Forgione caught three touchdown passes in the first half to help Chehalis beat the Rams, 48-21, in Evergreen Conference play on Friday.
Forgione, an all-league receiver as a junior who has committed to play baseball at the University of Washington, caught touchdown passes of 67, 30 and 13 yards as the Bearcats (7-1 overall, 5-1 EvCo) wrapped up the conference’s second playoff seed with the victory.
The Bearcats will open the postseason on the road when they play R.A. Long, the Greater St. Helens League’s second-place team, in a state preliminary game Nov. 6.
Forgione originally elected against turning out for football before having a change of heart and returning to the gridiron. He gives Chehalis yet another offensive weapon – all of which were on display against the Rams.
Chehalis quarterback Mitch Gueller returned a kickoff 84 yards for a score and threw for 184 yards and four touchdowns – all in the first half – on 8-for-11 passing, while Brennen Casteel ran for 187 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
“Their kids played hard. They made plays on offense and hit on defense. Chehalis is a very good football team,” North Thurston coach Rocky Patchin said. “Tonight was their night.”
North Thurston, playing its first season in the 2A classification, finished the season 5-4 overall and 3-3 in EvCo.
Rams running back Lawyer Tillman closed out his stellar season by rushing for 112 yards – his eighth 100-yard game of the season – and two touchdowns, scoring on runs of 47 and 1 yards.
Tillman finished his senior year with 1,548 rushing yards and 29 total touchdowns.
North Thurston junior quarterback Ben Broeker finished 11-for-18 for 135 yards and threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Mason Wells in the third quarter to close out the scoring.
Chehalis, which led 35-14 at the half, scored on all three of its first quarter possessions, rolling up 216 yards of offense on 11 plays for a 21-7 lead.
Gueller was 5-for-5 for 145 yards and two TDs in the opening 12 minutes, hitting Forgione on a 47-yard TD pass on the Bearcats’ opening drive before connecting with Kylon Bonagofsky on a 67-yard scoring strike.
Casteel closed out the first quarter scoring with a 30-yard TD run for Chehalis.
