Mules beat Winlock 40-8; host Adna Friday

A balanced attack paved the way for the Wahkiakum Mules to overwhelm the host Winlock Cardinals 40-8 in a Central League football game last Friday.

The Mules led 20-0 after one quarter, 27-0 at halftime, and the first string added two more touchdowns in the third quarter before giving way to the reserves. Winlock put its eight points on the board in the fourth quarter.

Lars Blix completed eight of 10 passes for three touchdowns and 172 yards; he threw one interception. Steven Doumit caught four passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns; Kohl Bergseng caught three for 76 yards and one touchdown, and Austin Good caught one pass for 28 yards.

The Mules ran the ball 15 times for 278 yards. Good picked up 85 yards on two carries, one an 85-yard touchdown run. Doumit gained 72 yards on six runs; Blix ran twice for 14 yards and two touchdowns; Alex had 68 yards on two runs, and Gunnar Blix gained 29 yards on two runs.

"I was really pleased with our balance," Coach Eric Hansen commented. "Stevie (Doumit) and Austin (Good) ran the ball really well; Kohl (Bergseng) had some good catches, and Lars (Blix) had a really good game passing.

"On defense, Dylan Hansen was tough in the middle of the line; Bubba Calvert played well on the line, and Gunnar Blix did a good job at defensive end."

Doumit led the defense with 11 tackles and six assists; Lars Blix made three tackles and nine assists; Gunnar Blix had seven tackles and eight assists, and 63 had two tackles and eight assists.

The Mules host the 0-2 Adna Pirates on Friday. The Pirates opened their season with a loss to Napavine, and last week they fell 48-6 to Morton/White Pass.

"Adna will be hot," Hansen said. "I can't remember the last time they were 0-2. Morton/White Pass is the real thing."

Gridiron Observations

--The Naselle Comets boosted their record to 2-0 with a tight 22-21 win over the Knappa Loggers in a non-league game. The Comets host North Beach this Friday.

--The Pe Ell Trojans surprised people by thumping the highly rated Napavine Tigers 40-32 in Pe Ell. "Pe Ell lost only three kids from last year," Mule Coach Eric Hansen said. "Their two horses just ran over Napavine. It goes to show you about this league: On any Friday night, any team can beat any other team."

--In two games, the Mules have run the ball 50 times for 499 yards and passed 25 times for 17 completions, 262 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.