Mountaineers roll over the Mules

When it rains, it pours?

Well, the rain came down last Friday night at the Wahkiakum Mule football stadium, and the visiting Rainier Mountaineers drenched the host Mules in a 47-7 playoff decision.

The Mountaineers scored three times in the first quarter and three times in the second to take a commanding 39-7 halftime lead.

The Mules moved the ball in the air in the first quarter and set up a one-yard touchdown plunge by junior quarterback Lucas Brown. Brown kicked the extra point cutting the Mounties' lead to 14-7 at 1:52, but that was as close as the Mules got. The rest of the game belonged to Rainier.

The Mules were without senior running back/linebacker Zach Brown. He sustained a shoulder injury in the Mules' win over Toutle Lake the previous week.

"With Zach out, we had to shift players around, and our youth showed," said Mule Coach Eric Hansen.

The Mules managed only eight yards rushing and 82 yards passing, while Rainier piled up 294 rushing yards and 50 yards passing.

L. Brown completed six of 10 passes but had four intercepted. He was also the Mules' leading rusher with nine yards.

On defense, L. Brown and Tristan Collupy each made seven tackles; Evan Quigley and James Anderson each made six; K.C. Beery and Ashden Niemeyer each had five; Chance Cothren, Casey Wilson, and Braxton Johns three each; Brody Carlson two and Kaden Anderson one.

The Mules finished the season with a 7-3 record.

"It was a great season," Hansen said. "I was really pleased with placing second in our division.

"With the youth of our program, we have a great future."

The team will lose three seniors, Wilson, Z. Brown, and Aaron West.