21 and done – Cards snap losing streak

Medical Lake used a fast start to get the lead, then relied on a staunch defense to seal the school's first football victory in over two years, topping visiting 2B Dayton-Waitsburg 44-0 in a nonleague game last Friday at Holliday Field.

"I'm real proud of the kids and real excited for the school and community," first-year head coach Jeremy Bahr said. "We've been talking about it since I was hired, learning to win and get over that hump."

The win ended a 21-game losing streak dating back to Oct. 30, 2015 when the Cardinals concluded the Wes Hobbs' era with a 27-12 win over Chewelah.

Perhaps, another milestone is that the 44 points scored in one game eclipsed the point totals from the entire 2017 season where the Cardinals tallied 40 points.

Bahr told the team to be the aggressor, the hunter. But he cautioned his team, "They were pumped up, too, they had a quality win over White Salmon."

But Dayton-Waitsburg also had discipline issues and a couple of kids didn't travel, Bahr said. "(And) No. 7 (Damien Johnson), their stud tailback, he had to sit out the first quarter."

The Cardinals (0-1 Northeast A, 1-3 overall) struck quickly.

Winning the opening coin toss, DW deferred to take the ball to open the second half and it cost them. Following a brief bobble, the Cardinals started the game with the ball on the 35-yard line. Grant Vercoe sprinted 25 yards on the first play from scrimmage and Alex Stith raced around the right side for 40 more and in just 35 seconds Medical Lake had its first lead in eons.

DW (1-3) went nowhere on its first possession despite getting the ball on their own 35 following a kick out of bounds. A punt and three touches later, Medical Lake pushed its lead to 14-0 following Carter Pvonka's 70-yard bolt down the right sideline, a drive that took just 1 minute, 25 seconds.

The visitors, who were shorthanded due to some reported suspensions, suited just 20 players. And the offense was a quick three-and-out in its second possession. The Cards' Caleb Vinson finished off an eight-play drive with his 45-yard run along the left side, cheered on by the home crowd before diving into the end zone.

From there on the offense slowed a bit, but not entirely. Brayden Petersen had to will his low line-drive kick over the crossbar with 8:14 to play in the second quarter for a 29-yard field goal that make it 24-0.

Set up by an interception from lineman Tyler Gibby, Nick Mason hauled in another leaping catch and turned it into a 13-yard touchdown play from Aiden Lyerla that sent the Cardinals to the halftime break ahead 31-0.

Scores from Stith, a 20-yard run with under a minute remaining in the third quarter, and Ashton Hamilton-Becker with 7:01 to play capped scoring.

Dayton-Waitsburg would get the ball to open the second half and marched to the Medical Lake 8 where they failed to convert on a fourth-down. It was the only time the visitors crossed midfield.

The game was decidedly one-sided both on the scoreboard and stats where Medical Lake had a 468-122 edge in total offense, including 351-61 on the ground. Pivonka rushed for 107 yards on just seven carries while Stith added 98 on eight carries and Vinson 90 more with just five touches.

Lyerla had his best effectiveness through the air this year going 6 of 8 for 117 yards and no interceptions. Grant Vercoe led the Cards with 72 yards on a pair of catches with Mason adding 41 on three grabs.

"Now that we did that, let's get two in a row," Bahr said as Medical Lake entertains one-time Northeast A League power, but the now struggling Freeman Scotties (0-1 NEA, 0-4) under a new head coach themselves after Jim Wood retired.

Freeman was pummeled - at home - 49-0 by Newport. "They (Newport) exposed some weaknesses for Freeman that we are going to try to take advantage of," Bahr said.

Kickoff at Holliday Field is 7 p.m.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].