FORKS — Forks won a defensive slugfest against Toledo on Friday night by a 7-6 score.
“We won a very tough football game,” Forks head coach Mark Feasel said.
All of the scoring happened in the opening quarter.
The Spartans (2-0) struck first on a 41-yard run by quarterback Braden Decker.
Decker kept the football on an option play, cut back against the flow of the defense and then out-ran the Indians’ defensive backs until he reached the end zone.
James Salazar kicked the extra point, which ended up being the difference in the game.
Toledo answered with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Dakota Rakoz to Ronnie Bone.
The point-after attempt failed and neither team found the scoreboard in the game.
Forks was held to only 137 yards, while the Indians gained 221.
“Offensively, both teams had a hard time finishing drives,” Feasel said.
“Toledo made some adjustments to take away our inside running game.
“The defenses on both teams made some adjustments and really buckled down the rest of the game to end all other potential scoring drives.”
For the Spartans, Feasel praised the defensive performances of Decker, Tanner Robison, Dimitri Sampson, Mark Jacobsen, Leo Gonzales and Brett Pederson.
The loss was the first for Toledo (2-1) this season.
The Spartans travel to Tenino (3-0) on Friday night.
Forks 7, Toledo 6
Toledo 6 0 0 0— 6
Forks 7 0 0 0— 7
First Quarter
FORKS—Braden Decker 41 run (Salazar kick)
TOL—Ronnie Boone 12 pass from Dakota Rakoz (attempt failed)
Bremerton 21, Sequim 6
BREMERTON — The Wolves opened Olympic League play with their first loss to the Knights since 1997.
Sequim (0-1, 0-3) closed the gap to 7-6 before halftime thanks to a 46-yard touchdown hookup between quarterback Jack Wiker and running back Lopaka Yasamura on a screen pass.
But the Knights kept the Wolves off the scoreboard in the second half, while also scoring two touchdown runs of their own.
Andrew Shadle made it 14-0 with a 1-yard touchdown run, and quarterback Mikey Lawrence put the game out of reach with a 32-yard scamper in the fourth quarter.
Lawrence also had a 35-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
“This was a big game,” Gillam told the Kitsap Sun.
“Sequim’s good. Sequim’s really good. When we saw the schedule, you know we get the schedule early in the year, and I’m like, ‘Aw, crap, we start with Sequim.’
“I know (Sequim head coach) Erik (Wiker) puts together a real good team. He’s always recycling guys through . . . when we saw we had to play Sequim, we knew we had our work cut out for us.”
The Wolves play the first of their three home games in 2012 on Friday against North Kitsap in one of the most anticipated Olympic League games of the season.
The Vikings (1-0, 1-2) notched their first victory of the season by beating Klahowya 28-7.
Bremerton 21, Sequim 6
Sequim 0 6 0 0— 6
Bremerton 7 0 7 7— 21
First Quarter
BREM—Trevor Nelson 35 pass from Mikey Lawrence (Caleb Petroski kick)
Second Quarter
SEQ—Lopaka Yasamura 43 pass from Jack Wiker (kick failed)
Third Quarter
BREM—Andrew Shadle 1 run (Petroski kick)
Fourth Quarter
BREM—Lawrence 32 run (Petroski kick)
Individual Stats
Rushing— SEQ: Jack Wiker 15-64, Lopaka Yasamura 2-19. BREM: Mikey Lawrence 18-133, Andrew Shadle 15-72.
Passing—SEQ: Wiker 12-32, 156, Nick Faunce 4-10, 35. BREM: Lawrence 9-20, 147.
Receiving—SEQ: Yasamura 3-74, Jon Donahue 6-68, Christian Miles 3-32. BREM: Matt Noll 4-64, Trevor Nelson 4-64.
Clallam Bay 44,
Highland Christ. 0
CLALLAM BAY — Matt Mohr scored three first-quarter touchdowns, four overall, to lead the Bruins past Highland Christian.
Mohr rushed eight times for 274 yards in only two quarters.
Highland Christian (0-3) forfeited the game due to a lack of players. The Knights started the game with eight players, but lost one to injury and played with only seven for much of the first half.
“Tip of the hat to Highland Christian. It took a lot of courage to come all the way up here and play with only seven or eight players,” Clallam Bay coach Cal Ritter said.
Mohr scored on runs of 35, 80, 45 and 32 yards to put the Bruins ahead 24-0.
Ryan Willis scored on a 53-yard punt return.
Jeremy Rock then scored on a 69-yard run and a 35-yard run to close out the scoring.
Ritter lauded the Bruins’ defense for shutting down Highland Christian’s offense.
He singled out nose tackle Joe Maneval, who had eight tackles.
Mohr had nine tackles and Rock contributed seven.
Though he admits the game wasn’t a good judge of his team because the Knights were so undermanned, Ritter is happy with where the Bruins (2-0) stand after two games.
“The kids’ attitudes are real positive,” Ritter said. “It’s good, fun football right now.
“We’re nowhere near where we need to be to make a run at [the state title], but we’re making strides.
“I think we’re better now than we were at the end of last year. I’m real proud of the progress the players have made.”
Clallam Bay hosts Quilcene on Friday night.
Clallam Bay 44, Highland Christian 0
Highland Christian 0 0— 0
Clallam Bay 18 26— 44
First Quarter
CB—Matt Mohr 35 run (pass failed)
CB—Mohr 80 run (pass failed)
CB—Mohr 45 run (run failed)
Second Quarter
CB—Mohr 32 run (kick failed)
CB—Ryan Willis 53 punt return (pass failed)
CB—Jeremy Rock 69 run (kick failed)
CB—Rock 35 run (Joe Maneval pass from Austin Ritter)
Individual Stats
Rushing— CB: Matt Mohr 8-274, Jeremy Rock 5-121.
Passing—CB: Austin Ritter 3-9, 102, Rock 0-1.
Receiving—CB: Ryan Willis 1-85, Joe Maneval 2-17.
Eatonville 42,
Port Townsend 7
EATONVILLE — The Redskins gave up 21 first quarter points and never recovered against the Cruisers.
After ending a 20-game losing streak last week that dated back to 2009, Port Townsend was unable to start up a wining streak.
Eatonville’s Tyler Brown scored the first touchdown on a 30-yard fumble return.
The Cruisers then extended the lead to 21-0 behind touchdown runs from Jeff Patterson and Brandon Atkins.
The Redskins were held scoreless until a 45-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Port Townsend’s next game is at home against Bellevue Christian on Friday.
Eatonville 42, Port Townsend 7
Port Townsend 0 0 0 7— 7
Eatonville 21 14 7 0— 42
First Quarter
EAT—Tyler Brown 30 fumble return (Jesse Bollen kick)
EAT—Jeff Patterson 34 run (Bollen kick)
EAT—Brandon Atkins 5 run (Bollen kick)
Second Quarter
EAT—Brendan Davis 34 pass from Justin Kaelin (Bollen kick)
EAT—Davis 38 pass from Kaelin (Bollen kick)
Fourth Quarter
PT—PT 45 run (Ralls kick)