MATTAWA – On Friday, the Wahluke Warriors lost 21-20 to Naches Valley at home. A nail-biter to the end, they fought back several times in the second half. Head coach Anfernee Cortez was proud of what he saw from his players, despite the loss.  

“I saw some good fight, our players adjusted once we started figuring them out. They played with a lot of heart, they just kept fighting to the end, and that's what I'm most proud of, and that's something we could carry into the next game,” Cortez said.  

In the first half, Naches Valley took a 14-0 lead over the Warriors. As the second half started, the Warriors had a hole to climb out of. Throughout the third quarter, both teams traded three-and-out drives.  

With less than two minutes left in the third, the Warriors began moving the ball downfield. The run game began to open up and they were chipping away yards from the Valley defense.  

As they crept into the red zone, wide receiver Ethan Moreno hauled in a short pass from quarterback Keaton Zirker for a 10-yard touchdown. The Warriors cut the deficit to 7-14 heading into the fourth quarter.  

After forcing a Naches Valley three-and-out, the Warriors took over on offense once again. They continued to rely on the run game to move the ball and slowly they did. After a few plays and penalty calls went their way, the Warriors found themselves knocking on the door of the endzone.  

At the one-yard line, Zirker lined up right behind his center and pushed his way into the endzone for another touchdown to tie the game 14-14. Cortez said he never saw his team losing their fight.  

“They kept fighting, and they didn't think we were down for one bit. We felt like this was a game that we could easily come back into and that's exactly what we did,” he said.  

Naches Valley was forced into another three-and-out by the Warriors. As they took over on offense, they began to tap into the pass game but were derailed by a tipped pass that was intercepted by Naches Valley. Soon after, they would score and retake the lead at 21-14.  

When the Warriors got the ball back, they worked the clock. Early in the drive, they found themselves in a fourth-and-long situation. Cortez and Zirker met on the sideline during a timeout to discuss what they wanted to do.  

It was not clear at first if they were going to send out the punting unit or go for it. Suddenly, Zirker was jogging back out to the huddle before everyone lined up. In an empty set formation, Zirker hiked the ball and scanned his field for options. He found Jose Acevedo deep for a 30-yard reception to flip the field position.  

“I found my most trustful receiver that I know, and I just tossed it up to him, and I know he'll get that,” Zirker said.  

The Warriors once again kept chipping away through the run. With just over a minute to go in the game, Zirker snuck up the middle again for another touchdown. However, instead of kicking the field goal, Cortez and the Warriors called another gutsy play. They decided to go for two to try and capture their first lead of the game. They would be unsuccessful; Naches Valley took the ball back and ran out the clock to secure the win.

Despite the loss, Zirker thought highly of his teammates for not giving up throughout the game.  

“Even though we had our ups and downs, this whole game we just came back and fought hard, in the second half we were down, but we came back and we're just going to keep that (fight) for the rest of the season,” Zirker said.  

Cortez said his team has shown the right mindset to bounce back next week when they play Wapato on the road Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.  

BOX SCORE: 

WAHL: 0-0-7-13: 20
NCHS: 7-7-0-7: 21 

    Warriors quarterback Keaton Zirker, left, lines up for their next offensive possession against Naches Valley. Zirker said he saw a lot of heart put on display by his teammates, especially in the second half when they came back to tie it.
  

    Warriors quarterback Keaton Zirker (15) celebrates with his teammates after their first touchdown of the game. Zirker scored on two quarterback sneak plays on Friday.
  

    The Wahluke Warriors trenches prepare for the snap of the ball. The Warriors defensive front brought pressure throughout the second half that helped them come back and tie the game.
  

    Wahluke Warriors Head Coach Anfernee Cortez gives his team a pep talk after their loss to Naches Valley. Cortez said he saw a lot of fight from his team, and they have the right mindset to bounce back from it.
  

    The Wahluke Warriors huddle up as a team after their loss to Naches Valley Friday. Quarterback Keaton Zirker said he is confident his team will bounce back as they move forward in the season.