake around with anybody.”
Montesano turned a 10-7 lead at half into 24-7 in the third quarter.
Toren Crites took the opening play from scrimmage 62 yards for the touchdown and after three combined interceptions between the two teams, Bulldogs quarterback Tyson Perry plunged forward for nine yards.
Johnson set the wheels of momentum in Tenino’s direction on an 80-plus kickoff return score racing in the fog down the right sideline. Still, it didn’t take advantage of a three-and-out and allowed the dagger 15-yard score by Zachary Timmons.
“It was a misjudgment, I don’t think we were ready for it,” Dell said of the 62-yard TD run. “It got us beat. I was pretty disappointed. It unraveled.”
Montesano finished with over 300 yards of total offense and all four ball carriers went over 20 yards. Crites also registered 62 receiving yards.
Vassar was the engine for the Beavers in the first half, going over 15 carries within the opening 24 minutes. He plowed ahead for a 10-yard TD to put them up 7-0 with 10 minutes, 57 seconds left in the second quarter.
“He is a big part of what we do,” Tinnerstet said. “Heart and soul of our team.”
The senior finished with 113 yards on 25 touches. Quarterback Mason Metcalf struggled with just seven completions for 83 yards, only two of those completions got to Austin Gonia.
Gonia’s first catch was around the five-minute mark in the final frame.
“It wasn’t anything they were doing, it was stuff we weren’t doing,” Tinnerstet said. “We took some shots early and we missed. Move onto next week.”
The Beavers rallied against Kalama and lost by three points which proceeded a two-game winning streak. Dell and Tinnerstet are confident – even with some injuries – to respond in a similar fashion.
“We’ll be able to bounce back,” Dell said.
