Wahkiakum and Naselle have big wins

Another week of 1B football is in the books, and both Wahkiakum and Naselle continue to rumble along. Lining up against a district opponent, each team notched winning margins of more than 40 points in their matchups on Sept. 26. Both coaches walked away largely content with the performances of their players.

Mules make it four in a row

Wahkikaum continued its win streak, bashing Oakville 62-6 to push the perfect run to 4-0. Head Coach Ryan Lorenzo said it was a good performance from his squad, although he noted that Oakville was hampered by some injuries going into the matchup.

"Oakville was down a couple of key players and lost another one in our game," Lorenzo said. "We worked a lot on the D-line this week, and I saw a lot of good stuff. [We] still can get better there, though. The O-line blocked well, but still got some kinks to work out."

The O-line paved the way for the steamroller that was the Wahkiakum offense. The Mules did much of their work in the ground game, rushing 19 times for 313 yards. The longest run of the day was an 80-yard scamper by Jayden Stoddard, who tallied 159 yards on three carries for three touchdowns. Wahkiakum only threw the ball eight times during the game. Still, Parker Leitz showed his pass-catching prowess with three receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown.

When asked who the unsung heroes were for the game, Lorenzo credited members of the lines and the receivers for putting in work even when the ball wasn't flying too much.

"Cameron Mendez, Ethan Hurley, for their O and D line performance," said Lorenzo when asked about who had an underrated impact. "Joe and Parker for their effort away from the ball."

As the team continues to progress toward the postseason, Lorenzo said the focus on constantly trying to improve remains the same. The Mules watch film and "tweak little things here and there" to try to set themselves up for success later this season. Looking ahead to which opponents will pose the biggest challenge, Lorenzo highlighted this week's meeting with Ocosta.

"They got a fast QB," said Lorenzo. "Good size on the line; a couple of athletic WRs. We aren't looking past anybody."

The Mules have five more conference games on the schedule. One consistent aspect throughout the season has been the fan support, both at home and away. Lorenzo credited the support that has gone with the team, whether they are at home or on the road.

"The fans have been great," he said. "Lots of parents and family are showing up to away games. [They] had to drive on a gravel road to get to this game through the mountains. They were there cheering the whole time!"

Naselle wins homecoming game

It wasn't the perfect homecoming game for the Comets. Despite the 60-8 winning margin against Northwest Christian, Coach Kevin McNulty said it took Naselle some time to get into the game.

"We had a poor first quarter," he said. "You know, homecoming week, whatever distractions, we had some turnovers. We shored it up in the second quarter and from that point forth, but the first quarter was a little rocky."

Turnovers, penalties, and a lack of execution on both offense and special teams were all issues that frustrated McNulty at the start of the game. McNulty said that if they had been in a "competitive game," those mistakes could have cost Naselle. With that in mind, the Naselle coach emphasized the importance of keeping focus, regardless of who the opponent is.

Offensively, Leith Chadwick had a good game under center, completing seven of 12 passes for 223 yards and four touchdowns. Chadwick also threw an interception. Scott Henington reeled in the most yards for the Comets, bringing in three catches for 162 yards while finding the pay dirt twice.

On the ground, Naselle had a balanced approach, with six players lodging at least one carry and gaining 182 yards. Eli Gardner rushed for 48 yards on four attempts, finding the endzone three times. Marvin Tucker led the team in rush yards, registering 60 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.

Although Naselle led 18-0 after the first quarter, the errors they committed still had McNulty preaching attention to detail and focus in the break between quarters. Luckily, the Comets' defense gave Naselle a platform to establish an early lead, and they were firing on all cylinders all night.

"The defense played well from the onset. We were aggressive and played in their backfield for most of the night," McNulty said.

Naselle's resolute defense held strong for almost the entire game, conceding the eight points that Northwest Christian scored in the final frame. With the score well out of reach, Naselle had the chance to get some of the younger players more touches.

McNulty said one of the highlights from the game was the second-string offense coming in and putting together a long scoring drive.

"The other night, our younger group went down and scored," he said. "Had a nice drive. It wasn't just one play drive, it was a seven, eight-play drive, and everybody celebrated that."

Coming away from the game, McNulty said he was happy with how the team responded to his early message, and it was a fun game in front of the homecoming crowd. Going into the next game, McNulty said the matchup with North Beach presents a unique challenge.

"This week, like I told the kids, the coach of [North Beach] is a friend of mine," he said. "He probably knows as much about what we do from an offense and defense as anybody in the league. He knows exactly what we're doing, so it'll mean we'll have to execute that much better, so that'll be fun."

Going on the road, McNulty said he's excited to see the focus and execution from his team as they take on an opponent ready to counter what the Comets want to do.