Washougal on playoff path after beating Woodland

WASHOUGAL — Washougal weathered the storm and the Woodland Beavers on Friday night at Fishback Stadium.

The Panthers’ reward for their 26-8 Class 2A Great St. Helens League victory over their guests?

Sleeping on the knowledge that with a win next week at home over R.A. Long, they’re most likely playoff-bound for the first time in nine years.

“We’re now in control of our own destiny for the playoffs,” said senior Jake Klackner, who had a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery. “It feels really good.”

The Panthers (3-4, 3-2) celebrated their first win over the Beavers (3-4, 3-2) since 2010 as they close in on their first playoff berth since 2007. At worst, a win next week means Washougal would be in a tiebreaker for the 2A GSHL’s district playoff spots.

“We’ve just got to keep the foot on the gas and keep grinding,” said junior quarterback Ryan Stevens, who ran for two touchdowns and also kicked a pair of field goals.

Washougal had five turnovers in the first half of last week’s loss to Hockinson, but this week, the Panthers were the beneficiaries as they cashed in three first-half Beavers turnovers for 14 points.

“This week, we came out hungry to fight,” Stevens said. “It was definitely nice to be on the other end of things, to get the turnovers and then get into the end zone.”

All three turnovers came during a wild second quarter when the rain came down the heaviest.

“Mother Nature helped us a bit tonight,” Washougal coach Dave Hajek said. “When it poured down, the happiest guy in the stadium was me. I knew they were a shotgun team, and that the rain would affect them a lot more than us.”

No more so than on the first play after Austin McLaughlin downed a punt at the Beavers 1 with 2:13 left before halftime. Woodland fumbled the snap, and freshman Brevan Bea fell on the ball for the Panthers at the 2.

One play later, Stevens plunged into the end zone to give Washougal a 23-8 lead.

“We just couldn’t overcome the turnovers, plain and simple,” Beavers coach Mike Woodward said. “We just couldn’t rally in the second half. I’m disappointed because we didn’t play good football tonight, no getting around that.”

Credit the Panthers defense, which zeroed in on stopping sophomore Tyler Flanagan, who accounted for 145 yards of total offense last week against Columbia River.

Flanagan had three catches on Woodland’s only scoring drive — including a 9-yarder with a defender draped on him for the touchdown — but only three more the rest of the night, finishing with 66 receiving yards.

The Beavers as a team mustered just 120 yards of total offense and had four turnovers.

“Everyone did their job,” Klackner said. “We shut down Flanagan, and that won us the game.”

Washougal jumped out to a 7-0 lead on its second play from scrimmage when Marcos Martinez scampered 49 yards for a score.

The Beavers answered with their only sustained drive of the night — a 10-play, 72-yarder capped by Flanagan’s TD catch. The Panthers then needed 11 plays to regain the lead on Stevens’ 24-yard field goal 2 minutes into the second quarter.

Tyler Bowlin’s 40-yard interception return on Woodland’s next possession set Washougal up on a short field, and Stevens finished off the drive with his first touchdown on a 1-yard sneak.

Stevens’ 34-yard field goal with 9:32 to play closed out the scoring.

WASHOUGAL 26, WOODLAND 8

Woodland 8 0 0 0–8

Washougal 7 16 0 3–26

First quarter

Wa–Marcos Martinez 49 run (Ryan Stevens kick)

Wo–Tyler Flanagan 9 pass from Wyatt Harsh (Tristan Thomas run)

Second quarter

Wa–FG Stevens 24

Wa–Stevens 1 run (Stevens kick)

Wa–Stevens 2 run (pass failed)

Fourth quarter

Wa–FG Stevens 34

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–Wo, Thomas 18-73, Harsh 7-(minus 33), Kenyon Guy 1-(minus 2), team 2-(minus 10). Wa, Martinez 15-94, Stevens 7-25, Kade Coons 7-(minus 4), Nathan Tofell 7-33, team 6-(minus 15).

PASSING–Wo, Harsh 10-26-2-92. Wa, Stevens 5-11-1-99.

RECEIVING–Wo, Flanagan 6-66, Alex Bishop 2-8, Marques Lies 1-21, Thomas 1-(minus 3). Wa, Tofell 3-32, Coons 1-51, Martinez 1-16.