FERNDALE – A win was needed by the Golden Eagles, and a win is what they got, as Ferndale opened up Wesco North play with 28-16 victory over Marysville-Getchell on Friday night.
The Golden Eagles came out with a purpose early in the game, and they drove it down the field against the Chargers with powerful runs by senior fullback Gader Fox. Ferndale couldn’t connect on a 4th down play, but it soon got the ball back and senior half back Bryan Ebe dashed through the Marysville-Getchell defense for a 40-yard touchdown.
“He (Fox) did a good job running between the tackles,” Ferndale coach Jamie Plenkovich said. “Getchell had a good plan defensively trying to take away our perimeter stuff, and he did a good jump of working, being patient at times and finishing runs when he needed to.”
Fox would end up scoring a touchdown in the second quarter, this one from five yards out as he followed his big line up front.
“It feels really good to get a win for the team,” Fox said. “I’m always talking to my line when I’m in the huddle, encouraging them. There’s no way I could have got that many yards without my line.”
Fox totaled 137 yards rushing on 26 carries.
At halftime it was a 14-0 lead, and the Golden Eagles had held the Chargers to only a few first downs. However, Marysville-Getchell began the second half with a long drive that included a fake-punt that gained 17 yards, and it ended with a one-yard touchdown by senior Caleb Koellmer on a quarterback sneak.
The Golden Eagles started driving again later in the third quarter, but a mishandled double-handoff play allowed the ball to get into the hands of Charger linebacker Cheron Smith. He took it all the way back to the Ferndale 4-yard line where he fumbled, and junior linebacker Austin Byron scooped it up and scored the defensive touchdown. After a procedure penalty on the point after, the ball was backed up five yards, and that was when senior linebacker Uriah Guillory blocked the extra point attempt, which secured the slim lead fore the Golden Eagles at 14-13.
In the beginning of the 4th quarter Ferndale senior defensive lineman Darius Washington broke through the line and blocked a punt, which the Golden Eagles recovered on the Charger 19-yard line. Senior quarterback Sequoyah Julius used his team’s new-found momentum and went to the air on the very next play, and found senior wide receiver Watiko Leighton on a perfect strike.
“I was just really hyped for that play,” Leighton said. “And, I know that Coach believed in me on that pass. I was ready for it.”
After a sophomore kicker Cameron Hazelwood kicked a 26-yard field goal for the Chargers, it was Leighton who was ready for another play. He intercepted a pass, and took it 65 yards before being brought down at the Getchell 6-yard line. Ebe was able to score from four yards out two plays later to seal the victory.
The Golden Eagles (1-2) will travel to Arlington (2-1) to take on the Eagles on Friday night in another WesCo North matchup.
Marysville-Getchell 16
Ferndale 28
M-G 0 0 13 3 – 16
FERN 7 7 0 14 – 28
FERN – Ebe 40 run (Stewart kick)
FERN – Fox 5 run (Stewart kick)
M-G – C. Koellmer 1 run (Hazelwood kick)
M-G – Byron 4 fumble recovery (kick blocked)
FERN – Leighton 19 pass from Julius (Stewart kick)
M-G – Hazelwood 26 FG
FERN – Ebe 4 run (Stewart kick)
M-G FERN
Rushing Att-Yards 21-54 54-251
Comp-Att-Int 16-41-2 5-8-0
Passing yards 118 48
Penalties-yards 1-5 9-65
Individual Leaders
RUSHING – M-G: J. Koellmer 2-18, C. Koellmer 7-17, Broome 9-13, Blonk 1-0, Padgett 1-(-1). FERN: Ebe 20-140, Fox 26-137, Brown 1-(-3), Julius 3-(-8), Broselle 4-(-15).
PASSING – M-G: C. Koellmer 8-20-1-58, J. Koellmer 8-20-1-60, Blonk 0-1-0-0. FERN: Julius 5-8-0-48.
RECEIVING – M-G: McPherson 4-22, Olsen 3-20, Padgett 2-17, Rice 2-10, Devereux 2-6, White 1-29, Ford 1-14, Watts 1-0. FERN: Lupo 3-25, Leighton 1-19, Hoffmaster 1-4.
