The Evergreen Plainsmen checked off another box this season.
Evergreen will head into a Week 10 playoff game as the outright champion of the 3A Greater St. Helens League after shutting out rival Mountain View 20-0 on Friday at McKenzie Stadium.
Two big runs through the driving rain by James Bethune, and a defense that held Mountain View to 176 yards of offense was enough for Evergreen (8-1, 5-0 3A GSHL) to finish atop the league alone.
The last time the Plainsmen finished undefeated in league was 2007.
“We’ve been doing lots of things we haven’t done in a longtime,” Evergreen coach Christian Swain said. “The kids really deserve it.”
Bethune scored on runs of 66 and 60 yards right up the gut to finish with 165 yards on 23 carries.
“The holes opened up and I just ran as fast as I could,” Bethune said. “Just like it was track. The offensive line did everything they could to open those holes.”
The regular-season finale was a stalemate until 2:39 remained in the first half.
Evergreen had just come off a 14-play drive that stopped at the 6-yard line without any points. Mountain View (2-7, 2-3) countered with a 15-play drive that also stalled out.
Then on the first play from scrimmage after Mountain View turned the ball over on downs, Bethune burst through the line and sprinted to the end zone for the first touchdown of the game.
Dropping wet footballs was a problem all night on both sides. On a fourth-down punt attempt by Mountain View inside of two minutes to play in the half, the ball was dropped after the snap and Evergreen recovered the fumble on the 19-yard line.
Three plays later, Evergreen freshman quarterback Jayden Baum connected with Terrance Saryon, who made a great catch in the back corner of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown. The extra point kick was blocked, but Evergreen gladly took the 13-0 lead into halftime.
The Plainsmen essentially put the game away at the start of the third quarter.
London Walker returned the opening kickoff 37 yards to Evergreen’s 41. Bethune had the first carry of the second half, but lost a yard. Then he found another gaping hole as on second down he ran right up the middle and was gone for his 60-yard TD.
Evergreen’s defense made the 20-0 lead hold up. Mountain View’s next possessions ended with a lost fumble, two punts and a pass interception by Evergreen’s Josiah Alanis.
Swain praised the play of Makhi Miller and Damian Perez on the defensive unit. Perez had a fourth-quarter interception among his other standout plays.
“They were all over the field,” Swain said of Miller and Perez. “Miller just plays hard every snap, one of the best players I’ve coached.”
The Week 10 playoff opponents will be announced on Sunday.
EVERGREEN 20, MOUNTAIN VIEW 0
Mtn. View 0 0 0 0— 0
Evergreen 0 13 7 0—20
Second quarter
E — James Bethune 66 run (Kevin Jimenez kick)
E — Terrance Saryon 14 pass from Jayden Baum (kick blocked)
Third quarter
E — Bethune 60 run (Jimenez kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Mountain View: Dallas Hobbs 23-91, Christiaan Meushaw 9-20, Xavier Frazier 2-43, Juan Pasillas-Stanton 1-1, Bryson Vance 5-(minus-11). Evergreen: Bethune 23-165, Rai’sean Chambers 4-24, Saryon 1-5, Baum 4-(minus 13).
PASSING — Mountain View: Vance 6-24-2-32; Evergreen: Baum 7-17-1-55.
RECEIVING — Mountain View: Caden Reinebach 2-9, Dylan Rakoz 1-4, Hobbs 1-4. Evergreen: Saryon 2-19, Ryder Keplar 3-17, Thaddeus Pruitt 1-11, London Walker 1-8.
