MOSSYROCK — It was never even remotely close.
The Mossyrock football team obliterated Naselle on Friday, dominating from start to finish in a 62-8 win. And it could’ve been worse, if it wasn’t for a running clock that began early in the second quarter.
From the opening kickoff, the Vikings (6-1, 4-0 1B Columbia Valley) had no problem bringing a level of energy and intensity that Naselle simply couldn’t match. After years of Naselle dominating the head-to-head matchup, the Vikings were thrilled to be on the other end of a blowout win.
“When we first dropped down to eight man, they kicked our butts for several years,” Mossyrock coach Eric Ollikainen said. “They had our number for a long, long time. We kinda squeaked by them last year, but we kind of wanted to, on our way out, give them something to remember us by.”
The scoring party got started early, as Easton Kolb found Hunter Isom on a 34-yard touchdown just three minutes into the game. After quickly forcing a punt, Zackary Munoz broke free for a 30-yard touchdown to double the advantage. 12-0.
The Vikings defense recovered a fumble to get the ball back to the offense, and Kolb broke loose for a 60-yard touchdown. Minutes later, he scored on another long run, this one for 63 yards. 28-0.
The Vikings then recovered the ensuing onside kick, and Marshall Brockway eventually ran it in for another touchdown. 36-0.
Even up 36, the message from the Mossyrock sideline was audible enough for everyone in attendance to hear — “We’re just getting started.”
Just as it seemed the Comets were building some momentum on a drive of their own, Peyton McClure picked up a loose ball and returned it for a touchdown. 42-0.
Just sixteen minutes of game time in, and the running clock rule was already in effect.
The Vikings defense stifled the Naselle offense throughout, actually outscoring them as a unit with the defensive touchdown in the first half.
The Comets’ best offensive possession came at the start of the second half, when they marched into the red zone. Instead of rolling over, the Vikings clamped down and forced a turnover on downs. It was the closest the Naselle offense got to the end zone.
“The defense played really well,” Ollikainen said. “They’re getting better with their run fits and just seeing things … Guys saw things and just made plays.
“It just felt really good. I’m just happy we got the win. That’s a good team over there, so it’s a quality win.”
Kolb finished the day with 380 total yards and five total touchdowns, with three of them coming through the air and two coming on the ground. Munoz had 90 receiving yards, all of them coming on his long touchdown pass, and he added 45 yards on the ground.
Isom finished the day with four catches for 85 yards.
The Vikings have now won six straight games since an 11-man opening week loss to Pe Ell-Willapa Valley. They’ll look to extend the streak to seven next Friday when they host Winlock.
