Pirates shut out Mules 39-0

For the second week in a row, the Wahkiakum Mule football team fell hard to a top-ranked Class 2B football team. Last Friday, the Adna Pirates beat the Mules 39-0.

The young Mules, with a majority of the starters being underclassmen, struggled against the upperclassmen of the Pirates, and injuries took a toll.

Zach Brown, the Mules' starting quarterback, sustained an injury to his throwing hand early in the first quarter. Mule coaches moved him to running back and shifted running back Hank Ferguson to quarterback. Soon, 125 lb. freshman James Anderson was at fullback, a position normally held by one of the bigger players on a team. At one point, the healthy players on the bench were two foreign exchange students still learning the game.

The injuries caused Mule Coach Eric Hansen to decided to forfeit the Mules' game scheduled this Friday at Pe Ell with Pe Ell/Willapa Valley, one of the top three teams in the Central League.

"We need to heal," he said Monday. "This is for the safety of the kids.

"This was the hardest decision I've had to make as a coach."

The break will give the Mules a chance to heal and be ready October 2 when they host Morton/White Pass in the homecoming game.

"They're like us--young and down in numbers," Hansen said.

Against Adna, the Mules managed only 51 yards of offense, 28 on the ground and 23 in the air. Anderson was leading rusher with 14; Ferguson gained nine. Ferguson completed a pass to Ryan Quigley for 23 yards.

On defense, Ferguson was in on 19 tackles and caused two fumbles. Brown was in on 16 tackles, Joey Moore and Anderson nine apiece, Evan Quigley five, Bryce Good four, Casey Wilson three, R. Quigley, Dylan Ahmed and McKenzie Menard two each, and Alexander Merrill, Cody Terpsma one each.