Prep Football: Bearcats Snag Victory in Coach Hill’s Debut

First games, like first dates, are a rarefied affair fraught with nerves and over-analyzation. Similarly, you’ll probably need a little luck to ensure that you go home feeling like a winner.

In the case of a football coach making his debut at the helm with a new school, such as Dan Hill at W.F. West, a real win in front of a home crowd is a surefire way to make a good first impression and secure a second date next Friday night.

That’s exactly what the Bearcats were able to do in Hill’s first game running the W.F. West sideline, thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback that allowed them to eclipse River Ridge 28-27 in the final minutes.

“I’m ecstatic right now. We had a lot of good things go our way at the start, and that helped,” said Hill. “It means a lot and it’s not necessarily for me. It’s about these kids. I mean, I got my first win but they battled back and earned it.”

W.F. West got off to a hot start, putting up 13 unanswered points in the first quarter thanks to a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Josiah Johnson.

Johnson first found Carver Brennan on a 37-yard connection and then hit Leandre Gaines with an 18-yard dart.

Johnson threw for 74 of the Bearcats’ 84 yards on that first scoring drive and connected on his first five passes for a total of 86 yards. However, the first-year varsity starter went cold shortly thereafter and three interceptions helped flipped the momentum to the Hawks.

River Ridge used that lapse in offensive productivity from W.F. West to mount a charge, posting 14 points in the second quarter to take a one point lead before halftime. The Hawks offense was powered in part by quarterback Kaiden Moses, who threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns on 19 attempts.

River Ridge extended its lead in the third quarter when Moses connected with Dontae Owens on a 25-yard pass that pushed their lead to eight points.

While the Bearcats found themselves in a one-possession ballgame according to the scoreboard, the actual deficit felt greater in the middle of the third quarter. A 21-0 run by the visiting team will do that to the morale of a home crowd.

After the defense tightened up and forced a punt W.F. West took over possession at their own 29-yard line with 7:44 left in the game and hope quickly fading. The Bearcats promptly marched 71-yards in three minutes thanks in part to a 24-yard burst from Lafe Johnson. W.F. West later passed on 4th and inches for a first down catch by Troy Yarter before Josiah Johnson found Brennan in the endzone at the end of a mad scramble for a 33-yard touchdown. A two-point rush from Lafe Johnson knotted the game up at 21-all.

Unphased, River Ridge issued their reply in short order. Moses found Owens for a pair of 21 yard gains through the air to put the Hawks in W.F. West territory and then Brian Melloy punched in the go-ahead score from seven yards out. However, Gaines was able to black the extra point.

With just 2:50 remaining the Bearcats again found themselves behind and they had 69-yards between them and paydirt. That’s when Leandre Gaines found a seam and hit the turbo button.

Josiah Johnson found Gaines in the middle of the field on a short slant and then the Bearcat faithful roared to life as Gaines fumbled the rest of the way for a touchdown with a pair of Hawks on his heels.

An extra point kick by Bryce Laufenberg gave the Bearcats their final advantage in the game and a fumble recovery on the Hawks next possession preserved the opening night victory.

“He’s a big ol’ horse and that’s what we expect out of him. He’s really embraced that role,” Hill said of Gaines, who hauled in five catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns in addition to a sack, and the blocked point-after kick. “He’s a gamer and he understands the special moments in the game that can really turn things.”

Hill was more reserved in his assessment of Josiah Johnson's first go-round at quarterback and made sure to praise the offensive line for providing time to find open receivers late in the game. Johnson finished the game 12 of 24 passing for 227 yards and four touchdowns but Hill is convinced that the best is yet to come.

“I’m very thrilled at his ability to rebound. We’re just going to continue to work and get better,” said Hill.

W.F. West (1-0) plays at 3A Capital in a non-league game on Friday.

Columbia River Blanks Centralia

Columbia River came out of the gates hot and never looked back, defeating Centralia 49-0 in a season-opening non-league football game at Tiger Stadium on Friday night.

Centralia had trouble on special teams, with a blocked punt and a snap that went over the punter’s head leading to easy scores for the Chieftans.

Jeremy Thibault was pleased with his team’s defensive performance, including two interceptions by Tyler Milton.

“The defense flew around and made tackles. The offense has got a lot of work to do,” Thibault said. “They’re just bigger, stronger, faster and able to punch it in.”

The offense was unable to get anything going because of Columbia River’s Tyrehl Vaivao and Logan Wilson, who Thibault described as unblockable. Vaivao was the MVP of the league last year and ate up the Centralia offensive line at nose guard.

“We had a double team but we just couldn’t execute. We started a couple sophomores on the line because that’s what we have,” Thibault said.

Centralia (0-1) travels to Vancouver to take on Evergreen in a non-league game.