Washougal rolls to season-opening win

WASHOUGAL – Washougal wasn’t going to accomplish all of this season’s goals in one game.

But for starters, Friday’s 40-0 season-opening win over Hudson’s Bay showed the Panthers are worthy of aiming high.

Washougal dominated all aspects of a game where most of the second half was played under the running-clock mercy rule.

Washougal quarterback Dalton Payne threw for 244 yards, including touchdown strikes of 47, 44 and 23 yards.

On defense, the Panthers allowed just 42 yards of offense and four first downs.

“Most of these boys, I’ve been playing with since 6th grade,” said Payne, a senior. “This means everything to us. This is our year, I feel like.”

Washougal, which finished fourth in the 2A Greater St. Helens League last season, will get a tougher test next week against Prairie, which reached the 3A state preliminary round.

Judson Mansfield, who had a 47-yard touchdown catch and returned a punt for a touchdown, said the Panthers want the get better week-to-week.

“It was a good game for us, but there’s a lot of room to improve,” said Mansfield.

Key moments

* Washougal led before its offense even stepped on the field. After forcing a Hudson’s Bay punt on the opening drive, Washougal partially blocked the kick. It fluttered into the arms of Mansfield, who returned the kick 30 yards for a touchdown.

* Payne can deliver a strike … and take a hit. Early in the second quarter, the quarterback hung in the pocket and took a big hit right after unleashing a 44-yard touchdown pass to Aiden Kestner. That gave the Panthers a 21-0 lead and firm control of the game.

* Despite being largely overmatched, Hudson’s Bay showed heart. Senior defensive back Kevin Navarro had the defensive play of the night for the Eagles, leaping high to intercept a pass in the end zone that would have otherwise been a 30-yard touchdown. It kept Hudson’s Bay within 21-0 midway through the second quarter.

Key players

* Payne was both accurate and efficient. He completed 17 of 25 passes for 244 yards and three touchdown in three quarters of action. The 6-foot-3 senior got better as the game went on, completing 10 of his last 13 passes.

* As the quarterback of the defense, senior linebacker Brevan Bea helped the Panthers throw a shutout. Hudson’s Bay was held to 42 total yards and four first downs. Bea also caught a team-high five passes for 73 yards and a touchdown.

* Though Washougal mostly relied on the passing game, Peter Boylan had a solid game at running back. He had 62 yards on nine carries (6.9 yards per carry), including a seven-yard touchdown run.

Quotable

* “I saw it go up and I was like ‘that’s it right there.’ But I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. They’re always there for me, helping me out.” – Washougal’s Judson Mansfield on his 30-yard touchdown return of a partially-blocked punt.

* “Next week, Prairie is going to be a lot tougher,” Payne said. “This week, we’re going to get into the weight room. In practice we’re going to be working hard.” – Washougal quarterback Dalton Payne.

WASHOUGAL 40, HUDSON’S BAY 0

Hud.Bay 0 0 0 0 – 0

Washougal 14 13 13 0 – 40

First quarter

W – Judson Mansfield 30 punt return (kick failed)

W – Peter Boylan 7 run (Dalton Payne run)

Second quarter

W – Aiden Kestner 44 pass from Payne (Boylan kick)

W – Brevan Bea 23 pass from Payne (run failed)

Third quarter

W – Mansfield 47 pass from Payne (Boylan kick)

W – Gavin Multer 2 run (run failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Hudson’s Bay: Mateo Varona 5-1, Derek Barnes 7-32, Jamarion Hinton 7-32, Jaden Lewis 1-(minus-3), Dylan Damos 3-(minus-4), Team 2-(minus-33). Washougal: Peter Boylan 9-62, Dalton Payne 3-(minus-16); Gavin Multer 1-2; Logan McNealy 1-10, Rantin Reynolds 1-0, Austin Boesel 1-8, Tristan Ferrell 2-(minus-10), Team 2-(minus-30).

PASSING – Hudson’s Bay: Dylan Damos 5-17-2-17; Austin Real James 0-4-0-0. Washougal: Dalton Payne 17-25-2-244.

RECEIVING – Hudson’s Bay: Evan Bearden 1-1, Joshua McDonald 1-8, Raven Barnes 3-8. Washougal: Tanner Coons 2-16, Jakob Davis 2-14, Peter Boylan 2-9, Brevan Bea 5-73, Judson Mansfield 2-60, Aiden Kestner 1-44, Gavin Multer 1-11, Gus Shelly 2-17.