WOODLAND — When you’re as experienced of a quarterback as Wyatt Harsh, who hasn’t missed a varsity start in four seasons as the Woodland Beavers’ signal caller, let alone even a handful of in-game plays, it might become second nature to let things go.
This time a year ago isn’t one of them.
Near the top of that never-forget list is Woodland’s loss to Washougal that ultimately proved to be the turning point in the Beavers’ season that knocked them out of playoff contention.
It’s too soon to tell what the outcome of Woodland’s 20-7 victory Friday at Beaver Stadium over the second-place Panthers means for playoff implications, but it certainly got the Beavers back in the playoff-race conversation following last week’s overtime loss to Columbia River in a penalty-filled, drive-killing game.
“To beat them, it’s huge,” Harsh said.
But in order to get a home playoff game — what the Beavers really want — a few things need to happen the final two weeks of the regular-season.
For starters?
“Win out,” Harsh said.
That’s true, and get a little help to host a state preliminary game. All that’s left is Ridgefield (1-6) and Mark Morris (1-6) in Weeks 8 and 9.
The usual suspects did their part Friday night, such as Harsh’s 18 for 26 performance for 233 yards, and a rushing touchdown.
Tyler Flanagan had a team-best 126 rushing yards on 25 carries and touchdown runs of 4 and 2 yards. Flanagan had 105 of his 126 yards in the second half.
A week after a dismal 19 penalties and a trio of chances to score only to come up empty inside the 5-yard line, Woodland (3-4, 2-2) only had three penalties Friday. It used its passing game for much of its first-half offense — 196 of its 243 first-half yards — to take a 20-7 halftime lead.
One of Washougal’s two best chances at scoring after Ryan Stevens’ first-quarter touchdown came in the fourth. Washougal marched 90 yards, including nine carries by Kade Coons. His longest carry was a likely 23-yard touchdown, but as he stretched his arm out at the goal line, Reid Hope knocked the ball loose.
Touchback. Woodland ball with 7:19 to play.
Coons finished with 168 yards on 24 carries in a game that was emotional for all the Panthers.
The team suffered another devastating injury when sophomore Jakob Davis dislocated his left elbow at the 7:44 mark of the first quarter making his second catch on the team’s opening drive. The game was delayed 47 minutes.
It was the team’s third major injury in recent weeks, coach Dave Hajek said, joining Brevan Bea (leg) and Mason Armstrong (hand).
Senior Grant Lewis said it was emotional for him and his team watching Davis be in pain and lying on the turf on a chilly Friday night.
He vowed the Panthers will keep fighting because there are plenty of goals that still need to be achieved, despite dropping its second game after its 5-0 start.
“It’s not over,” Lewis said. “It’s hard to take these types of losses when you know we can win them.”
WOODLAND 20, WASHOUGAL 7
Washougal 7 0 0 0— 7
Woodland 6 14 0 0—20
First quarter
Wood — Tyler Flanagan 2 run (kick blocked)
Wash — Ryan Stevens 7 run (Stevens kick)
Second quarter
Wood — Wyatt Harsh 3 run (Flanagan run)
Wood — Flanagan 4 run (kick blocked)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Woodland: Tyler Flanagan 25-126, Wyatt Harsh 10-34; Washougal: Kade Coons 24-168; Grant Lewis 1-(minus-2); Nathan Tofell 5-12; Stevens 1-7
PASSING — Woodland: Wyatt Harsh 18-26-1-233; Washougal: Ryan Stevens 6-14-1-70
RECEIVING — Woodland: Tyler Flanagan 3-35, Wyatt Wooden 4-88, Alex Bishop 4-36, Christian Yager 3-38, Harsh 1-7, Anthony Clifford 2-29; Washougal: Jakob Davis 2-15; Tofell 2-33; Lewis 1-9; Blaine Bea 1-13.
