Toledo head coach Mike Christensen is all about tracking his team’s trends, and for the first six games of the 2025 season, the common trend has been blowing teams out before halftime.
That trend continued Friday night against Rainier, as the Riverhawks scored 40 points in the first 24 minutes, including 28 in the second quarter, to prevail 52-6 and win their sixth straight to open the season.
The Riverhawks had a game plan to throw the ball in the rainy conditions early and often, and the risk paid off. Eli Weeks connected with Adam Kruger for three touchdowns, highlighted by an 85-yarder in the first quarter.
“It started pouring down rain right around when the game started, and we wanted to throw early. I like the way that we handled the rain,” Christensen said. “We play in Washington, and if you’re going to throw, you gotta be able to throw in the rain.”
Carter Swofford also pummeled the Mountaineers defense early with a pair of first half touchdowns before tacking on another in the third quarter. The senior tailback finished with 149 yards on 16 carries. Eli Weeks only needed seven completions to pass for 197 yards and three touchdowns on 12 pass attempts, with Kruger catching six for 166 yards and three touchdowns.
Rainier’s lone touchdown came from Jayden Alegarbes on a 55-yard run. Head coach Andy Bartell said Friday's loss was the first time he saw the air deflate out of his team, especially early in the game.
"We showed some fight, but when they scored on their second or third drive, I could see oru demeanor change a little bit," he said. "With them being so good, the momentum shifted and we never got a spark going. We've gotta execute exactly what the game plan is and exactly what the plays are designed to do."
Toledo will look to start 7-0 for the second straight year when it visits Morton-White Pass in White Pass next Friday, with a date against Onalaska looming the following week. Rainier (1-5, 0-3 Central 2B League) is gunning for its first league win of the year when it hosts Toutle Lake on senior night Friday.
