Washington college football recap
MIKE MAYNARD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 months, 2 weeks AGO
Quarterback Nate Bell runs into the endzone for a touchdown against University of Northern Iowa. The Eagles were defeated 17-14.
COURTESY PHOTO/BRAEDEN HARLOW/EWU ATHLETICS
Kennedy McGill hands the ball off to Ryder Bumgarner. The Wildcats return to the gridiron on Saturday against West Texas A&M.
The Cougars defense lines up before North Texas snaps the ball. The Cougs were defeated on the road 59-10.
Jonah Coleman (1) runs upfield during a game. The Huskies are set to return to the field against Washington State in the Apple Cup.
MOSES LAKE — Another week of college football has concluded. Before the next slate of games begins, see below how Washington football teams fared against their competition last weekend.
Eastern Washington at University of Northern Iowa:
The Eagles fell just short of capturing their first win of the season after losing 17-14 to UNI. At the start of the fourth quarter, the Eagles were down 17-0. Quarterback Nate Bell sparked the offense with a 15-yard touchdown run.
On the next defensive drive, Bryce Smith blocked a punt by UNI and set the Eagles up with good field position. Bell would break loose for another touchdown run that amounted to 40 yards. From there, the Eagles were unable to tie or take the lead over UNI. Head Coach Aaron Best remained optimistic in a statement by EWU athletics.
“We didn't have much in the first half. Redzone defense and special teams were our lean-ons that gave us a chance out of half. We lost the first half but won the second half. There was a tone of fight, and it put us in a position to kick a game-tying field goal. It's about the kids that put so much effort and hours into their full games. We've come up short, but it hasn't taken the wind out of their sails. That's a testament to their character,” Best said.
BOX SCORE:
EWU: 0-0-0-14: 14
UNI: 7-3-7-0: 17
Central Wasington (Bye week)
The Wildcats did not play last weekend; the last time they played was in a 42-17 loss Sept. 6 to Montana on the road. They will return to the gridiron on Saturday to play West Texas A&M at home, with kickoff slated for 6 p.m.
Washington State at North Texas
The Cougars were defeated handily on the road by North Texas 59-10. They fell behind early in the first half, only putting up three points in the first quarter, while North Texas finished the first half with a 42-3 lead.
The Cougars’ defense held North Texas to 17 points in the second half, but WSU was unable to get anything going on offense until the fourth quarte,r when the Cougs scored their only touchdown of the game.
“Our players just need to keep fighting and keep responding,” said the coach. “I think they heard the message in the second half, it’s just hard to respond in those situations and we’ve got to grow from that, from how this feels and how it stings and move forward.”
BOX SCORE:
WSU: 3-0-0-7: 10
NTU: 14-28-10-7: 59
University of Washington (Bye Week)
The Huskies had a bye week as they prepare to face Washington State this weekend in the Apple Cup.
Kennedy McGill hands the ball off to Ryder Bumgarner. The Wildcats return to the gridiron on Saturday against West Texas A&M.
The Cougars defense lines up before North Texas snaps the ball. The Cougs were defeated on the road 59-10.
Jonah Coleman (1) runs upfield during a game. The Huskies are set to return to the field against Washington State in the Apple Cup.ARTICLES BY MIKE MAYNARD
Wahluke falls to Tri-Cities in home opener
MATTAWA — The Wahluke Warriors (0-1) were defeated 46-24 in their home opener by the Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars. Despite the loss, Head Coach Makai Hirai said he was proud of the effort his players gave on the court. “That was the biggest thing that I took away is we had a lot of effort. We have a lot of girls who are hungry, and the coaches were excited about (that). Our girls look pretty motivated ... they’re working hard,” Hirai said. The Jaguars started fast and held the lead the entire game. Tri-Cities Prep put up double-digit scores in each quarter except for the third. The Warriors finished strong with 10 points in the fourth quarter, but the Jaguars came out victorious.
From overtime thriller to championship stage
The Knights meet Cashmere once again
ROYAL CITY — On Friday, the No. 1 seed Royal Knights (12-0) will travel to Husky Stadium to play the No. 2 seed Cashmere Bulldogs (11-1) in the 1A state championship game. The Knights Head Coach Wiley Allred was not surprised to see the Bulldogs reach the state championship game. “I was hoping there wasn't a team better than them, because that's a pretty tough team right there. We'll meet our match,” Allred said. When these two met in October, it was the Knights pulling off a late comeback to win 21-15 in overtime. Coming into that game, both teams were undefeated. The Knights had only allowed seven points all season, while the Bulldogs had not allowed a score by any team.
Warriors fall short in home opener
MATTAWA — The Wahluke Warriors (0-1) were defeated 67-43 by the Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars Tuesday in their return to the hardwood. Wahluke Head Coach Anfernee Cortez said some of the loss may be attributed to first-game jitters. “We started too flat and just kind of dug ourselves into a hole early. Against a team like Tri-Cities Prep, it’s tough to catch up at that point,” Cortez said. A slow start by the Warriors allowed Tri-Cities Prep to take hold of the momentum early and build a commanding lead. In the first half, the Warriors struggled to knock down shots and attack the rim. The Jaguars carried their momentum into the second half to run away with the game. Wahluke had a stronger second-half showing, but Cortez said it was not enough to get back in the game.