Eastlake shuts out first opponent Eastmont in 4A state playoffs
With state football playoffs starting last Friday, Eastlake maintained its undefeated streak by trouncing the Eastmont Wildcats from East Wenatchee in a 50-0 victory at home.
Eastlake quarterback Parker Barrysmith threw for 321 yards and 4 touchdowns on the night, while wide receiver Noah Weintraub made 3 receptions for 144 yards and 1 touchdown.
The Wolves began the night strong. A pass from Barrysmith to Weintraub from midfield to the 11-yard line put Eastlake in scoring position in the first minute of the quarter. After gaining ground on rushing downs, the Wolves were within the 5-yard line when running back Michael Lester scored the first points of the night with a 2-yard rushing touchdown. A missed extra point meant the score remained 6-0.
The kickoff to Eastmont running back Nathan Chang brought the ball to the Eastmont 30-yard line before he was tackled by Eastlake cornerback Luke Westmoreland. Not to be deterred, the Wildcats quickly advanced toward the Eastlake end zone. However, a touchback into the end zone meant that Eastlake regained possession at their 20-yard line. Next, Barrysmith completed a pass to wide receiver Will Eaton, who proceeded to score an 8-yard rushing touchdown half-way through the first quarter, this time with a successful extra point. Eaton made 2 receptions on the night for a total 124 yards.
However, the Wolves were not done. An interception by cornerback Colby Marsh gave Eastlake possession once again. Adding a touchdown pass from Eaton to Weintraub just two minutes later bumped the score to 20-0.
With four minutes left in the first quarter, a quick three and out returned possession to the Wolves. Like the second touchdown, running back Jack Peterson ran 85-yards to the end zone. Fortunately for the Wildcats, this time a holding penalty on Eastlake nullified the play and the quarter came to a close.
Momentum in the second quarter remained in Eastlake’s favor. Within two minutes of the start, a 70-yard touchdown pass from Barrysmith to wide receiver Griffin Miller and another extra point widened the gap for Eastlake by another seven points.
Unwilling to relent just yet, Eastmont pushed to the Eastlake 35-yard line. With the taste of success just a short drive away, the Wildcats crossed into the Wolves’ red zone to the 10-yard line on rushing downs thanks to Chang and running back Colby King. However, insurmountable defense from safety Michael Kistner and two incomplete passes meant Eastmont was forced to turn possession over on downs at the Eastlake 2-yard line.
A pass from Barrysmith to Weintraub landed the Wolves on the Eastmont 40-yard line. A quick rush by Peterson to the 20-yard line put the Wolves in scoring position once again. Seconds later, a touchdown pass from Barrysmith to tight end Will Woodward drove up the score to 34-0.
A fruitless series of downs for the Wildcats meant another change of possession and a kickoff to the Wolves. The long kick dropped the ball at Eastlake’s 16-yard line, and the Wolves were back on the hunt. After pushing to the Eastmont 24-yard line on a sequence of plays, including a roughly 35-yard pass from Barrysmith to Eaton, the Wolves were in scoring position for a sixth time in the first half. Eastlake crossed the goal line again when Barrysmith found Kistner in the end zone to close the first half with a wide 41-0 margin for the Wolves.
Compared to the first half, the Wildcats took advantage of the break to reconsider their offensive game plan and, as a result, the second half saw fewer changes to the score.
Capitalizing on a Wildcat mistake during the third quarter, Eastlake managed a two-point gain on a safety on a bad snap by Eastmont.
Later, an aggressive offensive push found Eastlake at the Eastmont 26-yard line. However, the quarter ended before any other points could be scored.
Refusing to be discouraged, the Wolves began the fourth quarter with their final touchdown pass when Cole Hunt, now playing quarterback, passed to wide receiver Robbie Pudas.
With their 50-point lead, Eastlake switched to a more defensive strategy as Eastmont rushed against the clock to prevent a complete shutout. With three minutes left, the Wildcats managed to reach the Eastlake 15-yard line but found an impenetrable Wolves defense that forced another possession turnover on downs. Unable to make any considerable offensive plays, the game ended for the Wildcats with only a 10-yard gain, and Eastlake ran out the clock for a 50-0 victory.
Eastlake’s (11-0) next playoff opponent will be Sumner (10-1). The game will be on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 1:00 p.m. at Eastlake.
