Hello, offense.
After back-to-back weeks of putting up just seven points and still not eclipsing 20 on the season, the Black Hills High School football team was an unstoppable force on Friday night.
Quarterback Jesse Keith tallied four first half touchdowns, two apiece on the ground and air plus a defensive performance that featured five turnovers that allowed the Wolves to spoil Centralia’s homecoming with a 48-0 blowout victory at Tiger Stadium.
It marks the second straight year where Black Hills posted exactly 48 points against the Tigers and it extends the winning streak to five. More importantly, the Wolves are 1-0 to open Evergreen Conference play.
“Seeing the defense stuff Centralia really put a lot of energy on the sideline, which brought a lot of energy to the offense,” Keith said.
What the Wolves (2-3, 1-0 EvCo) watched on tape of the two losses to Class 1A powers Montesano and Rochester was not pretty. They were beaten down and couldn’t match the physicality.
It led to what senior defensive back Aundre Alexander called the “best” week of practice.
“Our intensity during practice was up there and we were so excited,” he added. “Our focus on Thursday ,we were already locked in. We were focused on our task.”
While the option plays and Keith evading would-be tacklers was the bulk of the opening 24 minutes, the push that Black Hills’ offensive line got play after play made the running game hum all night to the tune of 349 yards.
Keith tallied 128 yards on eight QB keepers and Jacob Tinsley added 126 yards on nine touches.
“Hats off to both groups,” Black Hills head coach Tom Spray said. “We got our second foot in the ground a lot faster.”
Going from fullback to a quarterback in a triple option offense has been an adjustment for the 5-foot-6, 170-pound junior. He’s gone through the ebbs and flows through four weeks.
His 200-plus yard total offensive performance was one he and Spray were waiting for.
“It is a big adjustment,” Keith said. “Just been in the playbook in my off time.”
“He made good decisions,” Spray added. “It was good to see him go out there, locked in, make good reads and show off his athleticism.”
Not even world-famous artist Jackson Pollock – known for his abstract pieces – could have made the opening 12 minutes look pretty. Black Hills coughed the ball up three times in three plays and even though it led 7-0, it couldn’t add on.
Until Alexander made the first of his two interceptions on Centralia (1-4, 0-1) quarterback Caden Erickson. Keith unleashed a 44-yard run two plays later and Jess Bender capped the short drive with a 13-yard scamper to lead 14-0.
“I expected them to throw more because our d-line was going to stop them and force them to throw,” Alexander said. “Five picks is definitely a good night.”
The Wolves scored four times in the second stanza to force a running clock the entire second half. Jaxon Simmons, Cooper Parkinson and Landen Rivera also hauled in interceptions. Jacob Squier took the first play from scrimmage on an inside slant route 55 yards off a dart from Keith.
“Everything we set out to do at the start of the year is still in front of us,” Spray said. “The guys bought in. The leaders step up, Max Whitehall same with Marshall Orona. They did a great job.”
Centralia had star running back Malcolm Tukes inactive for an undisclosed reason. The offense was swallowed up behind the line of scrimmage multiple times, netting 47 total yards. It only had one first down on the night.
The Tigers will look to rebound next week at Aberdeen while Black Hills takes on county rival Tumwater. The gap between the Wolves and the four other EvCo schools hasn’t shrunk over the last few years.
Their last win over a team still in the league was the winter 2020 season against Aberdeen.
“I think the gap can be closed,” Alexander said. “This win is a lot of motivation.”
