Cruiser football stays unbeaten with 38-20 win

In front of a packed house at B.W. Lyon Stadium on Friday, Eatonville quarterback Job Kralik accounted for four touchdowns, Dylan Norman rushed for triple-digits for the second straight game, and the Eatonville “bend-don’t-break” defense limited Bellevue Christian to 20 points as the Cruisers downed the Vikings, 38-20, to move to 4-0 on the season.

As in Eatonville’s previous games, Kralik was efficient on offense, going 6-for-8 passing for 87 yards and a touchdown while carrying eight times for 88 yards and three touchdowns.

Running back Norman had to pony up some more donuts for his offensive line as he went over the century mark for the second straight game, carrying the ball 17 times for 109 yards and a touchdown.

Ky Nation led the Cruiser receiving corps with two catches for 49 yards and a touchdown.

Eatonville struck first midway through the first quarter when Kralik scored from 15 yards out on a designed keeper to give the Cruisers an early 7-0 lead.

After a defensive stand that forced a turnover on downs at midfield, the Cruisers marched 45 yards and added to their lead to start the second quarter when Kralik's number was called again. He took a shotgun snap 8 yards while eluding two Viking tacklers and walked into the end zone to give Eatonville a 14-0 lead.

Another defensive stand by the Cruisers forced another turnover on downs, this time at the Eatonville 42-yard line. The Cruiser drive stalled at the 15, but Kralik sent a 32-yard field goal through the uprights to increase the Cruiser lead to 17-0 with six minutes left in the half.

The Cruisers got the ball back after a little trickery when Kralik recovered his own onside kick to set Eatonville up at the Vikings’ 42.

On the first play of the following possession, Kralik floated a pass over the defensive back to Nation for another Cruiser touchdown and a 23-0 lead.

The Vikings finally got on the board with four minutes left in the half when quarterback Isaac Britton carried in from the 5-yard line for the score. The Cruiser defense snuffed out the two-point conversion attempt to keep score at 23-6.

Following the kickoff, Eatonville started from its 48 and marched to the 14 after a 43-yard scamper by Nation. Kralik was then flushed from the pocket and eluded three Viking defenders before diving over another for the score. After a botched snap on the extra-point attempt, Nation picked up the ball and outran the Vikings defense to the end zone for the two-point conversion to increase the lead to 31-6.

Bellevue Christian found the end zone again after putting together a 12-play, 63-yard drive on the first possession of the second half, which ended with Britton running it in from 8 yards. The two-point conversion failed again as the Vikings cut into the Cruiser lead, 31-12.

Eatonville responded with a 17-play drive from its 45-yard line that ended with Norman punching it in from two yards out to give the Cruisers a 38-12 lead.

Following a Cruiser turnover on downs at the Vikings’ 43, Bellevue Christian hit paydirt one final time with about 20 seconds left when Britton connected with Cash Erdman from 26 yards out. The successful two-point conversion ended the scoring at 38-20.

With the win, Eatonville improves to 4-0 on the season. The Cruisers will next head to Tenino to take on the No. 5-ranked Beavers (4-0) in a 1A Evergreen League matchup. Both teams are considered front-runners for the league title.