Huskies dominate Cougars in Apple Cup
MIKE MAYNARD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 months, 3 weeks AGO
The Washington Huskies celebrate after winning the Apple Cup against Washington State on Saturday. The Huskies defeated the Cougars 59-24.
COURTESY PHOTO/UW ATHLETICS
PULLMAN – On Saturday, the Huskies were victorious 59-24 over the Cougars in the 117th Apple Cup. Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch said the team is happy to have the Cup back in Seattle.
“I thought they came out ready to play,” Fisch said. “This is a game that we had to win; we had to come out and play our best football.”
Demond Williams Jr. threw four touchdown passes and ran for a score, according to a statement from the University of Washington Athletics. Williams was at the heart of Washington's offensive success with 298 yards through the air and another 88 on the ground.
“Demond is sensational, I think a lot of the country saw what he could do today,” Fisch said.
However, the Huskies made use of other weapons on their way to 471 total yards and their most points in the history of the storied rivalry.
Running back Jonah Coleman rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns to help a dominant rushing attack. Denzel Boston led all receivers with 107 yards and two touchdowns. Coleman recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game and added a touchdown catch.
The Huskies scored on every possession, extending their season-opening scoring streak to 21 straight drives. Washington scored touchdowns on seven of its eight scoring drives. The Huskies opened the game with a touchdown drive as Boston caught a 29-yard pass from Williams.
Cougar quarterback Zevi Eckhaus was intercepted on Washington State’s first drive by safety Alex McLaughlin. The interception sparked back-to-back touchdowns from Washington, both on the ground courtesy of Williams and Coleman.
The Cougars' only touchdown of the half came when Eckhaus found redshirt freshman tight end Bo Baker for his first collegiate catch and touchdown.
“Proud of Zevi, he played well and got put in a tough situation, he did everything he could to get us out of it, we just didn’t do enough,” Cougars Head Coach Jimmy Rogers said.
The instate rivals traded touchdowns to start the second half, with Boston adding his second score on a contested catch in the corner of the end zone to open the fourth quarter.
The Cougars committed back-to-back turnovers after the Boston score, starting with a second interception by Eckhaus, which McLaughlin returned for a touchdown. Eckhaus also fumbled on the first play of the next possession.
Another Coleman touchdown run and a 59-yard touchdown reception by senior Omari Evans capped the scoring as the Huskies secured their 76th win in the Apple Cup series.
“We’ll grow from it, I know there’s a team in there that wants to respond,” Rogers said. “I felt like our best defense was to keep our offense on the field the way we were operating.”
A dominant offensive performance led Washington to its first road win since November 2023 against Oregon State. The Cougars continued to struggle on the ground. Washington State rushed for 33 yards after ranking in the bottom five in the FBS in rushing yards per game.
The Huskies return to Husky Stadium next Saturday to host reigning national champion Ohio State at 12:30 p.m.
The Cougars hit the road to face Colorado State on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
ARTICLES BY MIKE MAYNARD
From Maverick to Warrior
Paige Richardson rises to first year challenges
MOSES LAKE — When former Moses Lake Maverick Paige Richardson first arrived at Walla Walla Community College, she did not anticipate getting to play as much softball as she did in her freshman season, she said. “I didn't know what to expect just because it's a whole different world once you step into college softball compared to high school softball,” Richardson said. “I was used to playing, pitching a lot for the Mavericks. My coach pretty much depended on two of us pitchers, and it just worked out that way, and we worked really well as a pair, and we were able to back each other up in certain scenarios, so I wasn't expecting it, but I'm glad it worked out the way it did.”
MLCA athletics enters new era under Todd Gregory
MOSES LAKE — Todd Gregory was named the new Athletic Director at Moses Lake Christian Academy earlier this summer. As he heads into his first year in the role, things are already expected to look different this school year. For instance, the Lions will not have a football team this season. “We did not renew our contract with Covenant (Christian School), so we lost some athletes this year,” Gregory said. “I think in the long run we'll end up getting some of those families that want to do athletics but stay in the Christian school atmosphere. I'm hoping that happens and we're able to get football going again.”
Moses Lake Roundup returns to Grant County Fair
MOSES LAKE — The 83rd Moses Lake Roundup is just over a week away from kicking off at the Grant County Fairgrounds Aug. 20-22. However, community members don’t have to wait until the 20th for the fun to start, as the demo derby will take place Aug. 18-19.