Cougars drop game to Rangers

NACHES VALLEY -Nathan Cole ran for 75 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to propel the Cougars to a non-league win as Warden dropped its last regular season game on the road, 47-12, to the Rangers.

The Cougars fell behind early as a 3-yard run by Corey Hill (kick failed), and a 38-yard Logan Swain reception for a score (Blake Lukehart run) gave Naches Valley a 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Rangers increased their lead to 28-0 on an 8-yard pass from Hill to Koleman Johns (Swain kick), and an 18-yard TD pass from Hill to Ellis Cuiller (PAT).

Cole got Warden on the board in the waning minutes of the first half on an 84-yard kick return (kick failed) to bring the score to 28-6. But a 22-yard pass from Hill to Johns (kick failed) pushed the score to 34-6 at intermission.

Hill connected up with Zach Walker for a 15-yard touchdown (PAT) for the only score of the third quarter, to make it 41-6, Rangers.

A 1-yard fourth quarter run by Derek Ekstand (kick failed) increased the Naches Valley lead to 47-6.

Cole scored his second TD of the game on a 31-yard run (kick failed) to finish the scoring for the game, 47-12 in favor of the Rangers.

Despite the loss, Warden, 3-3 in the Cougars first year in the 1A SCAC East Conference, advances to the district playoffs as the No. 4 seed, and will face the 1A SCAC West No. 1 seed Zillah on the Leopards home turf Friday at 7 p.m.

"Zillah's only loss of the year was to Royal, so it's going to take an all-out effort by everyone on the team," coach Erik Skone said. "They are a well coached team with good speed on both sides of the ball, but if we play up to our potential, I like our chances."