BATTLE GROUND — The Class 2A Greater St. Helens League champions will not be going to the Class 2A state football playoffs.
These Hockinson Hawks, though, still feel good about their season.
After losing a ton of talented seniors to graduation, the Hawks returned to the 2016 season determined to prove they were still championship-worthy.
They did that in the regular season, in the 2A GSHL season.
It just did not carry over to the Week 10 district playoff.
Kyler Nygren rushed for 299 yards and two touchdowns Saturday night, leading Black Hills to a 35-12 victory over Hockinson at District Stadium.
After the game, the Hawks considered the whole season, not just one loss.
“It was great to lead these guys,” senior and three-year starter Ryan Bishop said. “All these guys stepped up. Next year, they’re going to be wonderful. All of them are so good at this sport. They’re going to continue on with this.”
Hockinson coach Rick Steele reminded his players how there were many who thought the Hawks would not compete this year.
“We were supposed to be down, and we won a league title,” Steele said. “Obviously we’re disappointed (with the loss), but we’re walking off this field as three-time league champions. We only have eight seniors on this team. We’re going to come back and be a damn good football team next year.”
Bishop just smiled at the thought, that this team won the league again.
“It was great to be able to show that we’re still here, we’re still playing,” Bishop said.
Just didn’t happen to be Hockinson’s night in the district playoff.
Black Hills intercepted Hockinson four times. Ethan Loveless returned one of those for a touchdown.
Plus, the Black Hills defensive line ruled. Austin Daisa had four sacks and James Tobin had two.
Black Hills scored four second-quarter touchdowns to take control.
Hockinson quarterback Canon Racenelli threw a touchdown pass to Devan Riggs in the first quarter to pull the Hawks within a point at 7-6.
Then it was all Wolves.
Quarterback Christian Williams scored on a 12-yard scramble on the first play of the second quarter. Just 15 game seconds later, Loveless had his pick-six, returning an interception 22 yards for a 21-6 lead.
Then Nygren started running … and he never seemed to stop.
He had a 71-yard highlight reel run. After getting past the initial defense, he hit the breaks to allow one last Hockinson defender to go past him, and then Nygren cut across the field for the final 30 yards.
He finished the half with a 9-yard touchdown run and a 35-6 lead for the Wolves.
“I guess I’m a running back now,” Nygren said, noting that he was a wide receiver earlier in the season before an injury led to a position change.
“This means everything,” Nygren said of the win, of his huge outing. “It could have been my last game, you know?”
Hockinson scored the only points of the second half. Matt Henry caught a 6-yard TD pass from Racanelli, only after Racanelli somehow escaped a sack to keep the play alive. Then the QB found his receiver wide open.
Hockinson held Black Hills out of the end zone in the second half, but the Wolves did kill a lot of clock with Nygren’s rushing performance.
At one point, Nygren had 301 yards. But he lost two yards on his next carry.
He’ll take it, though.
“We just kept running hard,” Nygren said. “Couple plays just kept working.”
BLACK HILLS 35, HOCKINSON 12
Black Hills 7 28 0 0—35
Hockinson 6 0 6 0—12
First quarter
BH — Zach Loveless 1 run (Drew Kimmel kick)
H — Devan Riggs 4 pass from Canon Racanelli (kick failed)
Second quarter
BH — Christian Williams 12 run (Kimmel kick)
BH — Ethan Loveless 22 interception return (Kimmel kick)
BH — Kyler Nygren 71 run (Kimmel kick)
BH — Nygren 9 run (Kimmel kick)
Third quarter
H — Matt Henry 6 pass from C. Racanelli (run failed)
Individual statistics:
RUSHING — Black Hills: 27-299, Z. Loveless 3-5, Jordan Claridge 4-13, Williams 8-13, Team 2-(minus 3). Hockinson: Gannon Kytola 13-44, Riggs 2-4, C. Racanelli 15-7, Wyatt Jones 1-(minus 4), Matt Henry 1-5.
PASSING — Black Hills: Williams 3-10-0-55. Hockinson: C. Racanelli 15-33-4-137, Levi Crum 2-2-0-1.
RECEIVING — Black Hills: Austin Hensley 1-13, Noah Brewer 1-23, Nate Kindell 1-19. Hockinson: Sawyer Racanelli 3-17, Riggs 4-48, Henry 6-43, Kytola 2-21, Nicholas Frichtl 1-7, Noah Stecher 1-2.
