Cruisers open 2022 football season with victory over Trojans

The No. 1 preseason-ranked Eatonville Cruisers put last year’s gridiron defeat at state behind them when they opened this season by defeating the Olympic Trojans, 47-27, Thursday night at B.W. Lyon Stadium.

The Cruisers did not take long to score. Quarterback Job Kralik found a streaking Ky Nation from 56 yards out for the game's first touchdown in the Cruisers’ first possession of the game. After Kralik's kick was good, the Cruisers took a 7-0 lead and never looked back. The Eatonville defense then took over and stalled the Olympic drive at midfield to force a punt.

Taking over at the Cruiser 20-yard line, Kralik connected with Nation again for a 40-yard reception that set up a Walker Bruun 20-yard scamper into the end zone to increase the score to 14-0.

Olympic then pieced together a 72-yard drive and capped it with a 12-yard reception for the score to cut Eatonville’s lead to 14-7.

Starting at their 46-yard line, the Cruisers responded quickly. Kralik found Dylan Norman down the middle for a 49-yard reception to set the Cruisers up at the 5-yard line. Bruun got the call again and ran the ball into the end zone for the score. Eatonville extend its lead to 21-7.

The Cruiser defense went to work again by holding the Trojans deep on their 10-yard line and forcing them to punt. Following the kick, Eatonville took over at the Olympic 35-yard line.

The Cruisers quickly marched down the field and capped the drive with a Kralik 3-yard run for the score to increase the lead to 28-7.

Again, the Cruiser defense forced the Trojans to turn the ball over on downs, and Eatonville took over on its 34-yard line.

Kralik called his own number again and kept the ball to outrun the Trojan defenders 66 yards for the score. Eatonville increased its lead to 35-7.

The Trojans battled back as the half closed and punched it in the end zone to trail 35-14 as the teams headed to the locker room.

Kralik scored again in the third quarter on a 35-yard run to put the Cruisers up 41-14. He then found an open Jake Wood from 20 yards out later in the quarter for the Cruisers' final scoring play of the night.

Olympic scored twice more while the Cruiser backups were in the game, and Eatonville eventually took the win, 47-27.

Kralik finished the night 3-of-3 passing for 145 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, he rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns.

Nation, a sophomore, caught two of Kralik’s passes for a touchdown on his way to a 96-yard receiving night.

Next up for the Cruisers is a Friday night date with longtime rivals the Orting Cardinals in another non-league match-up. The game will be at 7 p.m. at Cardinal Stadium in Orting.