Eatonville stays unbeaten, dominates in Homecoming game

Despite a last-minute schedule change due to the ongoing referee shortage, which moved the Homecoming game to an earlier 4:30 p.m. kickoff, the Eatonville Cruisers showed no signs of disruption. They powered through the Foss Falcons with a commanding 45-20 victory, extending their unbeaten streak to four games.

On the first drive from scrimmage, Eatonville quarterback Cole Fowler handed the ball to Wyatt Weichsler, who bulldozed his way up the middle for an 8-yard touchdown. Eatonville’s versatile “Swing the Axe” formation paid off as Riley Hill connected with Michael Stogsdill for the two-point conversion, giving the Cruisers an early 8-0 lead.

Eatonville’s defense quickly set the tone, bottling up Foss on their opening possession and forcing a punt. Taking over at their own 21-yard line, the Cruisers’ offense went back to work. A 33-yard reception by Hill moved them into Foss territory again, and a few plays later, Fowler hit a streaking Hill across the middle for a 17-yard touchdown strike. Colton Herbrand ran in another two-point conversion to extend Eatonville’s lead to 16-0.

The Cruisers' defense continued to dominate, forcing a turnover on downs at the Foss 35-yard line. Wasting no time, Fowler found Stogsdill on a perfectly executed 35-yard touchdown pass. Herbrand's extra point was good, and the Cruisers were rolling with a 23-0 lead with less than 15 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

The second quarter opened with both teams trading punts and turnovers on downs. The game took a decisive turn when Foss muffed a punt deep in their own territory, giving Eatonville the ball at the Falcons’ 19-yard line. Eatonville capitalized immediately, with Connor McIlraith punching in a 4-yard touchdown run. Hill again found Stogsdill for the two-point conversion, pushing the Cruisers’ lead to 31-0.

Foss’s next drive ended in disaster as quarterback Ty'Reke Johnson’s pass was intercepted by Eatonville’s Nash Sherrard, who returned it 25 yards for a pick-six. Herbrand’s extra point extended Eatonville’s lead to 38-0 with a minute left in the half.

Foss finally found the scoreboard before halftime when Johnson connected with wide receiver Tyler Adkins on a 61-yard touchdown pass after a breakdown in the Eatonville secondary. The Falcons’ attempt at a two-point conversion failed when Eatonville’s Oscar Garcia delivered a big hit on the ball carrier, and the Cruisers took a commanding 38-6 lead into halftime.

The Homecoming festivities continued during the break, as Eatonville High School had voted to crown senior football player Hebron Leasiolagi as Homecoming King.  As tradition would dictate, Leasiolagi was then told who was voted the Queen from the Senior Homecoming court. After strolling back and forth in front of the court, he stopped in front of senior Bailey Andersen, who was crowned Homecoming Queen.

When play resumed, Foss received the kickoff to open the second half. Their fortunes didn’t improve, however, as third-string quarterback Jeremiah Velez was immediately pressured by defensive lineman Isaiah Whatley. With Whatley in pursuit and Weichsler closing in, Velez threw up a desperation pass as he was hit, only for Eatonville linebacker Logan Shipman to intercept it and rumble 26 yards for a touchdown. Herbrand’s extra point was good, increasing the Cruisers’ lead to 45-6.

Foss would score twice late in the fourth quarter against Eatonville’s backups, once on a 31-yard touchdown pass from CJ Wiley to Adkins. Eatonville’s Phillip Buchholz would pick off the two point conversion attempt. Foss would score again on a 68-yard fumble recovery, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the early onslaught as Eatonville secured the 45-20 victory.

Head Coach Rex Norris was pleased with his team’s performance but emphasized the need for improvement, particularly in maintaining energy and avoiding penalties. 

“We were happy to do well on Homecoming and have a lot of players get in and get experience,” Norris said. “Offensively, we were efficient in the first quarter, but things slowed down in the second with penalties. We dominated defensively but gave up a long pass for a touchdown. There’s still a lot to improve if we want to compete for a playoff spot.”

Eatonville offensive coordinator Jazel Riley was pleased with his team’s performance. 

“Foss is a team with some tough, athletic kids. We were able to get up early while getting some live, in-game varsity reps for some guys for the first time,” Riley said. “Offensively, we wanted to try a few things out while making sure we got some touches for guys who have put in a ton of good, hard work since spring. We have a tough league stretch coming up, so the major goals this week were to, of course, get the win but also come out healthy. We have some things we need to clean up, but that will always be the case.”

Riley also praised his quarterback, Fowler, for his continued growth. 

“Cannot say enough about Cole and how much he is growing and gaining understanding and control of the system. We are getting opportunities for multiple people in each game, and they’re taking advantage of those opportunities.”

Norris concluded by stating, “As we head into the 2nd half of the season, we will need to recommit ourselves to the process and to each other. We have to remind ourselves that we have a young team and a lot of them are learning a lot. We are pleased with what we have been able to accomplish so far, but we have more goals that we are looking to accomplish.”

Key Performances:

Cole Fowler – 18/28 for 298 yards and 2 touchdowns

Michael Stogsdill – 8 catches for 114 yards and 1 touchdown

Riley Hill – 4 catches for 82 yards and 1 touchdown

Connor McIlraith – 5 carries for 26 yards and a touchdown

Wyatt Weichsler – 1 carry for 8 yards and 1 touchdown

Nash Sherrard – 25 yard interception returned for a touchdown

Logan Shipman – 26 yard interception returned for a touchdown

With the win, Eatonville improves to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in 2A SPSL league play. Next up, they face their toughest challenge of the season in the form of the undefeated Franklin Pierce Cardinals (4-0), who are ranked No. 10 in the latest AP Poll. The Cardinals, led by offensive coordinator Cary Nagel (former Tenino head coach), run a physical Power-T offense that focuses on controlling the clock with a steady ground game. 

The highly anticipated matchup is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 3, with a 7 p.m. kickoff at Franklin Pierce High School.