Tigers maul Mules 48-0; Pirates next up for WHS

The Napavine Tigers rolled over the Wahkiakum Mules for a 48-0 Central League football game last Friday.

The Tigers, second ranked in the Associated Press poll, got things going early by pressuring Mule quarterback Gunnar Blix and returing an intercepted pass for a touchdown with less than 90 seconds gone in the game. They followed that by stripping the ball from a Mule ball carrier on the next series, setting up another short touchdown.

"The floodgates came open," said Mule Coach Eric Hansen.

The Tigers scored four times in the first quarter for a 27-0 lead, and another 21 points in the second quarter made it 48-0 at halftime. Both teams played their young players in the second half, and the young Mules held their own.

"Napavine is a good, solid team," Hansen said. "They're the best Class 2B on the west side.

"We're going to put the game behind us and focus on Adna," Hansen said.

The Mules managed 74 yards of rushing and 36 yards of passing, 110 yards total. The Tigers piled up 350 yards rushing and 79 yards passing.

Zach Brown led the Mule rushing with 59 yards. Blix completed six of 123 passes for 36 yards.

Blix led the defense with 19 tackles; Trystan Mendez made nine, Brown eight, Brandon Budd seven and Cody Terpsman six.

The 1-1 Mules host the 2-0 Adna Pirates this Friday.

"We may start three freshmen," Hansen said. "They just go after the ball, and that's what we want."