Area prep football roundup: Olympia scores 21 points in less than three minutes, defeats South Kitsap, 48-7
If Olympia’s offense looked at all sluggish early in the first half Friday at Ingersoll Stadium, it didn’t stay that way for long.
The Bears blew the game open in the second quarter, putting up 35 points against the Wolves in each team’s Class 4A Narrows opener.
Olympia opened scoring on a 51-yard pass from Jack Bell to David Woodward in the first quarter. Scott Gunther rushed for a 3-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to make it 14-0.
But the offensive effort to that point was not quite as dominant as Olympia’s previous two outings.
In its first two games, Olympia outscored opponents, 36-0, in the first quarter.
“South Kitsap was playing really well, they were stuffing us, we weren’t doing much,” Olympia coach Bill Beattie said.
Then, Brett Thompson blocked a punt, which Joel Jones returned for a 44-yard touchdown to open the floodgates.
“That swayed the momentum after a long first quarter,” Beattie said.
Olympia scored two more touchdowns – on a 14-yard run by Zaiden Hernandez and 64-yard run by Scott Gunther – during the next two-and-a-half minutes.
Gunther had his second consecutive 200-plus yard rushing game, posting 211 yards on 17 carries. He scored Olympia’s final three touchdowns – his long was a 64-yard run in the second quarter.
Woodward caught three passes for 81 yards and one touchdown, while Jack bell was 4 for 7 passing with 89 yards and one touchdown.
Thompson blocked two punts including the one that led to Jones’ touchdown run. Olympia’s defense has allowed only 14 points in its first three games – its offense has scored 131.
The Wolves completed only 13 passes on 33 attempts Friday. Its only score was a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jake Taylor to Izaijha Byrd.
“Defensively, we’re playing spot on,” Beattie said.
The Bears (3-0) travel to Timberline (1-2) on Friday at 7 p.m. at South Sound Stadium. The Blazers won their 4A Narrows opener against Yelm, 35-21.
North Thurston 14, Wilson 13
In each team’s 3A Narrows opener, North Thurston drove the ball 80 yards down the field with less than two minutes to play to narrowly edge Wilson at Stadium Bowl in Tacoma.
“It was a heck of a battle … until the last second of the game, you didn’t know what was going to happen,” North Thurston coach Rocky Patchin said.
Wilson carried a 13-7 lead into the fourth quarter before North Thurston’s one minute, 16 second game-winning drive.
Jake Harn threw a 63-yard pass to Isaiah Loucks – who was North Thurston’s primary receiver in the game with Brandon Morgan and Zach Sibley both sidelined with injuries – down the left sideline on third-and-10 to advance the ball to the 1-yard line.
Harn finished 11 of 23 for 160 yards.
Loucks injured an ankle on the play, but set up Zion Kirk’s 1-yard pile-driver into the end zone to give North Thurston a one-point advantage.
Patchin said the defense was solid for the entire game – though North Thurston had five starters injured, including three in its secondary.
“It was patchwork,” Patchin said. “Our second-team guys came in and did a nice job, and made some big plays.”
Wilson reached its own 41-yard line in the final 30 seconds, but threw four incompletions to turn the ball over on downs. North Thurston took a knee to end it.
North Thurston (2-1) hosts Central Kitsap (1-2) on Thursday at 7 p.m. at South Sound Stadium.
Black Hills 21, North Kitsap 6
Black Hills coach Kirk Stevens insists this season isn’t like the last – and so far, he’s right.
The Wolves didn’t allow a touchdown as Black Hills handled the Vikings on its way to a 3-0 start.
“It’s been awhile since that’s happened,” Stevens said.
North Kitsap won the matchup, 26-7, last season.
The Vikings’ only points came off of two field goals by Warren Kainen for 32 and 41 yards. Each kick was nearly blocked by Gabe Adamson, who got a hand on the ball each time.
“It was just enough to get in both times,” Stevens said.
The Wolves held North Kitsap to 126 yards of total offense.
Black Hills scored its first touchdown with 22 seconds remaining in the first half on a 8-yard run by Chase Morrow to take a 7-3 lead into the locker room.
The Wolves added two more touchdowns in the fourth on an 8-yard run by Conner Furu and 21-yard run by Cameron Berndson. Jordan March led the Wolves with 14 carries for 99 yards.
Tumwater 49, La Center 6
The T-birds nearly shut out the Wildcats, scoring 49 unanswered points during the first three quarters.
La Center scored its only points during the last two minutes of play.
Tumwater limited La Center to four total first downs. The Wildcats had a total of 15 yards in the first half, including one yard rushing.
Cade Otton and Dominic Jones led the T-Birds with two touchdowns apiece.
Otton scored two touchdowns in the first quarter – one a 15-yard pass from Spencer Dowers, another on a 15-yard fumble recovery.
Jones rushed for 52 yards on three carries. He punched one touchdown in from five yards out in the second quarter, and added Tumwater’s final touchdown on a 38-yard run in the third.
Three more players – Noah Andrews, Trayten Rodriguez and Jarid Barrett – also found the end zone for the T-Birds.
Tumwater (3-0) travels to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho next week to face Lake City (1-3).
Raymond 27, Rainier 13
The Seagulls snapped Rainier’s two-game winning streak with a win in each team’s 2B Pacific opener.
Raymond (3-0) jumped out to an early lead on a 48-yard touchdown run by Jace Duckworth. Duckworth scored three touchdowns for the Seagulls.
Ian Russell rushed for a 28-yard touchdown in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7, but the Mountaineers would never lead.
Raymond outscored Rainier 20-6 to close the game. McKoy Bichler scored the game’s final touchdown for Rainier on a 9-yard run in the third quarter.
Rainier (2-1) hosts Ocosta (1-2) on Friday at 7 p.m.
This story was originally published September 19, 2015 at 1:49 AM with the headline "Area prep football roundup: Olympia scores 21 points in less than three minutes, defeats South Kitsap, 48-7."