After intercepting a Hoquiam pass, Centralia's Oscar Jackson looks to break a tackle as he scampers down field during the fourth quarter of a non league football game at Tiger Stadium on Friday night. Jackson's interception help set up an easy touchdown for the Tigers who went on to win the game, 36-22.
The Centralia defense swarms Hoquaim running back Devin Kelly as he attempts to gain some extra yards during the first quarter of a non league football game at Tiger Stadium in Centralia on Friday.
Centralia Gavin Kerner looks to stiff arm Hoquiam's Tyler White during the first quarter of a non league football game in Centralia on Friday night.
A Centralia High School advisor attempts to mend the large paper sign that the Tiger football team was supposed to run through on their way out to the field to start the second half of a non league football game against Hoquiam on Friday night in Centralia. She was not able to reattach the two pieces, but it didn't dampen the Tigers spirits as they went on to beat Hoquiam 36-22 to start the 2013 football season.
A cashier counts money in the ticket booth outside Tiger Stadium during halftime of the Centralia football game on Friday night.
Travis James Larson, a senior at Centralia High School, barks encouragements at his fellow classmates as they attempt to do 36 push-ups Ñ one for every point the Tigers scored on Friday night Ñ after Centralia scored its final touchdown in a 36-22 win over Hoquiam on Friday night at Tiger Stadium in Centralia. Larson is in the United States Army's Simultaneous Member Program which has him on track to be an officer in five years Ñ after he finishes college. The 18-year-old completed boot camp this summer at Fort Jackson in South Carolina.
Travis James Larson, a senior at Centralia High School, barks encouragements at his fellow classmates as they attempt to do 36 push-ups Ñ one for every point the Tigers scored on Friday night Ñ after Centralia scored its final touchdown in a 36-22 win over Hoquiam on Friday night at Tiger Stadium in Centralia. Larson is in the United States Army's Simultaneous Member Program which has him on track to be an officer in five years Ñ after he finishes college. The 18-year-old completed boot camp this summer at Fort Jackson in South Carolina.
A Hoquiam football player holds up four fingers signaling the start of the fourth quarter during a non league football game against Centralia on Friday night at Tiger Stadium.
Centralia junior Mackenzie Wasson takes a 'selfie' prior to the start of the first football game of the season at Tiger Stadium on Friday evening.
The Tiger football team walks out onto the field prior to the start of the opening game of the 2013 season against Hoquiam on Friday night at Tiger Stadium in Centralia. Centralia beat Hoquiam, 36-22.
A Centralia football player stands on the sidelines during the first game of the 2013 season against Hoquiam Friday night at Tiger Stadium in Centralia. Centralia beat Hoquiam, 36-22.
Centralia freshman Alberto Isguerra gets his face painted by Rebekah Barnes, the National Honors Society advisor at the high school, prior to the start of the opening football game of the 2013 season for the Tigers on Friday night in Centralia. Isguerra plays on the offensive and defensive line for the freshman team at Centralia.
After catching a pass from quarterback Joe Blaser, Centralia's John Sharkey celebrates in the end zone during the second quarter of a non league football game against Hoquiam on Friday night at Tiger Stadium in Centralia.
After intercepting a Hoquiam pass, Centralia's Oscar Jackson looks to break a tackle as he scampers down field during the fourth quarter of a non league football game at Tiger Stadium on Friday night. Jackson's interception help set up an easy touchdown for the Tigers who went on to win the game, 36-22.
Centralia Gavin Kerner fights to get into the end zone during the fourth quarter of a non league football game against Hoquiam in Centralia on Friday night. Kerner scored on the play.
The Centralia defense dog piles on top of Hoquiam's Devin Kelly during the first quarter of a non league football game at Tiger Stadium in Centralia on Friday.
Teammates lift up Oscar Jackson as Centralia celebrates its 36-22 win over Hoquiam on Friday night at Tiger Stadium in Centralia. Jackson had a game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers raise their helmets in celebration after beating Hoquiam, 36-22, to open the 2013 high school football season on Friday night at Tiger Stadium in Centralia. Centralia went winless in 2012.
Centralia celebrates its first win of the season after beating Hoquiam, 36-22, to open the 2013 football season on Friday night at Tiger Stadium in Centralia.
Centralia Gavin Kerner looks to stiff arm Hoquiam's Tyler White during the first quarter of a non league football game in Centralia on Friday night.
John Sharkey high-fives the Centralia cheerleaders after the Tigers beat Hoquiam 36-22 on Friday night in Centralia.
Centralia quarterback Joe Blaser attempts a pass to John Sharkey, left, during the first quarter of a non league football game against Hoquiam on Friday night in Centralia.
Centralia Head Coach Matt Whitmire barks out instructions to his team during the first quarter of a non league football game against Hoquiam on Friday night at Tiger Stadium in Centralia.
The offense may have stole the show, but the defense's two late thefts sealed the Tigers' first win of the season on Friday night.
Centralia's Oscar Jackson and Gavin Kerner each recorded key fourth-quarter interceptions, Jovany Almanza ran for 127 yards and the Tigers kicked off 2013 with a home 36-22 win over Hoquiam.
The win may have been against a nonleague opponent, but was a big emotional boost for a team that went 0-9 last season and is operating under a first-year head coach (Matt Whitmire) and a new spread-option offense.
"Now that we got one and know we can do it, we're going to be that much better and that much more confident in ourselves," Tiger quarterback Joe Blaser said.
The Tigers had a big chance to put the game away early in the fourth quarter, but the drive stalled on the Hoquiam 12-yard line.
That's when Jackson came up big. Grizzly quarterback Brenner Carlstrom dropped back to pass and lofted a long ball up the left side, only to have Jackson wrestle it away from the receiver at about the Hoquiam 42-yard line.
"All I saw was him coming at me and get by me," Jackson said. "The thing, I looked up and the ball's there. I just went and grabbed it from him. I didn't even care, I wanted it so bad."
Jackson packed the ball all the way back to the 11.
"That was huge," Blaser said. "We needed that. That was basically a second chance for us."
Four plays later Blaser punched through the line and into the end zone, giving Centralia a 36-22 lead with 2 minutes, 28 seconds left on the clock. Kerner picked off a pass a few plays later to end Hoquiam's final drive.
Whitmire credited assistant coach Dan Hill's defensive adjustments at halftime with shutting Hoquiam out after the intermission.
"We came out and didn't give them much of anything, and put them in the position where they had to throw the ball," Whitmire said. "We were able to throw a few coverages at them that obviously resulted in some big turnovers."
The game was tied at 22 at halftime, after three touchdowns and 100 first-half rushing yards — as well as kicking two extra points, running in a conversion, and returning a kickoff 85 yards for a score — from Hoquiam's Devin Kelly. Kelly finished with 110 yards on 18 carries.
The Tigers' first drive landed in the end zone, on 10 plays — highlighted by a 36-yard completion from Blaser to Kerner up the right side, and capped with a 1-yard plunge into paydirt by Blaser. After a Hoquiam punt the Tigers marched 71 yards over the course of 3 minutes, with fullback Almanza packing the ball five times for 33 yards, including the 1-yard scoring jaunt.
Centralia took a 22-14 lead midway through the second quarter, when Blaser shook off a tackle and hit John Sharkey just shy of the end zone for a 46-yard scoring pass.
Centralia opened the second half with more of the same, rolling downfield on a series of fullback runs up the middle to reach the red zone. A fumble cost the hosts 4 yards, but on the next play — a fourth-and-6 situation — Blaser was chased out of the pocket, headed for the right sideline and found Jacob Monohon alone in the end zone. Javon Brager punched in the conversion for a 30-22 lead.
Blaser completed 5 of 13 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 62 yards and two touchdowns.
Centralia (1-0) will play at Washington on Friday.
At Centralia
TIGERS 36, GRIZZLIES 22
Hoquiam 7 15 0 0 —22
Centralia 6 16 8 6 —36
Scoring Summary
HOQ — Devin Kelly 24-yard run; Brenner Carlstrom kick (7-0)
CEN — Blaser 1-yard run; kick failed (7-6)
CEN — Jovany Almanza 1-yard run; Gavin Kerner run (14-7)
HOQ — Kelly 84-yard kickoff return; Carlstrom kick (14-14)
CEN — Blaser 46-yard pass to John Sharkey; Almanza run (22-14)
HOQ — Kelly 6-yard run; Kelly run (22-22)
CEN — Blaser 22-yard pass to Jacob Monohon; Javon Brager run (30-22)
CEN — Blaser 1-yard run; kick blocked
Team Stats HOQ CEN
First Downs 9 22
Rushing Yards 151 287
Passing Yards 18 123
Total Yards 169 410
Comp-Att-Int 2-4-2 5-13-0
Fumbles/Lost 3/3 2/1
Penalties/Yards 7/80 3/20
Individual Stats
Rushing: HOQ — Kelly 18/120; CEN — Almanza 27/127, Kerner 4/47, Blaser 13/62, Monohon 4/40
Passing: HOQ — Carlstrom 2-4/18; CEN — Blaser 5-13/123
Receiving: HOQ — Brett Pelan 1/13; CEN — Sharkey 2/53, Monohon 1/22, Kerner 1/36
