QUILCENE — The Quilcene Rangers basically annihilated every team they played last year not named Odessa.

And Crescent came in to the game missing its starting senior do-everything quarterback Eric Emery, who was out with a dislocated knee.

So, coming in, it had all the earmarks of a blowout.

It’s a cliche, but it’s a cliche that rings true every once in a while — but, this is why they play the game.

Missing Emery and going up against a very good, experienced Quilcene squad, the score didn’t go as some would expect, as the shorthanded Loggers gave the Rangers everything they could handle. Quilcene ended up walking away with an 18-12 win, but it was a close, hard-fought battle late into the fourth quarter.

That’s right, this is a Rangers team that averaged 60 points a game last year (until playing eventual state champion Odessa in the state 1A semifinals) and scored 58 points last week in their season-opening win. And Crescent held them to three touchdowns.

“Crescent played harder than we did in the first half. We dug ourselves in a hole quite a bit, but Crescent played well,” said Quilcene coach Trey Beathard.

“This is a really young team that will be a great group down the road. I think we’re doing great,” said Crescent coach Brian Shimko. “We lost on the scoreboard, but that was a win. You couldn’t ask for a better game. That was amazing.”

Beathard said the Rangers kept shooting themselves in the foot with penalties, two that cost Quilcene touchdowns and a couple of other that took away big gains.

Shimko was also left lamenting penalties. The Loggers had a chance at a go-ahead touchdown late in the first half after a big pass play put Crescent in scoring position, but it was called back on a holding penalty.

Shimko also said that Brenton Dalton had “three amazing” catches for the Loggers that all got called back due to penalties.

Quilcene and Crescent went into the half tied 6-6. The Rangers scored 12 straight points to take an 18-6 lead and Crescent came back to score with 4:40 left in the game to make it 18-12. From that point on, the Rangers held on to the ball to kill the clock and put the game away.

“They spread us out, they have some kids who can run pretty well,” said Beathard. He was pleased with how the defense played, especially in that tight second half.

Both teams had big performances. Quilcene Bishop Budnek had 154 yards rushing and scored all three of the Rangers’ touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Loggers’ Brayden Emery, a sophomore filling in for his older brother, had 189 yards rushing on 23 rushes and threw for another 35 yards. Wyatt Lee had 47 yards on 14 carries, while Malachi Treadway had a 23-yard run.

Chase Newman had three catches for 49 yards for Quilcene. Zach Budnek led the Rangers with 15 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks, while Kristian Mack had 10 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks. Newman also had 11 tackles.

For Crescent, Wyatt and Darren Lee led the Loggers with eight tackles each, while Emery stopped two point after touchdown attempts, and had two deflected passes, an interception and seven solo tackles.

Quilcene (2-0) has a big game Saturday against powerhouse Neah Bay (1-0) at 1 p.m. at home.

Crescent (0-2) is also at home at 3 p.m. Friday against South Bend (0-1).

Quilcene 18, Crescent 12

Crescent 0 6 0 6 — 12

Quilcene 6 0 6 6 — 18

First Quarter

Q—B. Budnek 5 run (PAt failed)

Second Quarter

C—B. Emery 53 run (PAT failed)

Third Quarter

Q—B. Budnek 1 run (PAT failed)

Fourth Quarter

Q—B. Budnek 26 run (PAT failed)

C—B. Emery 15 run (PAT failed)

Individual Stats

Rushing—Q: B. Budnek 21-154; Newman 7-21, Elkins 2-0, Smead 1-5, Dugdale 3-18. C: B. Emery 23-189, Treadway 1-23, W. Lee 14-47.

Passing—Q: Elkins 8-21-109, INT. C: B. Emery 4-9-35.

Receiving—Q: Elkins Newman 3-49, Mack 2-28, B. Budnek 2-22, Z. Budnek 1-10. C: Treadway 1-12, Dalton 1-2, Tejano 2-21.

Quilcene’s Chase Newman pushes off the helmet of Crescent’s Brayden Emery during a game played in Quilcene on Saturday. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)