Odessa mauls rival Almira/Coulee-Hartline
COULEE CITY - The Almira/Coulee-Hartline (ACH) Warriors football team couldn't hold back the visiting Odessa Tigers Friday night as Odessa earned the 1B Bi-County League football victory 28-14. Also: Othello 19, Ellensburg 14; Cle Elum 35, Warden 0
Prep football recaps
COULEE CITY - The Almira/Coulee-Hartline (ACH) Warriors football team couldn't hold back the visiting Odessa Tigers Friday night as Odessa earned the 1B Bi-County League football victory 28-14.
Odessa senior wide receiver Aaron Bruya caught a pair of touchdowns from senior quarterback Ryan King as the Tigers clawed their way to victory.
The Tigers got on the scoreboard first when Bruya hauled in his first touchdown when King found him from seven yards out. Bruya caught the two-point conversion attempt as Odessa led 8-0 early.
Odessa would double their lead to 16-0 when King threw his second touchdown of the night early in the second quarter.
The Warriors would get on the scoreboard in the second quarter when senior Mike Rehn fielded the Odessa kickoff at his own 25-yard line and returned it 75 yards to cut the ACH deficit to 16-6.
After the game ACH head coach Brandon Walsh said his team played tough.
"I felt like we played hard," he said. "(We) just didn't execute well at times."
With ACH finally on the board, the Tigers would go on to score two more second quarter touchdowns. Both scores would come when King found open receivers, including Bruya.
Bruya's second touchdown reception came on a 10-yard pass from King, his fourth touchdown pass of the night.
After King's fourth scoring pass of the night, the Tigers would take a 28-6 lead over their league rival into halftime.
The Warriors would pull within 14 points of Odessa when Rehn caught a 65-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Gregson in the third quarter.
Following Rehn's score, neither the Warriors nor the Tigers would reach the end zone as Odessa defeated ACH to earn the 28-14 victory.
While the defending state champion Warriors head into the 1B state tournament, Walsh said he hopes his team's play comes together.
"I feel like we've gotten better," he said. "If some of the things come together we could make a run (this year)."
With the victory, the Odessa Tigers will host the Touchet High School Indians Friday night.
Kick off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Warriors will return to action Saturday when they travel to Pasco to take on the Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars.
"Now it's do-or-die," Walsh said. "We gotta get it done."
Othello 19
Ellensburg 14
ELLENSBURG - The Othello Huskies football team capitalized on a first quarter touchdown from punt returner Devon Lind to defeat the Ellensburg Bulldogs on the road Friday night and clinch second place in the Central Washington Athletic Conference (CWAC) and advance to the 2A state tournament.
The Huskies took a 7-0 lead when Lind fielded an Ellensburg punt on his own 35-yard line. Lind took the ball and ran behind a wall of Othello blockers as he ran into the end zone for the game's first score.
Ellensburg would respond in the second quarter then Kramer Ferrell caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ethan Sterkel. Rather than attempting to tie the game with an extra point opportunity, the Bulldogs tried to convert a two-point conversion.
The Bulldogs succeeded and Ellensburg held a 8-7 lead over Othello.
Othello wouldn't stay behind for long as running back Lee Gomez scored on a 38-yard touchdown run as the Huskies fought their way to a 13-8 lead.
With the first half winding down, the Huskies would take a 19-8 advantage into halftime when Aaron Simmons scored on a 4-yard touchdown run. Othello would miss the two-point conversion attempt and take an 11-point advantage into halftime.
The Othello defense would hold strong in the third quarter as the Huskies would keep the Bulldogs off of the scoreboard. Ellensburg's defense would also hold Othello as the Huskies took a 19-8 lead into the fourth quarter.
Ellensburg would pull within five points of Othello when Frankie Mancinelli caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Sterkel. The Bulldogs would not convert the two-point attempt as the Huskies hung on to a 19-14 victory over their conference foe.
With the victory, the Othello Huskies finished their CWAC season with an 8-1 record and finished one game behind league champion Prosser.
The Huskies are the second seed from the CWAC and will face rival Colville in the first round of the state playoffs in Othello Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.
The Colville Indians and the Othello Huskies met in 2006 when Colville knocked the Huskies out of the playoffs with a 38-12 victory.
Othello would get their revenge in 2007 as the Huskies rolled to a 27-21 victory on their way to the state semifinals where they lost 23-20 to eventual state runner-up Burlington-Edison.
Cle Elum 35
Warden 0
WARDEN - The Warden Cougars football team couldn't slow down the Cle Elum Warriors Friday night as Cle Elum rolled to a 35-0 South Central Athletic Conference (SCAC) cross-over football game victory.
Both Warden and Cle Elum participate in the SCAC, Warden is a member of the east division and Cle Elum is a member of the west division.
The Cougars would never get close Friday night as Cle Elum scored five touchdowns in the victory.
The Cle Elum defense stuffed Warden as Cougars rushed for fewer than 100 yards as a team Friday night.
The Warriors pass defense and pass rush smothered Warden quarterback Arty Reyes as Reyes finished the night two of 10 passing for 11 yards.
Reyes also threw an interception and was sacked for a safety in the loss.
The Warden defense kept the Cougars in the game during the first half as Cle Elum held a 13-0 lead.
However, the Warriors would be too much for Warden as Cle Elum rolled to a 35-0 win.