Another impressive performance from Caleb Von Pressentin and a dominant defensive effort helped Napavine shut out Pe Ell-Willapa Valley 34-0 on Friday night in Napavine.
Von Pressentin scored all five of the game’s touchdowns, his third straight game hitting tallying five TDs, and he tallied 222 yards on just 24 carries.
“We said on day one that he and Grady were gonna have to lead this thing,” Napavine coach Josh Fay said. “He’s a natural leader. I know he doesn’t always view himself that way, but he’s got some natural leadership qualities that kids gravitate toward. He’s a lot of fun to be around.”
“If our coaching staff is gonna give him opportunities, he’s going to go out and make the most of them every week,” Fay continued. “So far, that’s what he’s done. He’s excited to be in that position, and we’re definitely better off because of his eagerness to accept that role.”
Defensively, the Tigers set the tone early with a goal-line stand, and they held the Titans to less than 200 total yards of offense.
“That’s a good football team,” Fay said. “They run the ball well. I think Blane King is a top-three premier offensive player in our league, maybe in all of District 4 2B football. Obviously, we got some help from Mother Nature tonight, but I liked the way we flew around.”
Grady Wilson also made his return, albeit in a small sample size. He played five snaps, and though Fay wouldn’t commit to him playing next week, he did add that he “wouldn’t rule anything out.”
PWV was able to break off a couple of big plays, but they were both called back due to penalties.
PWV coach John Peterson credited Napavine for winning at the line of scrimmage, and he also said this was the first time all year that the Titans struggled with bringing down the ball carrier.
“One of those deals you got to flush it and move on,” Peterson said.
Lucas Lusk tallied 91 yards on 16 carries, while Blane King added 43 total yards of offense (21 rushing, 22 receiving).
PWV (6-2, 3-1 C2BL West) will return home to host Adna on Thursday in a game that could determine the league champion.
“We addressed that after the game,” Peterson said. “It’s a pretty veteran group that has been through a lot. I like the leadership. We’re gonna play a good team and play good, clean football.”
Napavine (4-4, 3-1 C2BL West) will hit the road on Thursday to face Forks, and the Tigers will look to push their win streak to four heading into the postseason.
“Everybody’s building trust right now,” Fay said. “Kids are trusting the process. Coaches are trusting guys to do their jobs. The most important thing is teammates trusting each other and letting everybody do their own job.”
