Hockinson fends off La Center comeback

HOCKINSON — Anyone who wondered if Hockinson quarterback Canon Racanelli would miss his two top receivers from a year ago need not wonder any longer.

Matt Henry caught four first-half touchdown passes as the Hawks opened the season with a 46-35 win over La Center on Friday at the expanded Hockinson Stadium.

“Matt Henry, he’s one of the best athletes in the county. Just a lot of people don’t know about him,” Hockinson coach Rick Steele said.

Henry and junior quarterback Racanelli have been teammates for nearly a decade. That chemistry was on full display on Friday.

“We’re always on the same page,” Henry said. “Our line executed great tonight. We just took what the defense gave us. We weren’t trying to make it too big, too major. We just got the job done.”

Two of Henry’s touchdown catches were toe-tappers just inside the end zone.

“He’s fun to watch,” Racanelli said. “We’ve been throwing back shoulder to each other forever, so he gives me the look and I can see where he wants it.”

Canon Racanelli threw for 376 yards and six touchdowns, including one to his freshman brother Sawyer.

Both Henry and Racanelli gave credit to their offensive line for giving them time to have their fun.

Steele was “one happy football coach” after watching his offense put up 46 points through the first three quarters of the season.

“Against La Center, they’re a darn good football team and I didn’t know we were going to be able to score that easily.”

Hockinson led 14-0 less than five minutes into the game. But La Center, which hurt itself with four turnovers in the first half, tied the score on the first play of the second quarter when Thomas Dreyer scored on an 83-yard catch and run.

But Hockinson scored three touchdowns in the second quarter — a pair on nice catches from Henry and one on an 81-yard catch and run by Devan Riggs — to lead 32-14 by halftime.

La Center quarterback Jeremy Scott threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns. Jeffrey Mayolo ran for 93 yards and one touchdown for the Wildcats.

Steele said his defense played well at times, and for the most part handled the Wildcat misdirection. But the Hawks coach felt the intensity faded as the game progressed.

“I think we lost some intensity in the second half,” Steele said. “We missed a lot of tackles. We’re going to spend a lot of time next week working on tackling.”

Next for Hockinson is a Thursday game against Prairie at District Stadium in Battle Ground. Next for La Center is a Friday home game against Woodland.

HOCKINSON 46,LA CENTER 35

La Center 6 8 7 14 — 35

Hockinson 14 18 14 0 — 46

First quarter

H — Matt Henry 11 pass from Canon Racanelli (C. Racanelli kick)

H — Henry 56 pass from C. Racanelli (C. Racanelli kick)

LC — Jake Wise 23 pass from Jeremy Scott (kick failed)

Second quarter

LC — Thomas Dryer 83 pass from Scott (Wise from Scott)

H — Henry 8 pass from C. Racanelli (kick failed)

H — Henry 20 pass from C. Racanelli (pass failed)

H –— Devan Riggs 81 pass from C. Racanelli (pass failed)

Third quarter

H — Ganon Kytola 1 run (C. Racanelli kick)

LC — Brett Judd 2 run (Sean Fox kick)

H — Sawyer Racanelli 32 pass from C. Racanelli (C. Racanelli kick)

Fourth quarter

LC — Jeffery Mayolo 6 run (Fox kick)

LC — Thomas Dreyer 4 pass from Scott (Fox kick)

Individual leaders

z-agt: RUSHING — La Center: Mayolo 25-93, Judd 8-39, Scott 7-41, Colton Dolezal 2-14, Tanner Dreyer 1-0. Hockinson: Colton Wheeler 6-18, Kytola 5-11, C. Racanelli 4-13, Henry 1-5, Riggs 1-(minus 4), Levi Crum 1-1.

z-agt: PASSING — La Center: Jeremy Scott 11-17-2-248. Hockinson: Canon Racanelli 19-33-1-374.

z-agt: RECEIVING — La Center: Thomas Dreyer 4-117, Tanner Dreyer 3-70, Wise 3-48, Clint Smith 1-13. Hockinson: Henry 7-136, Riggs 4-128, S. Racanelli 4-73, Nicholas Frichtl 1-11, Kytola 1-9, Bailey Jones 1-14, Peyton Brammer 1-(minus 1).