COLFAX - The Warden Cougars aspirations of bringing home the 2B state championship went unfulfilled as the team suffered a 22-7 first round loss at Colfax Friday.

"It was a tough physical game that produced big hits for both teams," coach Erik Skone said. "And our kids gave it everything they had ... played their hearts out ... and that's all I can ask for."

Colfax got out to a 14-0 lead early in the first quarter of the game. But Warden answered back with a 58-yard pass from Trent Bates to Adam Hansen (Osvaldo Alba kick) to close the gap to 14-7 as the first 12 minutes of play expired.

Neither team put points on the board in the second quarter, but it wasn't necessarily the physicality of the defensive units that prevented Warden and Colfax from scoring. The weather was more of a factor, than a few snot-knockers by both.

"It was miserable. It was raining so hard the kids were soaked from head-to-toe," Skone said. "The worst weather we've played in 15 years. The wind was blowing too and that it made it extremely difficult for us to get our passing game going."

Trailing by a score at the half, it was gut check time for the Cougars as Skone addressed the team in the locker room.

"I told them I was confident we could come out in the second half and make a game of it," he said. "We just needed to take care of the ball and take advantage of our scoring opportunities."

The team took Skone's message to heart and shut down the Bulldogs in the third quarter, but unfortunately were unable to score as well.

Colfax put another eight points on the board in the fourth quarter to increase its lead to 22-7. But the vaunted Cougar offense had no answer and was shut out in the final 12 minutes of the game.

"We had some opportunities ... got down to their 10-yard line with about six minutes to go, but had to settle for a field goal attempt," Skone said. "But unfortunately, we missed it. They took the ball down field and scored again as time ran out to win 21-7."

The Cougars may have come up a bit shy of their mark of bringing home a state championship, but all-in-all, Warden had a very successful season.

"We did have a great year," Skone said. "The kids had a great attitude all season long and worked hard to get to where we got. A couple of bounces go our way against Colfax and things could have ended different. But it didn't happen, but I am still proud of the effort the kids turned in."

Warden ended a successful year as the 2B Central Washington District champions, which earned the team a return trip to the big show.