WP Bashes Asotin In Homecoming Game

WAITSBURG -- The Waitsburg-Prescott Cardinals dominated the Asotin Panthers last Friday night for a 48-20 Homecoming victory securing the League Championship for the third consecutive year.

The Panthers took first possession of the game, only to punt the ball away after just one first down and a WP Greg Stearns sack.

The Cardinals opening drive began on its own 26- yard line with a carry from running back Billy Brown.

Brown was stopped after just a two yard gain but WP quarterback Zach Bartlow connected with Dalton Estes for 10 yards and a Cardinal first down.

The Panthers were caged for an encroachment call, which Bartlow followed up with a 43-yard keeper that sailed the birds to the Panther 11 yard line.

Brown would take the pigskin seven yards on the next play, but Bartlow would get caught in the back field and called for an intentional grounding and the Cardinals would lose a down and face 3rd and 14 on the Panther 15- yard line.

Finding no open receiver, Bartlow chose to take it to the house himself breaking two tackles on the way to lighting up the board. Jose Barajas extra point attempt was good and the Cardinals were up, 7-0.

Bartlow was caught in the back field and sacked for a loss of two yards, but Brown broke away from the line for 18 yards and the Cards earned a first and goal from the 6-yard line.

Bartlow found Riley Stevens for a short gain of four yards and the Cardinals ended the first quarter 2nd and goal from the 2-yard line.

Brown dove into the end zone just six seconds into the second quarter, but Barajas' kick went wide and the Cardinals were up 13-0.

The Cardinals continued to light up the board after the Panthers fumbled the kickoff and WP's Dalton Estes recovered it on the 19-yard line .

Bartlow then connected with Estes who caught the 19-yard touchdown pass as he fell backwards across the goal line. Barajas sent one through the up rights and the scoreboard read 20-0 Cardinals.

The Panthers managed to crawl its way to its own 35- yard line, but Bartlow then intercepted a Panther pass on their 4-yard line and ran it back 96 yards shaking off the Panthers to the left and to the right for "another, Cardinal, touchdown" with 6:07 left in the half.

The Panthers were in dire need of some offense but the Cardinal's defensive line was having none of that and the cats were forced to punt once again. Bartlow snagged the punt and ran it back 30 yards to the Panther 40 -yard line. A completed pass to Estes for seven yards and one to Devin Acevedo for eight combined with a Panther pass interference call would fly the birds to a first and goal on their own 9-yard line.

Bartlow connected with Estes once again in the end zone with 15 seconds left in the half and the Cardinals throw down a first half Homecoming shut out, 34-0.

The Cardinals took first possession of the second half and as they took punting formation after just three plays.

Punter Dalton Estes kept the pitch and ran it to the Panther 43-yard line for a Cardinal first down.

With 6:19 left in the third Brown took it to the house for six from ten yards out and Barajas nailed another kick to give the Cardinals a commanding 41-0 lead and put the game into running clock mode.

The Panthers continued to struggle with making something happen offensively as Greg Stearns and Eshom Estes' clad fists cause a Panther fumble that the cats recover but the Cardinals take over on downs.

The Cardinals would score once more when Chance Leroue snuck across the goal line from two yard out with 11:54 left in the game.

The Panthers answered with three touchdowns as the younger boys of fall got some Homecoming playing time.

The Senior Cardinals will have their final home game of their high school career this Friday at 7 p.m. when they take on T-O-R before they begin their post season bid for a trip to the state tournament.