Mules fall to MWP; head to Toutle Lake

How good are the number one ranked Morton/White Pass Timberwolves?

Pretty darn good, if you asked the Wahkiakum Mules, who were victims of a 51-6 defeat at the hands of the T-wolves last Friday.

Both teams entered the game with perfect 6-0 records. The experience the visitors carried with them--they finished second in the state 2B playoffs last year--paved the way to the lopsided win.

"It was ugly," commented Mule Coach Eric Hansen.

The Mules kicked off to the T-wolves, and on the first play, MWP quarterback Ryan Reynolds slipped on the wet grass and went to his knees. The whistle blew to end the play, but an excited Mule defender put in a shoulder pad after the whistle, drawing a 15-yard penalty. An encroachment penalty later in the drive didn't help, and Brian Reynolds put the visitors on the scoreboard with a two-yard run at 6:00 of the first quarter.

MWP forced the Mules to punt and mounted another first quarter scoring drive, with Spencer Seymer scoring on a one-yard drive. MWP led 13-0 as the quarter ended.

The Mules responded with their best play of the night. Peter Weiler capped a 65-yard drive with a five-yard run at 6:41 of the second quarter. Weiler's conversion kick was wide, leaving the score 13-6 in the T-wolves' favor.

From there, the game belonged to MWP. A helmet to helmet tackle on the Mules' scoring drive gave fullback Steven Doumit a concussion, and he left the game.

"He's our emotional leader," Hansen said. The Mules had to adjust their personnel, and with players in new positions, things came apart. The T-wolves piled on three touchdowns in the last half of the second quarter and led 31-6 at halftime. They scored twice more in the third quarter, and at that point, both coaches put in their junior varsity teams.

The T-wolves gained 295 yards on the ground and 117 in the air. They had 13 first downs, no turnovers, and four penalties for 35 yards.

The Mules gained 95 yards rushing and completed no passes. Doumit had 19 yards on six carries; Austin Good carried three times for 20 yards; Weiler gained 22 yards on five carries, and Lars Blix had 34 yards on 10 carries. The Mules had five first downs, lost two of three fumbles and had eight penalties for 60 yards.

"Now we know how much work we have to do," Hansen told his players as they came off the field.

The Mules head to Toutle Lake this Friday to take on the 3-4 Ducks. The Mules then have a bye, and they could face Toutle Lake again November 2 in the cross over games that will determine playoff seeding.