MOSSYROCK — Four minutes into Mossyrock’s 1B district crossover against Northwest Christian (Lacey), Easton Kolb ran in a 5-yard touchdown to get the Vikings on the board.
Just 10 game minutes later, Marshall Brockway trucked a Wolverine on the way into the end zone for a 5-yard score of his own, one that extended the lead to 40 and pushed the game into running-clock territory with 10 minutes until halftime.
“We kind of just settled in, got rolling, and did our thing,” Mossyrock coach Eric Ollikainen said.
It was over in the blink of an eye on Friday in Mossyrock, as the Vikings overwhelmed and outmatched the Wolverines early and often in a 62-0 win to clinch their second straight state tournament berth.
“It feels really good,” Ollikainen said. “I’m proud of the boys.”
Northwest Christian entered the game unbeaten, but they played 6-man football throughout the season.
Most of Mossyrock’s production came on the ground on Friday, as the Vikings averaged 6.4 yards per carry. Brockway led the way with 100 yards on 12 carries, along with several broken tackles, the most emphatic coming on his touchdown run.
While the Vikings didn’t need to go to the air often, they still found success when they did. Kolb only completed four passes, but three of them went for at least 35 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown to Luke Cooper and a 48-yard touchdown to Peyton McClure.
The McClure touchdown occurred on the first play after the Vikings recovered an onside kick, giving Mossyrock two touchdowns in a nine-second in-game span.
Ollikainen hasn’t been afraid to turn to an onside kick as often as he needs, noting that field position isn’t as big of a worry in 8-man football. And in the postseason, he wants his offense to get as many chances as it can.
“It’s all about stealing possessions,” Ollikainen said. “It’s not really a field position game, it’s a possession game. A team can just as easily score from 99 yards as they can from five yards out. You may as well just try and get some possessions.”
Ollikainen noted that the Vikings (9-1, 6-0 1B Columbia Valley) are looking forward to the task ahead, but he also took a moment to reflect on the last few months after the win.
“I’m proud of how hard they worked all offseason,” Ollikainen said. “I always say football games are won and lost in the offseason. The work they put in is starting to pay dividends.”
One could easily argue that it’s been paying dividends all season, as the Vikings are unbeaten since falling in an 11-man matchup against PWV in Week 1.
Now, the Vikings will await the unveiling of the 12-team 1B State Tournament bracket, which will be released at 1 p.m. on Sunday. If they receive a top-four seed, they’ll earn a first-round bye. If they are seeded 5-12, they’ll take the field next Friday or Saturday.
