Cruisers can’t tame Wildcats in season opener

The Eatonville Cruiser football team was looking to pick up where they left off last season where they made it all the way to the final 16 teams in the state. They would open up the 2019 season facing perennial power house, the Archbishop Murphy Wildcats. The Cruisers wanted revenge from last season’s 23-3 loss to the Wildcats in Everett.

The season opener wouldn’t be what the Cruisers were hoping for.

The Wildcats offensive would get things going early in the first quarter when Joe Ennis ran the ball in from 34 yards out to give them the lead. Ennis would end the night with 117 yards rushing on 15 carries and one touchdown.

Archbishop Murphy would strike again later in the quarter on a 5-yard run by Mason Mathis. After the kick, the Wildcats would take a 13-0 lead into the second quarter.

After a Cruiser turnover on downs, Wildcat quarterback Victor Gabalis would find receiver Josiah Santiago for 20 yards and the score. That would put the Wildcats up 20-0.

Eatonville would get on the scoreboard mid-way through the second quarter when Caden Jumper would connect with Zach Smith for a 48-yard Cruiser touchdown to cut the Wildcat lead to 20-6.

With a little over 2 minutes left in the half, with the Wildcats facing a 4th and 14, the Cruiser defense was able to get to quarterback Gabalis only to have him break a few tackles and scramble 36 yards for the score.

The Wildcats would take a 27-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Cruiser offense would put together a pretty good drive capped off by an Alex Brymer 5-yard touchdown run. Freshman Job Kralik would send the extra point through the uprights to help the Cruisers cut into the Wildcat lead with a score of 27-13.

That would be all the scoring the Cruisers would be able to muster on the night as the Wildcats put 26 more points on the board in the second half to defeat the Cruisers 53-13.

Eatonville would mainly use the duo of Jumper and Smith at quarterback. Smith was 5 of 8 for 55 yards and an interception. Jumper would go 3 of 4 for 53 yard and a touchdown.

On the ground for the Cruisers, Brymer would lead the team with 52 yards rushing and a touchdown. Jumper would finish with 42 yards on the ground.

Smith would lead all Cruiser receivers with 48 yards and a touchdown.

The Cruisers will take on the Cascade Christian Cougars at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at Sunset Stadium in Sumner. So head out to Sumner to support the Cruisers.