By Seth Wilhelm Peninsula Daily New
SEQUIM — The Olympic Peninsula Eagles made a statement Saturday night.
The semipro football team won its first game in two years, claiming its Cascade Football League opener 21-8 over the Snohomish County Thunder.
“I’m so proud of the way these guys played tonight” Eagles owner/coach Mike McMahan said. “This game was a statement win for us and the community. The crowd was great and showed a ton of support.
“I saw tears in some of our veteran players eyes after the game.”
Former Clallam Bay standout Eric Johnson Jr. electrified the home crowd with big play after big play in the first half.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, those didn’t count until the second quarter.
It began with two special teams returns for touchdowns in the first quarter, both of which were called back on penalties.
In the second quarter, Johnson went to work on defense, stepping in front of two Thunder pass attempts and racing to the end zone to make the score 14-0 at the half.
The rest of the Eagle defense held up its end of the bargain as well, not allowing a Thunder first down until the third quarter on a penalty.
Former NCAA Division I running back Ryan Swindle kept the Eagle offense on the field, rushing for 110 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown.
“After Eric’s picks, we just started running the ball down their throats,” McMahan said.
“Once we started doing that, we just took control of the game and demoralized them.”
Quarterback Kenny Hall had a relatively quiet day under center, completing 4-of-8 pass attempts for 30 yards.
B.J. Johnson added to the ground assault with five carries for 40 yards, while O.J. Olekais caught three passes for 30 yards.
Eric Johnson added to his MVP performance with 150 yards on kick-off and punt returns.
The Trojans finally put some points on the board in the third quarter with a 50-yard pass completion on blown coverage.
“Our DB saw an illegal procedure and relaxed for just a moment, expecting the ref to throw the flag,” McMahan said.
“That [momentary] lapse let him get by.”
Swindle added his touchdown run early in the fourth to complete the scoring.
“The sky is the limit for this team,” McMahan said.
“All of our hard work paid off, and I really believe this game was a stepping stone for us making the playoffs again.
“I really think we have a legitimate chance.”
The Eagles next host the Washington Cavaliers of Olympia on April 24 at 5 p.m. at Sequim High School.
Eagles 21, Thunder 8
Snohomish 0 0 8 0– 8
Peninsula 0 14 0 7– 21
Second Quarter
P — E. Johnson 15 Interception return (kick good)
P — E. Johnson 35 Interception return (kick good)
Third Quarter
S — 50 pass (Conversion good)
Fourth Quarter
P — Swindle 7 rush (Kick good)
Individual Stats
Rushing– P: Swindle 17-110, B. Johnson 5-40
Passing–P: Hall 4-8-0, 30.
Receiving–P: Olekais 3-30.