FORKS — Jodell Wimberly rushed for four touchdowns of 50, 22, 21 and 1-yard and Makyah Chambers returned interceptions for touchdowns in both halves as Neah Bay rolled Wahkiakum 70-14 in a Class 1B first-round state football game at Spartans Stadium on Friday.
Chambers returned pick-sixes from 44 yards out in the second quarter, then stepped in front of a Mules pass and zoomed 80 yards for a third-quarter score.
Chambers also threw two touchdown passes to Leonard Knaus Jr, an 11-yarder and a 3-yarder.
Tyler Swan also rumbled in from 31 yards out for the Red Devils (10-1).
Wimberly finished the game with 183 yards rushing on 10 carries, while Swan had 33 yards rushing on five carries and added a 33-yard catch. Swan also had two quarterback sacks.
Chambers passed for 88 yards on 6-for-9 passing. Wimberly and Adan Ellis each had 19-yard receptions and Seactis Woodruff had three catches for 36 yards.
No. 5-seeded Neah Bay (9-1) will head out on the road to face No. 4 Almira Coulee/Hartline in a state quarterfinal at 1 p.m. Saturday at Lions Field in Moses Lake.
DeSales 30, Quilcene 0
WALLA WALLA — The Quilcene football team’s defense played tough most of the game with several defensive stands on fourth downs, but the Rangers couldn’t overcome a handful of big plays and an injury to Andrew Perez-Lopez in a 30-0 loss to DeSales in the state 1B playoffs Saturday.
Quilcene came in to the game without Tyler Wills, who was hurt, and Tucker Boling got hurt in the game.
However, the biggest blow came when quarterback and defensive back Andrew Perez-Lopez left the game late in the first half with an injury and afterward, the Rangers had difficulty moving the ball, generating just 137 yards of offense. They were also hurt by three turnovers.
Coach Trey Beatherd said someone fell awkwardly on Perez-Lopez’s ankle while he was making a tackle and it appears to be a fracture.
The game remained close until late in the first half as DeSales likewise had trouble generating much offense. The Irish got their first TD in the first quarter on a short pass set up by a 38-yard screen pass.
However, the Rangers forced three straight turnover on downs after that TD, including one on a 4th-and-1 play at midfield. For the game, Quilcene forced five turnover on downs. It looked like Quilcene was going in to the half down just 8-0, but the Irish’s Billy Holtzinger broke out for a 41-yard touchdown run with 1:20 left in the half. After the conversion, it was 16-0.
With Perez-Lopez out of the game, Robert Evans took over at quarterback. The Irish’s Sal Sisk made a spectacular, leaping one-handed interception on what could have been a long touchdown pass. A couple of plays later, Holtzinger ran for a 38-yard TD with 2:44 left in the third quarter. After the conversion, it was 24-0. Holtzinger added an 82-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.
Tyler Beukes was all over the field on defense, making 12 tackles, 11 of them solo. Taylor Boling also had seven tackles, including two quarterback sacks. Mason Iverson also had some clutch tackles for losses.
Offensively, Taylor Boling led the team with four catches for 48 yards. Robert Evans had 31 yards rushing on 11 carries, while Perez-Lopez ran six times for 23 yards and passes for 30 yards.
DeSales will now play the No. 1-ranked 1B team in the state, Liberty Christian.
Despite the loss, it was Quilcene’s best season in a few years, as the Rangers finish the year at 8-2. Their only losses were to DeSales (9-1) and Neah Bay (9-1).
“I do feel good about this team and the seniors. Our kids played hard and I was proud of their effort,” Beathard said.
