Mount Baker Dominates Opening Foe

DEMING – The Mountaineers played a nearly perfect first half before conclusively downing Port Angeles 49-22 at Bob Tisdale Field on Friday night.

On the third play from scrimmage the Roughrider quarterback mishandled the snap from center, and junior linebacker Kamden Moa was able to recover at the Port Angeles 12-yard line. One player later, Brady Bruland scored on a counter run which saw left guard Jeremiah Sheridan and left tackle Kell Reardon pull to the right and pave the way for the senior running back.

Port Angeles again mishandled the shotgun snap on its next play following the kickoff, and Moa recovered his second fumble of the evening, this time near midfield. Four plays later, Sheridan and Reardon pulled again on the same scoring play from earlier, only this time the recipient of the touchdown run was junior Brice Cooper.

The Roughriders were able to move the ball a little better on the following drive, and did pick up a first down, but Reardon was able to contain the edge on an outside run on 3rd-and-5, and the 6-foot-5 226-pound sophomore dropped the ball carrier for a loss to bring up 4th down. An incomplete pass followed, which gave the ball back to the Mountaineers.

Mount Baker senior Dylan Moa then ripped off a 17-yard run on a draw play, and senior Shaun Dugger zipped around the right end for a 12-yard gain which set up Dylan Moa’s first touchdown run of the game, a 6-yarder.

Just like that, the Mountaineers were up 21-0 with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter.

The second quarter had a lot of big plays as well, with Cooper and senior Darius Gilstrap each grabbing their first career interceptions, as well as Dugger scoring a 6-yard touchdown run. Dylan Moa also rattled off a masterful 63-yard touchdown run, and the 201-pound senior fullback finished with a game-high 149 yards rushing on just nine carries.

Mount Baker junior Jet Ross also showed his versatility on the defensive side of the ball in the second quarter by picking up a quarterback sack while playing defensive end, and then later in the quarter when he made two plays in a row by knocking the ball loose of a would-be Port Angeles receiver from his natural safety position on back-to-back plays, which ultimately gave the ball back to the Mountaineers.

One play later, Reardon once again pulled left, knocked a linebacker to the ground, and Cooper flew by him with the ball, broke a tackle, made another tackler miss, cut back to the middle of the field and finished the run in the end zone for a 38-yard touchdown run.

At halftime, Mount Baker was up 42-0 and had racked up 252 yards, and had given up just 37 yards.

Bruland scored his second touchdown of the game on the first possession of the second half before giving way to the backups.

The Roughriders scored three touchdowns during the running clock.

The Mountaineers (1-0) will be back home on Friday when they face Hockinson (0-1).

Mount Baker          49
Port Angeles         22 

PA       0     0     7    15  - 22
MB      21    21     7     0  - 49

MB - Bruland 12 run (E. Smith kick)
MB - Cooper 12 run (E. Smith kick)
MB - D. Moa 6 run (E. Smith kick)
MB - Dugger 6 run (E. Smith kick)
MB - D. Moa 63 run (E. Smith kick)
MB - Cooper 38 run (E. Smith kick)
MB - Bruland 48 run (E. Smith kick)
PA - 52 yard touchdown run (kick good)
PA - 62 yard touchdown run (kick good)
PA - 69 yard touchdown run (2pt run good)

PA                          MB
19-174   Rush Att-Yards     32-337
6-17-2   Comp-Att-Int       1-4-1
56       Passing Yards      15

Individual Leaders
   RUSHING - PA: N/A. MB: D. Moa 9-149, Bruland 6-81, Cooper 2-50, Dugger 2-18, McGrath 6-15, G. Smith 4-12, K. Moa 1-6, Christensen 1-6, L. Smith 1-0.
   PASSING - PA: N/A. MB: L. Smith 1-4-1-15.
   RECEIVING - PA: N/A. MB: Cooper 1-15.