Mules beat Comets 60-14 for KM Trophy win

It didn't take long for the Wahkiakum Mules to take control of their first meeting with the Naselle Comets in several years.

Two Comet fumbles, short fields for the Mules, and quick touchdowns and the Mules were on their way to a 60-14 win that gave them a post season playoff berth and possession of the KM Trophy, which since 1960, has gone to the winner of the football game between the neighboring teams. It may have been the last trophy game between the two teams, for the Comets are considering dropping to Class 1B because of declining enrollment.

Gunnar Blix got the Mules on the scoreboard at 9:54 of the first quarter with a three-yard touchdown blast; he ran the conversion for an 8-0 lead. After the Comets turned over the ball, Mason Mackey scored from one yard out, and Austin Good made the conversion to boost the lead to 16-0 at 7:55.

Blix connected with Mackey for one of the more interesting touchdowns of the night at 4:43. Mackey had to stretch out to catch the pass and ended up on his back in the endzone, batting the ball around with his hands until he could grab it for the touchdown.

Blix passed to Travis Wegdahl for another touchdown with 38 seconds left in the first quarter. Another pass to Wegdahl made the conversion, and the Mules led 32-0. They added three more touchdowns in the second quarter. Nathan Cothren ripped off runs of 85 and 80 yards for two touchdowns and a 42-0 lead. At that point Mule Coach Eric Hansen began mixing it up. Linemen started carrying the ball, and Blix passed to tackle-turned-end Shane Souvenir for an 18-yard score with 2:50 left in the second quarter and a 52-0 Mule halftime lead.

The Mule varsity received the kickoff to start the third quarter and drove to the Comet four-yard line. At that point, Hansen substituted the junior varsity to finish the game.

The Comets got on the scoreboard at 1:54 of the third quarter as Tony Lopez scored on a 39-yard run.

The young Mules responded with a touchdown at 9:30 of the fourth quarter as Alex Johnson scored on an eight-yard carry; Hank Ferguson ran the conversion.

The Comets closed out the scoring with 4:53 left as Sam Scrabeck passed to Justin Martinez for a 25-yard score.

The Mules gained 407 yards rushing and 147 yards passing. Cothren had 243 yards on eight runs; Good had 47 yards on four carries; Mackey 31 on seven runs, Johnson 52 on four runs and Jesús Crawford 22 yards on seven runs. Blix completed eight of 14 passes for three touchdowns and 147 yards. Good, Wegdahl and Souvenir all had two catches; Mackey and Seth Doumit each had one.

On defense, Blix had eight tackles, Cothren six and Doumit five. Blix and Doumit each recovered Comet fumbles.

The Comets gained 81 yards on the ground and 104 yards in the air.Lopez and Scrabeck each ran for 30 yards, and Martinez had 13. Scrabeck completed nine of 20 passes for 104 yards and one touchdown. Martinez caught five for 74 yards and one touchdown.

The Comets finished the season with a 3-6 record. With the win, the Mules went to 7-2 and earned a playoff match with the 7-1 Raymond Seagulls, the Pacific League champions.

"The Gulls are a mirror image of us," Coach Hansen commented. "They have a balanced offense led by their big fullback. The key for us is to stop him. They're a good team."

The game will be 7 p.m. Friday in Aberdeen.