High school football coaches may joke there’s no third-and-forever play in their playbooks, but Kelso debunked that theory — for one drive, at least — in its 41-7 victory Friday over Heritage at McKenzie Stadium.
Three penalties on one play late backed the Hilanders up to their own 9-yard line late in the third quarter Friday leading 21-0.
Facing third-and-51 from its own 9, Kelso’s Josh Webb ripped off a 91-yard touchdown run virtually untouched to push the lead to four scores with 1:05 left in the quarter.
Kelso rushed for 440 team yards. Webb finished with a game-high 228 yards on nine carries and three touchdowns, as Kelso improved to 3-0.
The team’s next game won’t be for two weeks, though. Head coach Steve Amrine told The Columbian on Saturday its Week 4 opponent — Aberdeen — has forfeited next week’s contest. Aberdeen topped 1A Elma in double overtime Friday night.
That leaves the Hilanders with two bye weeks — next week and a Week 7 open date.
Dominant defense too
As with any story, there are two sides to the tale.
With La Center’s 48-14 win over Hoquiam on Friday, there wasn’t much to talk about for the visitors.
But there were two facets to why the host Wildcats dominated a team that reached the 1A state playoffs last year.
Obvious was the offense, which rolled up nearly 500 total yards, including 405 on the ground.
But equally as impressive was La Center’s defense.
Hoquiam running back Malakai Eaton was held to minus-2 yards one week after rushing for 176 yards on 10 carries.
Hoquiam tried to get the ball to speedy receiver Cameron Bumstead, who had 139 receiving yards the previous week. But after two catches for 31 yards on the Grizzlies’ only scoring drive of the first half, Bumstead was bottled up. He caught six more passes, but only managed an additional 33 yards.
Considering that most of La Center’s players go on both offense and defense, Friday was an all-around dominating performance for a team that is looking to make a deep run come postseason.
Go the distance
To go coast to coast for a touchdown is the dream of any football player.
Three weeks into the season, Evergreen’s Zyell Griffin has done it twice.
In a Week 1 loss to Heritage, Griffin caught a 20-yard pass, broke a tackle and raced the rest of the way for a 99-yard touchdown reception.
On Friday night, Griffin ran even farther with the ball in his hands.
Lakewood lined up to attempt a 32-yard field goal right before halftime. But the kick was low enough for a leaping Tyvauntae Deloney to get a hand on it.
Griffin, playing deep on the play, caught the deflected ball at the 1-yard line, then raced 99 yards for a Plainsmen touchdown.
In high school football, if the ball crosses the plane of the goal line on punts, kickoffs or field-goal attempts, it’s a touchback.
But Griffin was alert enough to catch the ball in the field of play and took it the distance on the final play of the half.
