Eatonville’s defense leads to 32-7 win over Fife

The Eatonville Cruisers bounced back in a big way Thursday night, cruising to a 32-7 victory over the Fife Trojans. The win came after a tough Week 5 loss to Franklin Pierce, and the Cruisers responded with a dominant performance on both sides of the ball, improving to 5-1 on the season and 3-1 in SPSL 2A play.

“Thursday night’s game against Fife was a big game for our program,” said Eatonville Head Coach Rex Norris. “The previous week, we had a poor week of preparation. Both players and coaches had to recommit themselves to meet the challenges of our schedule. It was great to see everyone meet that expectation.”

The tone was set early by Eatonville’s defense, which came out firing. On Fife’s opening possession, the Cruisers forced a fumble, immediately sending a message that this game would be different from the previous week. The defense continued to dominate on the next series, forcing a safety midway through the first quarter to give Eatonville a 2-0 lead.

The Cruisers wasted no time capitalizing on the momentum. Following the safety, Eatonville’s offense struck quickly. Starting from their own 24-yard line, quarterback Cole Fowler connected with wide receiver Jacob Simons on a deep pass down the sideline, putting Eatonville inside the red zone at Fife’s 8-yard line. A face mask penalty on the following play moved the ball to the 4-yard line, setting up a 4-yard touchdown pass from Fowler to Ky Nation, who took a touch pass around the outside to the end zone. Eatonville then pulled off a successful two-point conversion when Riley Hill ran the ball in out of their signature “Swing the Axe” formation, extending the lead to 10-0 with 4:47 left in the first quarter.

Eatonville's defense continued to shine, forcing a Fife punt on the next drive. However, the Trojans defense returned the favor by forcing a three-and-out of their own. The resulting punt attempt turned disastrous for Eatonville, as the snap sailed over the punter’s head, allowing Fife to take over with excellent field position at the Cruisers’ 25-yard line. The Trojans capitalized on the mistake five plays later when running back La’au Maka powered through the defense from six yards out for Fife’s lone score of the night. Carlos Reyes converted the PAT, cutting Eatonville’s lead to 10-7 early in the second quarter.

Fowler and the Cruisers responded calmly on their next possession. Starting from their own 19-yard line, Eatonville’s offense orchestrated an efficient drive. Five plays into the series, Fowler floated a perfect 28-yard touchdown pass over the Trojans defense to Hill, who made an athletic grab in the end zone. Eatonville continued its aggressive play-calling, going for a two-point conversion that saw Hill complete a pass to Simons, pushing the Cruisers' lead to 18-7 midway through the second quarter.

Both teams exchanged turnovers on downs as the half wound down, with Fife making one last push before halftime. The Trojans, led by quarterback Dylan Hoots, marched into Eatonville territory, reaching the Cruisers' 11-yard line. But with time running out, Eatonville’s defense stepped up again. Defensive lineman Nash Sherrard and Brett Hutchings pressured Hoots out of the pocket, and as Hoots scrambled, he threw the ball into what he thought was an open window—only to have Logan Shipman step in front for a crucial interception that ended the threat. Eatonville entered halftime with an 18-7 lead, and the momentum fully on their side.

The second half saw both teams struggle to find rhythm offensively. Eatonville punted on their first possession, but the defense continued to stifle the Trojans, forcing another turnover on downs. After taking over at their own 25-yard line, the Cruisers methodically drove the ball down the field. Fowler found Simons again, this time on a 19-yard strike that capped a nine-play drive and further extended the lead to 25-7 at the end of the third quarter. Herbrand added the extra point to make it a three-score game.

Fife attempted to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter, driving deep into Eatonville territory once more, but the Trojans were thwarted again by the opportunistic Cruisers' defense. Eatonville’s Ethan Rogers applied pressure on Hoots, forcing the quarterback to throw on the run. Oscar Garcia read the play perfectly, stepping in front of the intended receiver for another interception, halting Fife’s momentum and keeping them scoreless in the second half.

On Eatonville's next possession, Fowler made his only mistake of the game, throwing into triple coverage, where Fife’s Luke Ours intercepted the ball. The Trojans were set up with excellent field position at the Eatonville 37-yard line, but the Cruisers’ defense proved resilient yet again. Fife’s drive stalled, and the Trojans turned the ball over on downs for the fourth time in the game.

With time winding down, the Cruisers went back to work, starting at their own 35-yard line. On the first play of the drive, running back Connor McIlraith broke free for a 29-yard run, moving Eatonville deep into Trojan territory. Three plays later, Fowler delivered a perfectly placed 38-yard pass to Nation, who beat his defender and hauled in the touchdown to put the game out of reach. Herbrand’s extra point was good, and Eatonville extended their lead to 32-7 with just two minutes left to play.

Fife had one last opportunity to score, but time ran out, and the Cruisers walked off with a 32-7 win, their defense holding firm and their offense firing on all cylinders.

“We were able to adjust a few things to make sure our players could recognize all the formations Fife liked to run,” Norris explained. “We were able to limit their offense to one score on 11 possessions. That was due to three turnovers, a safety, and three fourth-down stops.”

“After the way last week ended, we were interested to see how this group of guys would bounce back,” said offensive coordinator Jazel Riley. “We had a pretty good week of practice, so we knew effort wouldn’t be the issue, but Fife has a really good defensive unit. We needed some guys to step up this week, and they did. Our QB was back to form, and it definitely helps when you have guys like Hill, Simons, and Nation running around out there. The defense was able to get stops against a really tough offense that did things we don’t usually see. They kept getting the ball back for us, and we were able to do enough with it for the good guys to get a win. It was great to see more guys step up. This group is special and getting better, and it’ll be fun to see just how much we can do.”

Fowler led the charge for the Cruisers, completing 19 of 31 passes for 313 yards and four touchdowns, spreading the ball effectively to his receivers. Nation had five receptions for 93 yards and two touchdowns, while Hill contributed six catches for 102 yards and a score. Simons added 97 receiving yards and a touchdown of his own. On defense, Shipman’s interception and fumble recovery, along with Garcia’s interception, were key in Eatonville’s dominant defensive effort.

“Like always, we will enjoy this win through the weekend, and then get back to the goal of being 1-0,” Riley added.

With the win, Eatonville improves to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the SPSL 2A league, now tied for second with Orting. The Cruisers will next travel to Franklin Pierce Stadium on Friday to take on the Washington Patriots, looking to build on their strong performance.