SHORELINE – If your running back gains 180 yards on the ground, there’s a good chance your team is going to win.
Ferndale senior Talan Bungard ran for 180 yards in the third quarter alone, which helped the Golden Eagles defeat Shorewood 49-7 at Shoreline Stadium on Friday night.
Ferndale kicked off the scoring in the first quarter when senior halfback Zach Nielsen glided into the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown run. It was Nielsen’s first action on offense since week four’s overtime win against Mount Vernon.
The Stormrays were able to hook up for a 40-yard touchdown pass near the end of the first quarter, but that would be the lone score of the game for the home team.
Bungard scored on an eight yard run in the second quarter for his first touchdown of the game, which gave Ferndale a 14-7 advantage. It came one play after junior quarterback Nolan Boleak hit senior Eli Kennerley on a 23-yard pass which moved the Golden Eagles inside the red zone.
Senior linebacker Jacob Gandy recovered a fumble on Shorewood’s next drive, and Ferndale quickly took advantage as Boleak found sophomore Elliot Lenssen on a quick-out and got him the ball. Lenssen broke one tackle and then turned on the jets as he flew down the right sideline for a 46-yard touchdown.
The Golden Eagles led 21-7 at the half, and Ferndale’s regularly scheduled program “Feed the Beast” came on in the third quarter.
Bungard couldn’t be stopped after halftime as he carried the ball seven times, with four of them ending up as touchdowns. He finished the game with 264 yards rushing on 23 carries, and five touchdowns.
Gandy led the defense with 7.5 tackles, and the second quarter fumble recovery, and he was joined by Nielsen who had 6.5 tackles, Lenssen who had five tackles, two passes broken up and an interception, and junior linebacker Jon Stanek who finished with six tackles, a quarterback sack and a fumble recovery.
Ferndale (5-4) will await its fate, and see which team it will play next week in the 3A “Round-of-32”.
Ferndale 49 Shorewood 7 FER 7 14 28 0 - 49 SHO 7 0 0 0 - 7 FER - Nielsen 8 run (Thomas kick) SHO - 40 yard touchdown pass (kick good) FER - Bungard 8 run (Thomas kick) FER - Lenssen 46 pass from Boleak (Thomas kick) FER - Bungard 45 run (Thomas kick) FER - Bungard 50 run (Thomas kick) FER - Bungard 4 run (Thomas kick) FER - Bungard 55 run (Thomas kick) FER SHO 46-417 Rush Att-Yards 34-138 5-9-0 Comp-Att-Int 3-8-1 102 Passing Yards 49 Individual Leaders RUSHING - FER: Bungard 23-264, E. Kennerley 4-53, Broyles 5-39, Nielsen 5-25, Merwin 3-18, Gandy 2-8, Lenssen 3-6, Stanek 1-4. SHO: N/A. PASSING - FER: Boleak 5-9-0-102. SHO: N/A. RECEIVING - FER: Lenssen 2-52, E. Kennerley 1-23, Thomas 1-15, I. Kennerley 1-12. SHO: N/A.
