WASHBURN LEADS BEARCATS AT WEST FORK

You could call it a coming out party.

Going into Friday’s game at West Fork, Jace Washburn was probably not considered a priority for West Fork. After all, they were gearing up for a running back in Dax Goff who had torched them for 307 yards a season ago.

Of course going into the game Washburn was probably seen as a game manager. His season rushing total had not reached three digits. Neither had his passing yardage.

Coming out of the game, they knew Washburn’s name because he ran 13 times for 181 yards and a touchdown. He also threw for 113 as well by completing seven of nine throws, including another for a touchdown.

The Bearcats (3-2, 2-0 Conference 3A—1) won the toss and deferred until the second half and took the field offensively for the first time with 7:32 left in the opening quarter.

That came after a Tiger punt forced due to sacks by Conner Lentz on a first down and Goff and Clayton Green on a forthcoming third down.

Starting from their 39 the Bearcats took just seven plays to score. It was Rylen Ray scoring his first to two touchdowns on a 7-yard run and with Juan Moreno’s point after it was 7-0.

If West Fork (1-4, 0-2) did not consider Washburn’s possible impact on offense, they probably did on defense, but it did not matter.

The Tigers kept the ball the rest of the opening quarter only to throw an interception to Washburn on the final play of the quarter.

However, that came at the Bearcat 1-yard line and after the end-to-end walk to start the second quarter the Bearcats were unable to go 99 yards, but they would cross midfield before turning the ball over on downs with 8:39 left in the half.

There would be only one more non-time constrained possession in the half and that was when Washburn fired a shot to Goff, who took it 65 yards for a touchdown and a 13-0 lead.

On what would be the final possession of the half the Bearcats again began inside their own 10 and simply ran out of time.

If the 13-0 halftime score raised a few eyebrows across the state the look would return to normal soon enough, but first the Bearcats suffered a lost fumble on the second half opening kickoff.

A fierce punt rush and tackle by Green followed a sack by Ray and the Bearcats would take over at Tiger 46 for their first second half possession.

Four plays later Washburn bolted 32 yards for a touchdown and was on his way to a 154-yard second half. Moreno added the PAT for a 19-0 lead.

Starting from their 11 after another Tiger punt the Bearcats needed four plays to score. Washburn had 34 and 10 yard carries but it was Goff going 45 for the touchdown.

Goff would finish with 116 yards on just 10 carries.

Penalties for holding and false starting pushed the PAT try back to the 18. Moreno converted the equivalent of a 35-yard field goal and it was 26-0 with 2:50 left in the third quarter.

A penalty – the Bearcats had nine for 94 yards – derailed the next possession but a punt gave the Bearcats the ball back, again inside the 20, this time at their 17.

Washburn got loose on the next play and, save for a horse collar tackle would likely have scored.

Instead he got 80 yards and another for a penalty and Ray scored from the 2 to make it 33-0 with 7:17 to play.

When the Bearcats got the ball back a wholesale change to Rhett Nietert’s unit took over. The onslaught would not stop.

Nietert’s group moved 73 yards in just seven plays to make it 40-0. Nietert ran for 35 yards, including nine for the touchdown, Chase Shelton accounted for 30, and both Garrick Barr and Colter Fisher got carries.

Oliver Loaeza tacked on the PAT to allow the Bearcats to reach the 40 point mark for the fourth time this season.

West Fork had 1:50 to try to avoid the shutout and was able to reach their 49 before a Daxton Bowman sack – the fifth of the night for the Bearcats – made sure that did not happen.

West Fork managed 112 yards of total offense.

The Bearcats will next face Greenland for Homecoming on Friday. Greenland (1-4, 0-2) lost to Mansfield 65-0 last Friday.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m., following a 6:30 p.m. coronation of Queen Linley Garrett.