After falling behind big early, the Centralia football team fell to 0-2 with a 44-21 loss at Eatonville on Thursday.
The Cruisers took a 14 point lead in the first quarter, but the Tigers got on the board with a 1-yard touchdown run from JoJo Simpson in the second.
Later in the second quarter, the Tigers had possession and had a chance to tie the game, but penalties killed what seemed to be a promising drive.
The Cruisers took advantage, scoring 16 more before the break to extend their lead to 30-7. An Eatonville scoop-and-score in the third quarter put the Cruisers up 30.
Kellen Rooklidge and Terrell Sanders each got in the end zone with touchdown runs of their own in the second half, but the deficit was too much to overcome.
Rooklidge was dominant on the ground throughout, tallying 243 yards on 28 carries, good for an average of 8.7 yards per carry.
Coach Jon Rooklidge said that he is proud of how his team fought throughout.
“We’re continuing to make some strides,” Rooklidge said, while also adding there are still several things to clean up, most notably penalties and fumbles. “It’s a battle against ourselves. Just gotta get a complete effort.”
The Tigers’ next chance to snap their losing streak will come next Friday, when they’ll host Aberdeen at Tiger Stadium at 7 p.m.
