TACOMA — Quilcene scheduled two football games two days apart and the Rangers responded by scoring 100 points in a 48-hour period.
After beating Crescent 38-16 on Thursday, the Rangers beat Sound Christian 72-26 on Saturday.
The Rangers racked up 443 yards rushing and 489 total yards in the win. Six different players scored touchdowns.
“I felt every single kid was able to play a lot,” said coach Trey Beathard. “The older players do a good job of coaching the younger kids. I’m really proud of the older kids for that.”
It’s hard to believe with the final score, but Beathard said the Rangers were lackadaisical to begin the game. In fact, at one point, Sound Christian briefly held an 8-6 lead.
Shannon Kutler led the Rangers with 165 yards rushing and two touchdowns on runs of 65 and 3 yards.
Jayden Love, getting the most action he’s gotten all year, had 108 yards rushing on nine carries with a 45-yard touchdown.
Kevin Alejo had 79 yards rushing with a 50-yard touchdown run, and James Miller had 65 yards rushing with a 50-yard touchdown. Aiden Cate, Nathan Kieffer and Ashton Johnston had rushing touchdowns, with Johnston’s coming from 23 yards out.
Johnston added a 35-yard touchdown reception and Alejo scored on a 56-yard punt return.
Dominic Smith led the Rangers with 14 tackles, including three for losses, while Alejo had nine tackles and Kutler eight.
Quilcene (4-1) next has a huge game against a young but good Neah Bay (2-1) squad at home at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Neah Bay 42, Concrete 20
NEAH BAY — The Neah Bay Red Devils overcame some “atrocious” weather and too many penalties to romp over Concrete 42-20.
The game was relatively close early in the third quarter, as the Lions were down just 20-12 to the Red Devils. Neah Bay rattled off 22 straight points after the midway point of the third quarter to late in the fourth. Concrete added a late touchdown in the final seconds.
“The weather was atrocious,” said coach Kane Bachelor. “It forced us to play a game that doesn’t fit our style.”
Bachelor said the Red Devils also had seven penalties in the first half, which helped keep the score close. The team was more disciplined in the second half with only one penalty.
Jodell Wimberly scored three touchdowns on runs of 2, 5 and 77 yards. Julian Carrick had touchdown runs of 4 and 67 yards and also threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Neil Bowechop.
Kaeden Butterfield and Neil Bowechop added two-point conversions.
The Red Devils tallied 352 yards rushing. Wimberly ran 168 yards on 17 carries while Carrick had 16 carries for 147 yards. Bowechop ran 13 times for 37 yards.
Carrick went 5-for-8 passing for 76 yards. Bowechop had two catches for 49 yards, while Wimberly had a catch for 17 yards and Butterfield two catches for 10 yards.
On defense, Butterfield led the team with eight solo tackles and five assisted tackles. Andre Greene had five solo tackles and 10 assisted tackles. Carrick recovered two fumbles, while Wimberly, Bowechop and Aidan Ellis all recovered fumbles.
Bachelor said Butterfield in particular was a difference-maker on defense.
“He set a physical tone,” Bachelor said.
Neah Bay next plays at Quilcene at 1 p.m. Saturday.
“That will be a fight for both teams. It should be a good game,” Bachelor said.
East Jefferson 41, Cascade Christian 13 (Friday night)
PORT TOWNSEND — The new Rivals football squad won its third straight game after an 0-2 start, with a good shot at a winning record in the team’s first year of existence, after a 41-13 homecoming win over Cascade Christian.
Cascade Christian is a private school that usually handled Chimacum and Port Townsend in the past.
“In all my years, that’s the first time we’ve beaten them. They’ve always had great teams,” said head coach Tony Haddenham.
Logan Massie scored two rushing touchdowns, Aaron Glanz and Siamau Auseuga each scored rushing touchdowns and Malichi McDonald had a 43-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Cash Holmes.
Auseuga also had a blocked punt that was scooped up by Clayton Smith for a two-yard touchdown.
The Rivals had two 100-yard rushers. Anson Jones ran eight times for 100 yards while Massie rushed 13 times for 100 yards. Trevor Wilson rushed eight times for 30 yards. In all, East Jefferson ran for more than 270 yards, while Holmes passed for 74 yards. Smith had two catches for 18 yards and Lonnie Kenney had a 13 yard reception.
The coach said trust and execution are behind the Rivals’ three-game win streak. In those games, East Jefferson has outscored its opponents 69-20.
“The kids are coming together as a team and trusting the person next to them,” Haddenham said. He also said the team can still improve.
“We’re not playing as much mistake-free football as we should,” he said. He said the Rivals had three or four touchdowns called back against Cascade Christian due to penalties.
The Rivals’ (3-2, 2-0 Nisqually League) next game is at Bellevue Christian (3-3, 1-2 league) at 3 p.m. Saturday at Sammamish High School.
