Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Isa Reyes to Martin Vasquez for a 9-yard gain in 2nd period.
Isaac Mahre Third Quarter 60 yard run to the 2 yd line.
JJ Gleasons Fourth Quarter Touchdown.
Lucas Van Hoos Kickoff return in first quarter.
WAITSBURG - I closed my eyes and encountered the lovely, musty smell of a wet wheat field. I opened them and saw a waning blue sky with the half-moon rising through wispy clouds and jet contrails. Behind me, I could hear the delighted screams of prepubescent youth hitting each other with sweaters and chasing each other around. Some young ladies wore subtle face paint. Temperatures were in the high 60s. I shook hands with a few friends and colleagues. Friday night lights returned to the Waitsburg School District Athletic Field on September 13, as the Cardinals hosted the Touchet Redhawks in their first home game of the season.
The air was full of anticipation, even though it was unclear what to expect after the Cards lost to Desales, 62 to 8, in the season's first game in Walla Walla. The Redhawks may have had a slight size advantage over the Waitsburg team. The average height and weight of the Cardinals this year is 5'10 (5'4 to 6'3) and 160 pounds (95 - 201), while the Redhawks' average is 5'10 (5'7 to 6'3) and 180 pounds (150 - 303). Regardless, the Waitsburg handily defeated their opponents 56-0.
The Cardinals started with a solid ground game with an opening drive down the field. Koyen Fortune scored a touchdown at 9:36 of the first period. A failed conversion attempt left the score at 6-0. Touchet struggled to make yardage, and after the punt, on the next possession, the Cardinals scored again behind an 80-yard pass from Isa Reyes to Lucas Van Hoose at 4:58 of the first period, with Brenton Segraves making the 2-point conversion, making the score 14-0.
The Cardinals scored again on the first play of the second quarter, with a 29-yard run by Martin Vasquez and a 2-point conversion from JJ Gleason, making the score 22-0. Martin Vasquez scored another touchdown at 8:11, and another conversion resulted in a score of 30-0. With 2:30 left in the quarter, JJ Gleason made a 56-yard touchdown, and the conversion made it 38-0 at the half.
Waitsburg changed tactics in the second half, from a balanced passing and running game to a primarily passing effort. After Reyes had difficulty connecting, Isaac Mahre came in as QB. He ran down the field on a keeper for about 60 yards, ending up on the 2-yard line. Lucas Van Hoose punched in the touchdown, and Koyen Fortune made the conversion for a score of 46-0.
The clock ran continuously as the Cardinals scored an additional touchdown by JJ Gleason after an athletic recovery of his own fumble. Isaac Mahre scored his first points as a Cardinal on the conversion. The Redhawks gave up a safety in the final period, and the score ended at 56-0.
The Cardinals' defensive line had greater speed and agility, frustrating the Redhawks all night. In the first quarter, the Cards made several clean, hard tackles on two of Touchet's top players, Kyler Pumphrey and Thads Krumbah, which seemed to have affected the outcome. Unable to score, the Redhawk team was clearly frustrated by the end of the game. The previous week, they lost 46-0 at Dufur and have yet to score this year.
The next home game for the Cardinals will be on September 27, against a powerful Dayton Bulldog team that defeated the Yakima Nation tribal team 94-0.
Touchet 0 0 0 0 0
Waitsburg 14 24 8 10 56
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