Naselle and Wahkiakum nab big wins

Naselle and Wahkiakum both saw their win percentages boosted, as both programs pummeled non-conference opponents in the third week of the season.

Naselle's resurgent victory

Naselle Head Coach Kevin McNulty didn't have to wait long to see how his team would respond to the 54-10 loss at the hands of the Mules in the previous week. When Naselle took on Winlock on Sept. 19, it was a game to apply all of the lessons the Comets took away from the prior defeat.

The Comets streaked out of the gates in the early exchanges and built a 32-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. Perhaps easing off the throttle a little the following three quarters, the Mules eventually won the game 56-6.

"We went in there knowing that we had to contain the quarterback," said McNulty. "We did a much better job of wrapping up, tackling, and coming in lower. Offensively, we executed; we didn't have all the penalties, and we certainly didn't have the turnovers. In fact, we had zero turnovers."

McNulty said he was pleased the team took care of the football and emphasized that at whatever level of football, winning the turnover battle is crucial for victory. In the few snaps that the varsity offense played, Leith Chadwick put together a solid game under center, hitting six of his seven passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. Eli Gardner had 104 rushing yards on just four attempts, including a "Comet-quick" 84-yard touchdown run. Naselle scored early, often, and in every way. They scored a pick-six off a bumbled pass that was snatched out of the air by Justin Moncy. They also ran back a kick return to punctuate a commanding performance.

The Comets also benefited from an injection of energy and performance from players who had been sidelined due to injury. Having Jason Gardner back on the field was a tone setter for the team, especially on the defensive end.

"I think Jason Gardner, just by sheer presence of playing, and being a kid that comes in low, and likes contact," said McNulty. "It kind of becomes contagious for everybody."

Despite being a "quiet group," this week's showing on the gridiron demonstrated the squad's ability to remain unaffected by the letdown of losing a big game. The Comets came in and put together a fundamental game, and McNulty said that the focus the team played with was evident and allowed Naselle to regain confidence.

While the Comets got some of their injured players, McNulty hopes it isn't much longer before the whole complement of players are back on the field. In the meantime, the gaps in the lineup are being plugged by players who are getting valuable reps.

With the win against Winlock in the books, Naselle has only conference games left to play. First on the list is Northwest Christian on Friday, Sept. 26. McNulty said it should be a good test, as Northwest Christian is 2-1, and the team will also have its focus tested.

"It's the homecoming game," said McNulty. "You ask any coach that's been around it for a while, homecoming week, you don't exactly know what it's going to bring. That's our challenge this week: to see what type of maturity level we have. Because there's all kinds of stuff going on, and are we focused? Or are we distracted?"

McNulty said the team is currently "not good enough to overlook anyone," so he hopes his players will maintain their focus on the task ahead. One thing he's looking forward to is the environment that the game will provide. With a large crowd in the stands, McNulty expects a state-level atmosphere, so he's anticipating a good test.

Wahkiakum wins big

Wahkiakum's trip to Tenino saw them battle with Waterville/Mansfield, and the Mules showed what makes them one of the most dangerous outfits in 1B football.

Wahkiakum put on an explosive performance, winning 52-16, with Waterville/Mansfield only scoring in the fourth quarter, when the game was well out of reach.

While the Mules put up 52 points, Head Coach Ryan Lorenzo's standout highlight was provided by the stout defense.

"[My] favorite moment was probably Joe Merz making solo tackle after solo tackle for losses," said Lorenzeo. "They kept running at him, and he kept making tackles."

Merz finished with 10 total tackles, including three solo. Six of his tackles were for losses, constantly putting the opposition at a disadvantage.

With how quick the Mules put the game away, there wasn't a lot of volume on the scoresheet for Wahkiakum's usual suspects on offense. Quarterback Jayden Stoddard completed five of his eight passes, but the number that stands out is the 225 passing yards, an average of 45 yards per completion. Included in his five completed passes were three touchdowns, including one for 90 yards.

Parker Leitz put up 133 yards and two touchdowns on just two catches (including that 90-yard TD), and Gage Robinson's one catch was a 44-yard touchdown. Despite the big margin of victory, Lorenzo said there are levers in place to make sure complacency doesn't creep in.

"When we are up and the young guys are in, the varsity guys are watching and helping coach the younger guys," Lorenzo said. "When they come off the field, they are coaching them up, talking about plays, staying in the game."

Through three games, the Mules are undefeated, having delivered blowouts to Taholah, Naselle, and Waterville/Mansfield. Lorenzo said the thing that has improved the most for his squad this season is their commitment to getting better. Right now, Lorenzo wants to take advantage of every rep they get.

"It's hard to get game-like state like reps," said Lorenzo. "Naselle offered us a lot of them. Don't know how many more we are going to get."

Ahead of the conference matchup with Oakville, the Mules are focused on getting better. Lorenzo said that Oakville has some athletes and new coaches, and Wahkiakum won't be underestimating them. Oakville is 2-1 and currently sits third in the 1B Southwest (8-man) Football conference. Lorenzo hopes his defense continues to maintain the stingy standard that has made them the toughest team in the conference so far.

"We are going to try to shut down as much as possible," Lorenzo said. "Our varsity D has only given up 8 points so far. We are trying to keep that number as low as possible."