TOLEDO — When the Toledo High School football team was preparing for the league opener in Week 4 against Toutle Lake, the Ducks weren’t on their mind.
Week 5 versus Mossyrock? Not a clue. Or Week 6 facing Rainier? Nope. Maybe in Week 7 versus Morton-White Pass? Try again.
The only thing that mattered to the Riverhawks, as soon as the final whistle blew in Week 8 last season, was getting the rematch against the Onalaska Loggers. In the exact same week, 364 days later, with the potential to give the senior class their second league title.
And as a cherry on top, keep the area’s longest active home winning streak alive.
“It is what we’ve been craving for since last year,” running back Carter Swofford stated.
Stage one of Toledo’s redemption tour reached the finale on Friday night.
Sparked by a fourth down touchdown from Eli Weeks on drive numero uno and Swofford accounting for over 100 yards, the Riverhawks dominated all three phases to triumph over Onalaska 32-0 to claim the C2BL East title.
It marks the first time Toledo (8-0, 5-0) scored a point against the Loggers in three years. It controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and kept Ethan Thayer in check the entire night.
One of the state’s best rushers, regardless of classification, was held to 17 yards on 13 carries.
“We had nine on Thayer, two on the quarterback,” Swofford said.
“We had a set gameplan to shut down everything and it worked like a charm,” fellow senior Nico Acosta added. “After our first defensive drive we knew we won it.”
There were celebratory hugs amongst the Toledo community afterwards. One interaction just as everyone dispersed brought back memories of head coach Mike Christensen being a part of the 1996 state runner-up team as a freshman.
“You feel the pressure of the town on you all week long and you don’t want to let them down,” Christensen said. “The best part is seeing the kids smile.”
For the second straight year, it was a top-five showdown based on the latest poll from the coaches association. And again, the final score was not close.
Weeks darted 46 yards on the Riverhawks’ opening drive on fourth-and-long. Then after forcing a punt, Swofford cashed in on a 9-yard plunge to double the margin to 12-0. Onalaska’s first half featured three punts, a fumble and a turnover on downs.
Nine years nearly to the day was the last time the Loggers (5-3, 3-1) were blanked in a league game.
“All the credit in the world goes to the Toledo Riverhawks,” their head coach Mazen Saade said. “The basics of the game were not played well by the Onalaska Loggers tonight.”
Toledo marched down the field in 15 plays that covered 85 yards in the second quarter and proceeded to chew plenty of clock. Weeks capped the drive with a 2-yard score and he found Adam Kruger with four seconds left from 13-yards out to end the opening half.
Even though Tri-Cities Prep and Newport are higher in the coaches’ poll, the Riverhawks now embark on stage two: Overcoming a playoff loss. They dropped a heartbreaker to TCP after being stuffed yards away from the end zone.
It all has been fuel to the fire.
“It is surreal, you can’t compare it to anything,” Acosta said.
Weeks finished with over 275 yards of total offense and found Kruger six times for 97 yards and the two touchdowns. Swofford made the play of the night, reeling in a 37-yard completion that he pinned to the back of the Loggers’ defender, both rolled over and Swofford tucked it in for the catch.
“Best catch of my career, honestly,” Swofford said with a chuckle
Lane Gordon led the way with 51 yards and Eli Srnka registered 48 on the ground for Onalaska, who end the regular season at home for senior night versus Toutle Lake on Thursday. Saade has always cared about winning the league, getting to a crossover and seeing where the rest shakes out.
Two of three will have to do.
“Now we know the standard,” Saade said. “We have to use this in a positive manner. It is time to go to work.”
Depending on any new developments over the next two days, Toledo’s regular season ends with no Week 9 game. Christensen said he’s reached out to several schools, but can’t find a match.
Its Week 10 crossover will either be Ilwaco, Forks or Raymond/South Bend.
“Being able to play physical football and we matched them physically," Christensen said.
Swofford has a message for every team scouting the Riverhawks.
“I think everybody should be scared to see us after this game,” he said. “If they want to watch film and see how Toledo plays, they should be sh-tting bricks as soon as they see the tape.”
