Eatonville cruises past Black Hills

The Eatonville Cruisers improved to 2-0 on the season Thursday night with a commanding 28-0 shutout victory over the Black Hills Wolves at B.W. Lyon Stadium. While the offense was less explosive than in their previous outing, a dominant defense and steady offensive execution led the way to victory.

Eatonville started strong, scoring on their first two possessions. After receiving the opening kickoff, the Cruisers put together a methodical 70-yard, 14-play drive. Quarterback Cole Fowler connected with Michael Stogsdill for a 14-yard touchdown pass to make it 6-0. Riley Hill then ran in a two-point conversion from the “Swing the Axe” formation, extending Eatonville’s lead to 8-0.

Following a Wolves punt, Eatonville drove 65 yards on 12 plays. A key block by Hebron Leasiolagi helped Wyatt Weichsler punch it in from 5 yards out. Colton Herbrand added the extra point, putting Eatonville up 14-0 early in the second quarter.

The first half ended with Eatonville driving deep into Black Hills territory but turning it over on downs at the Wolves' 29-yard line. The Cruisers carried their 14-0 lead into halftime.

Offensive Coordinator Jazel Riley admitted the slippery field conditions made things challenging for the Cruisers’ offense. "The slippery field made things a little tougher for us offensively. We had a couple of drops and miscues in the passing game that caused us to leave some points on the field," Riley said.

Despite the conditions, Fowler led several long drives, finishing the game 21 of 38 for 175 yards and a touchdown. 

“Cole didn’t have the Madden numbers he’s capable of this week, but he was patient and accurate, spreading the ball around during some very long drives. Great QBs have the ability to do both when needed, and I think he’s on his way,” Riley added.

Eatonville’s defense shone in the second half, stifling a Black Hills offense that had posted over 400 yards the previous week. The Wolves managed just 174 total yards, including 69 rushing yards on 22 carries. Eatonville’s defensive front, led by senior Aaron Tozier, was relentless, combining for four sacks and six tackles for loss.

“We held their passing game to 148 yards (11 of 25) by adding pressure and mixing up the coverages,” said head coach Rex Norris. “Aaron Tozier led a young group of defensive linemen (sophomores Rogers, Hutchings, Whatley) in a much-improved effort from week 1, resulting in 4 sacks and 6 tackles for loss.”

The defense’s standout play came late in the third quarter when Wolves quarterback Jaxen Beck underthrew a pass intended for Tristan DeVille. Eatonville defensive back Ky Nation intercepted it and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown. Herbrand’s extra point extended the lead to 22-0.

Senior linebacker Logan Shipman anchored the defense, communicating effectively with a group of new starters at linebacker. 

“Logan did a great job communicating and leading a brand new group of starters at linebacker this year,” Norris said. “We limited them to 69 yards rushing on 22 carries. We also finished +2 in the turnover margin. All of those factors were key to the win.”

In the fourth quarter, Eatonville’s Wyatt Weichsler recovered a fumble by Black Hills running back Jaxon Simons, setting up a final scoring drive. Cole Bamford followed strong blocks from linemen Christian Clay and Nick Shipman for a 17-yard touchdown run, sealing the 28-0 victory.

With their defense forcing another turnover on downs in the final minutes, Eatonville lined up in victory formation to close out the win.

Norris was pleased with how his team handled the challenge of playing two Thursday night games to start the season. “Starting off the season with two Thursday games is a challenge, and we have been able to meet that challenge as well as grow and improve. That was our goal,” Norris said.

Looking ahead, Eatonville will face their first road test of the season against the Clover Park Timberwolves at Harry E. Lang Stadium in Lakewood on Friday, Sept. 20. 

“Clover Park always has good athletes with a lot of size and physicality,” Norris added. “Going on the road next Friday will be our first road game. We hope Cruiser Nation will travel to come see us play in our first league game in the SPSL.”

Key Performances:

Cole Fowler: 21/38, 175 yards, 1 touchdown

Cole Bamford: 5 carries, 39 yards, 1 touchdown

Wyatt Weichsler: 6 carries, 20 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 recovered fumble

Michael Stogsdill: 3 catches, 50 yards, 1 touchdown

Ky Nation: 84 yard interception returned for touchdown

Eatonville moves to 2-0 with the win and looks to carry their momentum into the league opener next week.