Franklin Pierce overpowers Eatonville in 50-0 Rout

The Eatonville Cruisers were overwhelmed in a 50-0 defeat to the Franklin Pierce Cardinals on Friday night, struggling to find any rhythm as mistakes piled up. Eatonville’s offense was stifled throughout, managing just 94 total yards and committing six turnovers, which led to 44 of Franklin Pierce’s points.

The game spiraled out of control for the Cruisers in the first half, starting with a tipped pass off a receiver’s hands that led to a Cardinal interception. Shortly after, a botched handoff was scooped up by a defender, setting the tone for a mistake-filled night.

“That was a tough loss to a good team,” said Eatonville offensive coordinator Jazel Riley. “That first half was rough as everything that could go wrong, did.”

Eatonville’s offensive line was overmatched by Franklin Pierce’s physical and aggressive front, managing just negative 28 yards rushing. Quarterback Cole Fowler completed 11 of 29 passes for 122 yards, but threw four interceptions. Ky Nation led the receiving corps with five catches for 57 yards, while Michael Stogsdill added two receptions for 52 yards.

Franklin Pierce’s Power T offense dominated on the ground, piling up 405 rushing yards. By the time the Cruisers figured out the misdirection and who had the ball, it was too late.

“The wheels came off early, and things just kept piling on,” Riley said. “I think what we saw were a lot of young guys trying to get it all back at once, and that’s not how you overcome that type of situation.”

Despite the defeat, Riley remained optimistic. 

“Good news is it’s only the first loss. We can learn a lot from that, and we will. The goal is always to go 1-0, and luckily we still get that opportunity once again.”

Next up for Eatonville (4-1) is a home game against the Fife Trojans (4-1) on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m., which will also be the Eatonville Athletic Hall of Fame game.