PORT ANGELES — The Olympic Peninsula Eagles picked the wrong time to break in a pair of new quarterbacks.
The Eagles offense fell flat against the Western Washington Football Alliance’s top team, the Bellingham Blitz, in a 52-0 loss at Roosevelt Elementary School on Saturday.
With new additions Ray Simpson and Michael Henderson splitting time under center, Olympic managed just four first downs in the first half as the Blitz rolled to a 36-0 lead and never looked back.
“I knew today was going to be difficult because of [the two QBs] getting throw into the fire,” Eagles coach Mike McMahan said.
“Considering what they got thrown into I was extremely proud of both of them.
“The team is very excited as far as the potential they see in these guys.”
The loss was the Eagles’ fourth in a row after opening the season with a 30-0 win over the Cascade Xtreme in early May.
With the team missing its starting quarterback from that game, Steve Monger, McMahan had to call on Simpson and Henderson to face a squad riding a four-game win streak.
The Eagles (1-4 overall) turned the ball over three times in the first half — two on botched hand-offs — with two of them leading to Blitz (5-1) touchdowns.
Olympic drove inside Bellingham’s 40-yard line just once during that time, only to see the drive stall out after a false start penalty and Blitz sack.
“We moved the ball, but with a new quarterback you can’t really sustain a lot,” McMahan said. “Everything is timing [in the offense], and when the timing is off everything is off.
“We had a couple of turnovers today where it’s just we didn’t get enough reps [to run the plays correctly].
“We have some talented guys out there. It’s just getting them all together on the same page.”
The Blitz got much of their first-half offense from former Stanwood High School star Vann Vetch.
The Class of 2007 graduate ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries during the first two quarters. That included a 37-yard run that left one Eagle tackler grasping at air.
Bellingham out-gained the Eagles 260 yards to 13 in the first half, with the Blitz defense racking up 10 tackles for a loss.
“They are stacked,” McMahan said. “That’s a bunch of Western football players that all live in Bellingham. They’ve definitely got the best team hands down in the league.”
Olympic turned things around some in the second half, holding Bellingham scoreless in the third quarter.
Ron Wright Jr. and Luke Dixon both recorded sacks, while Stephan Baker came up with an interception near the Eagles goal line that ended a Blitz drive.
Dixon and Baker were responsible for most of the Eagles’ yards, with the two combining for a little more than 80 total on the ground.
“I’m extremely proud of every one of my guys who showed up,” McMahan said.
“They never quit and they never gave up, and it showed in the second half.
“That team expected to come in here and score 100, I guarantee they did. We held our own. We never backed down and showed them any fear.
“That’s about all I can ask for as a coach.”
The Eagles next travel to Renton to take on the Ravens next week.
Renton lost to the same Blitz team 70-0 last week.
Olympic’s next home game will be July 9.