2B Football: Tigers, Titans Take Different Routes to Tacoma

The two teams lining up Saturday in the State 2B semifinals in the Tacoma Dome have a few similarities — they both play in the Central 2B League, they’re both coached by gentlemen named Josh, and they’ll both (most likely) put 11 players out on the turf Saturday at 4 p.m.

Beyond that, there’s plenty separating Napavine and Pe Ell-Willapa Valley heading into the penultimate game of the prep football season — from basic styles of play, to experience and the route each one took to get to the City of Destiny.

Pe Ell-Willapa Valley

The Titans are sailing in uncharted territory.

Pe Ell-Willapa Valley, in its second year as a combination program, has surged out to an 11-0 record and the top spot in the final Associated Press poll of the season, playing mostly straightforward, hard-nosed football based behind a tough set of linemen that includes Tyler Shepherd, Johnny Woods and Dalton Toepelt.

Red Arrington and Jason Fluke have switched back and forth between quarterback and wide receiver. Arrington (14 of 26 passing, 275 yards, five TDs) took the snaps in a first-round win over Life Christian, while Fluke (19 of 28, 437 yards, three TDs) started against Morton-White Pass.

Jason Fluke, according to coach (and uncle) Josh Fluke, will likely start on Saturday, though the two are likely to split their time under center.

“One throws just a little bit better, and one runs just a little bit better, but they’re still pretty dang close,” Fluke, the coach, said. “Both of them play a good receiver spot, and a tight end spot, and we just like switching them around. They might think we have some trick play or something.”

The offense, though, has operated predominantly on the ground. Kaelin Jurek leads the way with 115 carries for 1,072 yards and 12 touchdowns; Trevor Cook has run 74 times for 1,031 yards and 21 scores; and Seth Flemetis has 100 carries for 744 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“With their physicality up front, and the three good running backs, we’re just not going to be able to make a lot of mistakes with that many athletes on the field,” Napavine coach Josh Fay said. “Normally, when you say athletes, you’re just talking about skill guys. But up front they’re big and athletic, and that’s going to be a challenge for us.”

The Titans started out as the preseason favorite in the Central 2B League, but after a convincing win over Toledo in Week 2 and a 28-27 win over Napavine in Week 3 moved to the top of the state poll — where they stayed at No. 2 until, in the final poll of the season, they moved into a tie with then-No. 1 Lind-Ritzville/Sprague (which has since been eliminated by Okanogan).

Outside of the Napavine game, the 35-13 win over Toledo marked the only time a team came within 40 points of PWV.

And, naturally, the Titans don’t plan on changing much.

“We’ve got a few different blocking schemes that we might go over, but otherwise we’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing — blocking the right person until the whistle blows,” Fluke said.

“The guys are ready and pumped. The last couple practices have been some of the best all year,” he added. “The kids are excited, the coaches are excited, and the communities are excited. There’s been a lot of support.”

Willapa Valley hasn’t played in the state football semifinals since its championship run in 2001. A Pe Ell squad hasn’t made it this far since 1983 — when the Trojans beat, of all teams, Willapa Valley in the state semifinals.

Needless to say, it’ll be an eye-opening experience for the team when the players take the field on Saturday.

“We’re going to get up there early, so they get a feel for the place a little bit,” Fluke said. “We’ve been telling them all week that it’s a football field, and there ain’t no difference in it.”

Napavine

That the Tigers are back in the Tacoma Dome should come as no surprise. Napavine lost to Okanogan, 17-14, in last year’s state championship game, and returned a handful of key players — including All-State quarterback Wyatt Stanley and All-State linebacker Chase Van Wyck — to their 2015 squad.

Interestingly enough, Napavine opened the season at No. 1 in the Associated Press state poll, but was picked to finish second in the Central 2B League — behind PWV.

The season included a few ups and downs. After the loss to PWV, Stanley suffered a hip injury in a win over Onalaska and missed the next three games, which included a 27-13 loss to Toledo. Star receiver Mac Fagerness also missed a few games late in the regular season after a concussion suffered against Toledo, while Van Wyck missed a win over Toutle Lake with an injury and running back Sam Fagerness was slowed with an ankle injury for a few games.

By the time the playoffs rolled around, however, the Tigers were back at full strength — with the added bonus of getting sophomore running back Cole Van Wyck more experience at running back with the typical pass-first offense put on the shelf for a few games.

“I think that’s how you build a program, you just give kids an opportunity,” Fay said. “Certainly missing some of the reps with Wyatt, there’s some negative stuff to that, but we’ve extended the season long enough that we’re in pretty good form.”

Cole Van Wyck wound up running 129 times for 1,082 yards on the season, with 22 touchdowns.

“They’ve gotten way better,” Fluke said. “They had a couple guys, key guys, that had injuries, but they look like a lot better team than we faced early in the season.”

Heading into the semifinals, Stanley has completed 102 of 170 passes for 1,703 yards with 19 touchdowns and four interceptions.

“He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the state, in my eyes,” Fluke said. “Getting pressure on him, that’s going to be a huge thing.”

Fagerness leads the receiving corps with 43 catches for 845 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Napavine beat Ilwaco in the crossover round to reach the state playoffs, then slipped past No. 3-ranked, then-undefeated North Beach, 20-14, in overtime in the first round. The Tigers dropped Liberty, 34-7, on Saturday in the quarterfinals to return to the Tacoma Dome for the third time in the past five years.

“I guess there’s some advantage,” Fay said, of his team’s experience in Tacoma. “If we have any advantage going into that game, that’s probably it — that we’ve been there.”

The difference, though, is that this time the Tigers won’t be the opening act, as they were in both of last year’s games. This year’s 2B semifinal will come after the 1A semifinal between King’s and Montesano, and will be followed by a 4A matchup between Skyline and Lake Stevens — the latter of which is led by Georgia-signee Jacob Eason at quarterback.

“Every time we’ve been in there, we’re the first game,” Fay said. “This’ll be different.”

Round 1

Pe Ell-Willapa Valley beat Napavine, in Napavine, in a tight 28-27 matchup back on Sept. 18.

Kaelin Jurek ran for 145 yards to pace the Titans, who scored twice in the final eight minutes to rally for a win.

Seth Flemetis added 12 carries for 63 yards for the Titans, and quarterback Red Arrington hit 5 of 7 passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns while running 10 times for 46 yards.

Trevor Cook scored on a 21-yard run with 2:03 left in the game to give PWV the final lead.

Napavine, at that point, had been the No. 1-ranked team in the Associated Press state poll.

Tiger quarterback Wyatt Stanley finished 12 of 24 passing for 184 yards and, in one of his first stints as a featured runner, led the Tigers’ rushing attack with 16 carries for 73 yards and two touchdowns.

Chase Van Wyck added a rushing touchdown, and Mac Fagerness ran back a kickoff return for a touchdown for Napavine. Dustin Lusk had a pair of receiving touchdowns for the Titans.

East Side

The Eastside semifinal game pits defending state champion Okanogan against Northwest Christian (Colbert). The teams face off at 1 p.m. Saturday in Moses Lake.

Okanogan beat undefeated Lind-Ritzville/Sprague, 35-28, in the quarterfinals. Quarterback Clay Ashworth scored on a 6-yard keeper to break a 28-28 tie in the fourth quarter, and Okanogan’s Jalen Moses picked off passes to end each of LRS’ final two possessions.

Okanogan's Ashworth has completed 62 of 108 passes for 1,008 yards, with 17 touchdowns and an interception, this season. His favorite target has been state triple-jump champion Mason Guerrette, a 6-foot senior who has 29 catches for 641 yards with 10 touchdowns. Morgan Poulin, Julian Cates, Greyson Fields and Riley Prescott have all been reliable rushing options.

Northwest Christian, meanwhile, slipped past Asotin, 33-32, on a last-second 30-yard field goal by Joey Biel — his fourth field goal of the game.

The Crusaders led 24-6 at halftime, thanks to Biel’s first field goal (from 36 yards), a touchdown run by Nathan Sander, a quarterback keeper by David Olds and a 23-yard touchdown pass from Olds to Ryan Ricks.

Olds has posted impressive passing numbers in the Crusaders' air attack this season, completing 118 of 184 passes for 2,309 yards with 31 touchdowns and six interceptions. He's also run the ball 52 times for four touchdowns, though senior Ethan Perreiah (101 carries, 775 yards, seven TDs) and freshman Nathan Sander (59 carries, 597 yards, 10 touchdowns) have led the rushing attack. Sander also has 38 catches for 716 yards and seven touchdowns, while Ricks has 23 catches for 369 yards and six TDs.