Warriors rout Dayton to earn state tourney run

COULEE CITY – A 30-point first quarter surged the Warriors in their district crossover win over Dayton on Friday night, going on to defeat the Bulldogs 58-20 to advance to the 1B State Football Tournament.  

This is the ninth consecutive season the Warriors have qualified for the state tournament, including winning a state title in 2021.  

“The kids know what’s at stake,” head coach Brandon Walsh said. “A lot of these older kids have been through it before – they were freshmen when we won a title, and they kind of feel like it’s unfinished business. The last two years we got knocked out; two years ago, in the first round, and last year in the quarterfinals. They’re excited to get to this stage of the year and see what we can make out of it.”  

The Warriors went up 30-0 through the first quarter with a 28-yard rushing touchdown by junior Caden Correia, a 3-yard touchdown run by senior Carter Pitts, a 73-yard rushing touchdown by junior Brady Roberts and a 30-yard touchdown catch by senior Jameson Conley.  

ACH junior Harvest Parrish scored on three straight drives, reaching the end zone on a 31-yard reception, a 10-yard rush and a 63-yard catch-and-run.  

“It was fun – a lot of good blocks, especially downfield on pass plays,” Parrish said. “That really helped me scan the field and make whatever play I needed to make to get the touchdowns.”  

Correia capped off the first-half scoring with a 15-yard rushing touchdown late in the first half to put ACH up 58-12.  

“We played well in the first half,” Walsh said. “The first quarter, the whole first half, we executed well defensively and offensively. I think our speed was a difference-maker for us.”

A fourth-quarter touchdown by Dayton brought the game to its final score of 58-20; ACH stymied the Bulldog ground game, holding Dayton to just 55 yards on 21 carries.   

Correia threw for 217 yards and three touchdowns on just six passes, completing five of them. Conley led the Warriors with three receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown.  

“We passed it a little more than normal because it was open for us,” Walsh said. “We had some big plays in the passing game; they were stacking the box against us, putting six, seven guys down trying to stop (Carter) Pitts. So, we just spread them out a little bit and chucked it around. Kids did a great job, pass protection was great.”  

The junior quarterback credited the team’s preparation, as well as the offensive line, for ACH’s success Friday night in the pass game. 

“A lot of preparation this week,” Correia said. “We watched film together, we practiced hard together. It just creates those bonds that really help towards the end of the season, to be able to find people when I see them.”  

Friday’s win was the second straight for the Warriors, who defeated Odessa 58-14 on Nov. 1. Heading into the postseason, the Warriors post an 8-2 record with their two losses coming to Liberty Christian and Wilbur-Creston-Keller, two of the top teams in the classification.  

“It was kind of a sour taste in our mouth after that game against (Wilbur-Creston-Keller), and credit to Wilbur, they played great,” Walsh said. “Our kids kind of felt like we didn’t play great at times, and made some mistakes. It was our opportunity to fix some of those things – in a big game, in a big moment, take care of us first and do everything right.”  

State playoff brackets were released after deadline, but will be included in Tuesday’s edition of the Columbia Basin Herald. Games across the state begin later this week.  

Box score  

DAY: 0-12-0-8 20
ACH: 30-28-0-0 58 

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline junior Harvest Parrish, left, rights for extra yards on a 10-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter against Dayton on Friday. Parrish scored three touchdowns in the win, all of which came in the second quarter.
  

    A pair of Almira/Coulee-Hartline defenders tackle a Dayton receiver in the second quarter on Friday night. ACH held the Bulldogs to under 250 yards of total offense in the win.
  

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline junior Caden Correia (2) runs with the ball while Warrior junior Luke Goetz (42) blocks on a run play in the fourth quarter against Dayton.