Skyline suffers nearly scoreless loss to East Wenatchee’s Eastmont Wildcats
On a rainy Friday night, East Wenatchee’s Eastmont Wildcats stormed into a raucous atmosphere at Skyline and quieted the crowd, routing the Spartans for a 21-3 loss in a lopsided defensive battle.
The Wildcats scored on their first possession, ignited by a monstrous 46-yard rush by Gunnar Peterson, who ran it in to give the Wildcats an early 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
The Spartans seemed poised to respond after a pair of 10-yard runs by running back Josh Menold, but, unfortunately for Skyline, the offense stalled and they were forced to punt. The Wildcats, like the Spartans, could not get anything going on offense and were forced to punt right back to end the quarter.
Skyline rode the prowess of Menold upfield on a powerful drive that was underscored by a 23-yard rush by the running back, but the Spartans, unable to cross into the end zone, settled for a field goal. With a straight shot through the uprights, Sean Lee put the Spartans on the board near the start of the second quarter, 7-3.
After a bad snap derailed the Wildcats’ next drive, a precise punt gave the Spartans the ball at their own 5-yard line. The offense struggled in their limited field position, and the Wildcats got the ball back at midfield. However, their offense was unable to take advantage of the prime position and punted the ball back to the home team.
The Spartans, frustrated once again, were left with nothing to show for their fourth drive of the game after getting sacked and forced to kick it away. With the Wildcats starting their next possession at midfield and halftime ticking closer, Adrien Ruffins caught a perfectly placed pass for a 23-yard touchdown with only six seconds on the clock. The half ended with the Wildcats commanding a 14-3 lead.
As the rain started to pour and spectators hurried for cover, the Wildcats kicked off to begin the second half. Despite a 25-yard run by Menold, the Spartans were unable to add any points to the board. The drive ended with a recurring theme, turning it over on downs at the Wildcats’ 25-yard line.
After the two teams traded punts for an entire quarter, Peterson put the game away with a 15-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter. An errant throw on fourth down sealed the game, and the Wildcats walked off the field with a dominant 21-3 victory.
The Spartans will play Issaquah High School at Issaquah on Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.
