For the second straight season, Toledo’s season came to an end east of the Cascades, as the Riverhawks were blanked 41-0 by Northwest Christian (Colbert) on Saturday at Freeman High School.
The Riverhawks trailed just 10-0 at the half and moved the ball well throughout, gaining 271 total yards, but they turned the ball over three times and were worn down throughout the second half.
“We played a pretty good football game for 90 percent of it,” Toledo coach Mike Christensen said. “And then for the other 10 percent, they just made a big play.”
The Crusaders broke the game open in the second half with several big plays, including an 82-yard kickoff return to open the third quarter and a 73-yard pass later in the frame.
Toledo was able to move the ball effectively between the 20s, but continuously stalled in the red zone, going 0 for 4.
On one of those possessions, quarterback Eli Weeks threw a pass that caromed off his receiver’s hand, a defender’s helmet and a different defender’s foot before being intercepted.
“Just one of those days where the ball’s not bouncing our way,” Christensen said.
Christensen added that in addition to the turnovers, several mental mistakes led to negative plays that set them behind the sticks, which they struggled to recover from.
“Some mental mistakes up front really cost us,” Christensen said. “We needed to play perfect, and we didn’t.”
The Riverhawks finish their season 9-3 and are set to graduate seven seniors: Bayron Rodriguez, Jake Nef, Ethen Carver, Gabe Cabrera, Ethan Brooks, Kasen Ball and Jordan McKenzie.
