Progress — that's what Centralia coach Jeremy Thibault saw Friday night. Maybe not on the scoreboard, but definitely between the 20s. The Tigers fell to Sehome 42-14 in one of the classic "closer than the scoreboard" games.
Centralia ran more plays (66-50), had the same number of first downs (13 each) and had nearly as much offense (363 yards to 302). But the Mariners took advantage of the lone Tiger turnover, an onside kick recovery and converted on more than a dozen third/fourth downs for the difference.
"We're really close. The score sure doesn't show the effort," Thibault said immediately following the game. "It's frustrating because we'd have them bottled up and then let them get a big third or fourth-down play."
Sehome scored first when the Tigers fumbled inside their own 10 on the first possession. But the Tigers tied it up when Tanner DeMonbrun found a wide open Tyler Milton for a 35-yard touchdown pass.
It looked like a back-and-forth affair when Centralia tied it up at 14 later in the first quarter on a DeMonbrun 5-yard run. But that was the final time the Tigers would find paydirt.
"We moved the ball well for the most part and were really good 80 percent of the time," said Thibault. "But the other 20 percent we didn't execute during the critical plays."
Sehome quarterback Jacob Kaepernick threw a touchdown pass to end the first quarter, again in the second quarter, and to start the fourth quarter to put the Mariners up 35-15. Two long second-half Tiger drives (17 and 8 plays respectively) ended on downs.
"It's just about finishing and tonight we didn't finish ... drives, runs, tackles," said Thibault. "I can't fault the effort but we have to learn to finish."
Shiloh GrayGundo led the Tigers on the ground with 91 yards, Colby Sobolesky-Reynolds added 45 and Eduardo Matias rushed five times for 32 yards.
The Tigers (0-3) play at Fort Vancouver Friday.
Warriors Can’t Keep Up With Knights
BREMERTON — Bremerton ran for 480 yards against Rochester here on Friday to earn a 40-18 win in a non-league football game.
Rochester’s Tristen Johnson recorded 119 yards on 18 carries. Daniel May threw for 209 yards on 4 of 6 passing and three scores. Patrick Riley caught three passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns.
Rochester scored 12 points in the first quarter, starting off with a 65-yard pass from May to Riley. After a Bremerton score, May found Riley once again for a 7-yard touchdown pass. Bremerton scored again before halftime to tie the game at 12.
Bremerton rattled off 28 points in the second half to take a commanding lead. The Warriors’ final score was a 48-yard pass from May to Jacob Spann.
Rochester (1-2) travels to Vancouver to face Evergreen next Friday in a non-league game.
