Pullman batters Ephrata up front

Tigers' season ends in 36-10 state playoff defeat

PULLMAN - A dominating rushing attack and a few costly errors were all the Pullman Greyhounds needed to dispose of the Ephrata Tigers in Saturday's 2A state playoff opener.

Jared Byers, Lance Keithley and the Greyhounds' offensive line wreaked havoc on the Tigers, who were making their first state appearance since 1992. The result was a 36-10 final that ended Ephrata's campaign with a 9-3 overall record.

Ephrata played well in spurts during the first half but fell victim to Pullman's second-quarter surge that turned a 10-7 Tigers lead into a 29-10 Greyhounds lead heading into the break.

The Tigers drew first blood just one minute, 45 seconds into the game. The Greyhounds turned it over deep in their own territory and Eric Hensley hit a 28-yard field goal for a 3-0 Tigers lead.

The Greyhounds (11-0) began to take a physical toll on the Tigers on their next series. Pullman marched from its own 26 using Byers, Keithley and quarterback Cam Turtle on a variety of runs.

The Hounds dodged a bullet when Turtle fumbled at the Ephrata 20 and a teammate recovered. On third-and-goal from the 7, Turtle rolled out to his right and found tight end David Rockefeller, who bowled over a Tiger defender and into the end zone.

The Tigers responded with a 77-yard scoring march. Quarterback Eric Tinnell zipped 47 yards down the sideline, then hit Ryan Hoskins for a key 10-yard pass play. Tryston Mann finished the drive off on the first play of the second period, bulling up the middle from 5 yards out.

Byers took over on the ensuing Pullman possession, carrying nearly every play on a 4-minute drive that ate up 70 yards. Byers gave Pullman a 14-10 edge as he took a toss to the right and rumbled in from 13 yards away.

A good punt return set the Hounds up in Ephrata territory later on. Byers swept right for 32 yards on the next play. Keithley broke a 13-yarder up the gut, then finished the drive with a 1-yard plunge. Turtle's two-point conversion run put Pullman up 22-10 with 3:10 remaining in the half.

Disaster struck moments later. Tinnell handed the ball to Webb, but a quick surge from Pullman's defensive front caused a fumble. Cody Weber scooped it up and returned it to the Ephrata 5. Byers went through the middle on the next play for a 29-10 Pullman lead.

Mann's 39-yard run gave the Tigers hope for a late score, but Pullman's defense stiffened. Tinnell's fourth-down heave for Derrick Webb fell incomplete.

Pullman shifted to its two-minute offense and Turtle drove his team to Ephrata's 7, but Tiger linebacker Mike Castillo picked off his third-down pass to the end zone.

Turtle scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter, the only points of the second half.

The Greyhounds play the Burlington-Edison Tigers on Saturday at 6 p.m., a state quarterfinal matchup at Spokane's Joe Albi Stadium.