By Michael Carman and Pierre LaBossiere
Peninsula Daily News
PORT TOWNSEND — The Chimacum Cowboys football team hung with through the first half, but the Beavers’ huge numbers wore down the Cowboys in the end in a 31-6 loss.
Tenino, from the tough Evergreen 1A League, has 42 kids listed on its varsity roster, which would be impressive for a 2A team.
Coach Chris Storm said Tenino brought two buses full of players of coaches.
By comparison, Chimacum, which is expected to drop down to 2B next season, has 19 kids on its roster, 16 of whom are freshmen and sophomore.
“How young we are really showed,” said coach Chris Storm.
Still, he said the Cowboys played tough and stuck with Tenino through the first half.
Chimacum’s touchdown came on an interception return by Anson Jones.
Storm also said Jones made a huge hit on defense. He called it a “highlight reel” hit.
“Defensively, I thought we did well. Defense is something we focused on this year,” Storm said.
Jones also was able to run the ball at times at running back. Storm also cited Bjorn Danaan-Devas as playing a good game.
The Cowboys (0-2) next have a 2B school on its schedule, La Conner (0-2), at 7 p.m. Friday. The Braves could very well be in Chimacum’s league next year.
North Thurston 55, Port Angeles 6
LACEY — The Roughriders went up against 3A North Thurston and discovered the team has a lot to work on.
North Thurston won 55-6.
“There’s not much to say,” said coach Troy Mann. “It was Friday the 13th.”
Mann said the message from the this game? “We need to spend more time at practise and work a little harder.”
Mann said specifically, the Riders “made a ton of mental mistakes,” such as too many false starts.
Port Angeles’ lone touchdown came on a one-yard run by Daniel Cable. That play was set up by a 66-yard catch and run by Derek Bowechop.
In fact, Mann singled out Bowechop’s play as standing out in the loss. In addition to his play at wide receiver, Mann said he did a decent job at linebacker on defense.
The Roughriders (0-2), begin league play at home at 6:30 p.m. Friday against Kingston (1-0). The Riders have beaten Kingston two years in a row, but the Buccaneers have looked good in games so far this year against Klahowya and Port Townsend (the Port Townsend game was called in the second quarter due to lightning.).
Clallam Bay 68, Muckleshoot 20
CLALLAM BAY — The Bruins returned to the gridiron in a big way, highlighted by a seven-touchdown performance by running back Ryan Strid.
Playing six-man football on offense and eight-man on defense agains the Kings, Clallam Bay stood tall.
“We played really well,” Burdette said. “We only had two weeks working together, installing a whole new offense and defense and we had to make some adjustments at the beginning.”
One of those adjustments came at quarterback.
“We were down our starting QB Colin Aldana to a shoulder/elbow injury,” Burdette said.
“We had to throw Ryan Bykerk into that spot and he really stepped it up.”
Clallam Bay didn’t have official stats available, as its statkeeper was pressed into chain-gang duties for the game, but Burdette estimated that Strid was north of 400 yards of total offense.
He also tossed a 70-yard halfback pass to Bykerk for a TD.
Burdette had praise for fullback Anthony McGraw.
“He’s our muscle back, he does a lot of the dirty work for us.”
And Burdette said Jagger Polson was a standout at defensive end for the Bruins.
Clallam Bay (1-0) will visit the Quilcene JV on Sept. 28.
Kingston, Port Townsend, canceled
KINGSTON — Lightning strikes in the vicinity halted, and eventually canceled this nonleague contest between the Redhawks and Buccaneers.
Port Townsend had the ball at the Kingston 1-yard line trailing 20-0 when the game was stopped midway through the second quarter Thursday night.
Redhawks head coach Patrick Gaffney said the team’s waited out the storm for more than an hour before finally deciding to call it a night.
Gaffney said they may have waited a little bit longer if the game wasn’t played on a school night.
The contest is not likely to be made up.