The prep football state playoffs kicked off on Friday, showcasing local teams in the Twin Harbors area. In a decisive contest, Pe Ell-Willapa Valley triumphed over Coupeville with a score of 48-14, securing a spot in the Round of 16 of the 2B State Tournament. The game took place at Crogstad Field in Menlo.
The Titans, holding a record of 7-3, initially found themselves trailing as the Wolves took an early lead with a 37-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chase Anderson to receiver Davin Houston, putting Coupeville ahead 7-0 at 7:26 in the first quarter. However, Pe Ell-Willapa Valley“s offense quickly rebounded, orchestrating an impressive drive that covered 77 yards and resulted in six first downs, all achieved through a string of running plays.
“We just took the ball and ran it right down their throat,” said head coach John Peterson. “We got the ball and came right back down and scored. Our offensive line coaches, Johnny Dominguez and Toneil Magruder, did a good job this week.”
Junior running back Lucas Lusk completed the opening drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, and an extra-point kick by Hank Swartz tied the game at 7-7. The Titans seized control during the second quarter, with senior quarterback Brody Ritzman effectively managing both the running game and passing game. In this quarter alone, PWV scored three touchdowns, all through Ritzman”s arm. He connected with receiver Blane King for a 7-yard touchdown pass, followed by long touchdown throws to Lusk for 57 yards and Cody Mican for 48 yards, leading to a 27-7 advantage at halftime.
Ritzman continued to shine, throwing his fourth touchdown of the game in the third quarter, a 12-yarder to King, extending the lead to 35-7. Anderson countered with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Aiden O”Neill, narrowing the gap to 35-14. King wrapped up the scoring with a 9-yard touchdown run in the final moments, solidifying the Titans” victory at 48-14.
In total, Pe Ell-Willapa Valley amassed 500 yards of offense, led by Lusk who rushed for 171 yards on 23 carries. Ritzman completed 5 of 6 passing attempts for 137 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, while the team overall rushed for 367 yards on 52 carries. In contrast, Coupeville managed just seven yards on 14 carries.
Defensively, King excelled with five tackles, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. Additionally, Hank Swartz and Tyler Frasier each recorded a sack, and Mican recovered a fumble. “I”m so proud of my kids,” Peterson added. “They”ve just done a tremendous job and I”m really happy for all my players. I was really happy for the seniors. They went to the playoffs as freshmen, and now they get to go as seniors.”
Pe Ell-Willapa Valley will discover their Round of 16 opponent following the WIAA 2B seeding committee meeting on Sunday.
In another matchup, Onalaska defeated Raymond-South Bend 40-0, ending the Ravens” season. Raymond-South Bend struggled offensively, managing only 72 total yards while Onalaska dominated with 358 rushing yards. Senior running back Chris Banker led the Ravens with 33 rushing yards and an equal number in receiving yards, closing out a season where he accumulated 1,682 rushing yards.
The final score was as follows: Raymond-South Bend 0, Onalaska 40. In other action, Ocosta edged Lummi Nation 26-20.
