It was an uphill battle the entire way, but No. 9 Toledo got the job done on the road in the opening round of the 2B state playoffs, beating No. 8 Davenport in Moses Lake, 44-35, to move on to the quarterfinals.
The Riverhawks came out slow, falling behind in the first quarter and trailing 27-22 at the half, but used a strong defensive performance in the second half, allowing just seven points, to survive and advance.
“We didn’t execute well in the first half,” Toledo coach Mike Christensen said. “There are small things here and there we need to address, but I wouldn’t blame the start on anything but us.”
Though he certainly wasn’t happy with the first half, Christensen said he was proud of the team’s effort to bounce back in the second, outscoring the Gorillas 22-7 to run away with it.
Tailback Justin Filla rushed for a game-high 256 yards to go along with three touchdowns, and quarterback Wyatt Nef had 120 yards, two rushing touchdowns, and the game-clinching pick six in the fourth quarter to help lead the Riverhawks to the win.
The win sets up a Central 2B League rematch in the quarterfinals, as Toledo looks to give No. 1 Kalama a run for its money next week.
“It’s a daunting task for sure,” Christensen said of taking on the undefeated Chinooks. “We can’t start slow and we can’t turn it over like we did today.”
That game will be played in Kalama, likely on Saturday.
