Run game helps power top-ranked Hockinson beat Woodland

“That definitely was the plan of attack,” Crum said of the team’s ground game. “We knew there would be a bunch of attention out there. The last couple weeks, we haven’t run the ball too well and we had to bring it tonight. And it was a big part of our success.”

In all, five Hawks were ball-carriers, led by Crum, who had six carries of his 13 carries for better than 10 yards. He also had a 19-yard touchdown run.

In fact, Friday’s showcase 2A Greater St. Helens League game between the league’s lone unbeatens at 4-0 was an-almost carbon-copy footprint from last year’s result in Woodland when Hockinson came away with a 49-27 road win on its way to an undefeated season.

Last season, then-quarterback Canon Racanelli went off for 107 yards run. It was Crum’s turn Friday to have a breakout rushing game.

For the second straight year, Woodland scored 27 points on a Hockinson defense that up until Friday hadn’t allowed more than two touchdowns. The Beavers entered the day with the program’s third 4-0 start since 2009 behind an experienced offensive line, a deep receiving corp and secondary, and a four-year starter who rarely — if ever — leaves the field.

That’s senior Tyler Flanagan, the dynamic, shifty, speedy player whose made the transition to quarterback now as a senior. He added to his Southwest Washington-leading rushing total (891 yards) and total touchdowns (15) after amassing a game-high 185 yards rushing and two TDs. He also threw for two touchdowns.

In fact, his 65-yard touchdown run on the first play of Woodland’s second drive is what gave the Beavers (4-1, 2-1) a 13-7 lead. He also orchestrated a nearly 5-minute scoring drive in the game’s opening possession, which ended with his 12-yard touchdown run.

That’s when Hockinson (5-0, 3-0) let loose.

Peyton Brammer (104 yards, six catches) and Sawyer Racanelli (140 yards, eight catches) had all four touchdown receptions from Crum that led to 28 straight points spanning the second and third quarters. After an interception, Hockinson went four plays and 57 yards for Racanelli’s second touchdown for the team’s largest lead at 35-13.

Despite the loss, Flanagan was pleased with the execution.

“We had some things working for us,” he said. There’s a lot of good things we can take away.”

Flanagan did all he could for the Beavers. He also finished 15 of 26 passing with two touchdown passes to Kenyon Guy, and he ran the ball 21 times. All but one of the remaining five carries by the Beavers were for no gain or negative yardage.

With three league games remaining for both teams, the 2A GSHL playoff race is now tighter than originally anticipated. District playoff allocations were just released by the WIAA, and the league advances only three teams to the postseason unlike four teams in previous years.

Flanagan and the Beavers know one loss isn’t a lost cause, but they also know there’s not much room for error moving forward with three games left.

“We need to stay healthy, stay sharp and keep at it,” Flanagan said. “There’s a lot of good teams in the league and we definitely need to execute every week. We can’t take anyone lightly.”

RECEIVING: Hockinson — Peyton Brammer 6-104, Sawyer Racanelli 8-140, Aidan Mallory 2-11, Nick Fritchl 4-49, Cody Wheeler 1-7, Jeremiah Faulstick 3-15, Wyatt Jones 1-3; Woodland — Reid Hope 3-18, Alex Bishop 2-12, Wyatt Wooden 2-45, Christian Yager 6-65, Kenyon Guy 4-28.