Mules blast Cardinals, start playoffs today

The Wahkiakum Mule football team got back on the winning track with a 41-22 win over the Winlock Cardinals last Friday.

The win secured a third place finish for the Mules in the Central League's River Division and put them in a crossover playoff today (Thursday) with the Raymond Seagulls, second place finisher in the Coastal Division.

At Raymond's suggestion, the 7 p.m. game has been moved to Stewart Field in Aberdeen to avoid the Gulls' muddy field.

"They're a good team," Mule Coach Eric Hansen said of the Gulls. "They have two good linemen and two good backs; we'll have to contain them."

The loser of the game will enter a Saturday playoff, 7 p.m. at Centralia High School, with losers of the league's other second-third place crossovers.

Subsequently, the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association will seed teams into the state Class 2B football playoffs.

The Mules finished their regular season with a solid win at Winlock.

Quentin Nelson runs of 12 and 15 yards and two Lucas Brown conversion kicks gave them a 14-6 halftime lead.

Brown scored on runs of 16 yards and one yard in the third quarter; Winlock responded with a touchdown to keep close, with the Mules leading 26-14 going into the fourth quarter.

After Winlock scored early in the final frame to close the gap to 26-22, the Mule rushing attack put Brown over the goal line twice, first at 7:40 on a three-yard run to boost the Mule lead to 34-22 and again with 56 seconds left from two yards out for the final 40-22 score.

The Mules gained 332 yards on the ground and 95 in the air. Winlock finished with 172 yards rushing and 77 yards passing.

For the Mules, Nelson gained 108 yards on 11 carries; Chance Cothren had 81, Brown 79 and Braxton Johns 63. Brown completed four of four passes for 95 yards; Nelson caught two for 66 yards; KC Beery had one for 28 yards and Johns one for one yard.

Leading in tackles was Ashden Niemeyer with 13. Brown had eight, Evan Quigley seven, Eli Moon six, Nelson five, Beery and Damion Curl four each, Cothren, Chase Heagy and Zayne Meneou three apiece, Johns and Jason Hodges two each and Jake Leitz and Zachary Brandon one each. Moon intercepted a pass, and Brown blocked a kick.