Prosser blows past Ephrata 62-14

EPHRATA — It hadn’t been a particularly good night. The Ephrata Tigers were on the wrong end of a beat down, they’d been playing under the running clock rule since midway through the third quarter.

So when 6-foot-5 Ephrata senior Josh Benthem lined up wide right and saw one-on-one coverage against a 5-8, third-string Prosser defender, he thought, “Why not?”

The Tiger senior, who plays goaltender on the soccer team and capable of jamming a basketball, made eye contact with quarterback Seth Elliott, giving him one of those Mr. Spock, one eyebrow raises.

Benthem blew by the defender like blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. Elliott put a money ball in the corner of the end zone and his wide receiver went up and got it without breaking stride. If it had been an alley-oop on the basketball floor it would have concluded with a “boom shakalaka.”

There weren’t many Tiger highlights in their 62-14 nonleague loss to Prosser Friday night at Kiwanis Field, but Elliott-to-Benthem was good for a couple of touchdowns.

“Seth was going to look to the other side, but there was one-on-one on me, so I made eye contact,” Benthem said. “I just blew by him and Seth threw a great ball.”

The game looked a lot like the last time the two met in the Central Washington Athletic Conference game for third place when Prosser got out to the quick start and won 41-14. Friday night was the same loud chorus to the same old song. The Mustangs (2-1) scored on their first four possessions and led 34-7 at the intermission.

“They’re a very talented team. We were outmatched by their speed and size and you could see that from the very first series,” said Ephrata coach Jay Mills. “Josh did a really nice job tonight and he was our only real chance on offense. Josh could play for any school around the state and he made some explosive plays.”

Benthem caught seven balls for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Hunter James hauled in three receptions for 22 yards. Carter Cox had just the one catch for seven yards. Elliott got the start at quarterback, replacing Trenton Kleyn who was injured in a weight class accident earlier in the week. Elliott completed 15 of 24 for 173 yards with two touchdowns and threw an interception.

“We have to hit the weight room,” Benthem said. “We need to be more physical and stronger when we play.”

Prosser quarterback Will Weinmann went 21 of 29 for 362 yards and five touchdown passes, and Kord Tuttle carried the ball 13 times for 91 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Anthony Kernan had three catches for 120 yards and Haden Hicks had six catches for 101 yards.

Prosser has the big showdown with Selah and Ephrata travels to Ellensburg on Friday.

Prosser 20 14 14 14 — 62

Ephrata 0 7 7 0 — 14

Pro — Will Thompson 16 pass from Will Weinmann (Ryan Beightol kick)

Pro — Kord Tuttle 2 run (Beightol kick)

Pro — Haden Hicks 8 pass from Weinmann (kick failed)

Pro — Anthony Kernan 48 pass from Weinmann (Beightol kick)

Pro — Tuttle 5 run (Beightol kick)

Eph — Josh Benthem 58 pass from Seth Elliot (Benthem kick)

Pro — Tyler Durbin 9 run (Beightol kick)

Pro — Hicks 31 pass from Weinmann (Beightol kick)

Eph —Benthem 29 pass from Elliot (Benthem kick)

Pro — Kernan 57 pass from Weinmann (Beightol kick)

Pro — Clay Camp 10 run (Beightol kick)