Othello, Royal, Liberty Christian open 2024 football season with decisive wins

Othello, which is considered one of the favorites to win the Class 2A Central Washington Athletic Conference, got off to a roaring start last Friday with a 28-9 football victory at Ellensburg.

Gavin Carl led the way for the Huskies by rushing for 128 yards on 14 carries, and scoring two touchdowns.

Othello quarterback Quade Gonzalez had a hand in two touchdowns, hitting Kal-El Ozuna on a 29-yard scoring strike, as well as rushing in for a 9-yard TD run himself.

Gonzalez finished with 122 yards passing and 54 yards rushing.

EPHRATA 15, PROSSER 14: Host Ephrata rallied from a 14-0 deficit to beat the Mustangs last Friday in the two teams’ opener.

The Tigers scored a touchdown with under 5 minutes remaining in the game, then recovered an onside kick.

Brady Hendrick hit Landon Ahmann on a 5-yard TD pass to cut the Tigers’ deficit to 14-13. Hendrick then followed his linemen into the end zone for a 2-point conversion for a 15-14 Ephrata lead.

Prosser falls to 0-1 and travels to Toppenish on Friday.

TOPPENISH 17, GRANDVIEW 6: The host Greyhounds couldn’t overcome a 17-0 deficit in a CWAC game that re-classification brings back Toppenish.

Grandview’s lone TD came in the fourth quarter, when Rudy Zavala connected on an 8-yard scoring strike to Titus Jeffrey.

Zavala finished the game with 90 yards passing, going 6 for 8. Jeffrey caught 2 passes for 61 yards.

Last week’s scores: East Valley-Yakima 50, River View 0; Ephrata 15, Prosser 14; Othello 28, Ellensburg 9; Selah 59, Quincy 0; Toppenish 17, Grandview 6.

This week: Thursday, Sept. 12 — Connell at Othello, 8 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 13 (all at 7 p.m.) — Ellensburg at Selah; Grandview at East Valley-Yakima; Prosser at Toppenish; Quincy at Ephrata.

Class 4A CBBN

SKYLINE 24, SUNNYSIDE 8: In Sammamish on Friday, visiting Sunnyside opened with a non-league loss.

Grizzlies quarterback Ethan Avalos was 26-for-35 passing for 265 yards, while teammate Derek Hansen rushed 19 times for 125 yards.

Sunnyside plays host to Idaho power Coeur d’Alene at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13.

Class 1A SCAC

ROYAL 65, KIONA-BENTON 0: Wiley Allred’s Knights began their defense of their state championship with a rout of the Bears in Benton City on Friday.

Royal has won the last four 1A state championships.

Against Ki-Be — with former Tri-Cities Fever standout Keithon Flemming making his head coaching debut — Lance Allred passed for 121 yards and three touchdowns.

Santana Luna rushed for TD runs of 13 and 25 yards.

The Knights outgained the Bears in yardage 413-97. Ki-Be also had four turnovers.

WAHLUKE 14, NACHES VALLEY 13: Franco Perez had a monster game for the winning Warriors with 277 total yards on Friday night

Perez rushed 27 times for 168 yards, caught 3 passes for 109 more yards, and scored on a 58-yard run.

Wahluke QB Keaton Zirker added 193 passing yards, with a 43-yard scoring strike.

ZILLAH 8, CONNELL 7 (OT): The two teams played to a scoreless tie in regulation.

The host Eagles found the end zone in OT when quarterback Carson Lloyd scored on a 4-yard run. Connell kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

But the Leopards answered when Alex Martinez scored on a 2-yard run. Then Zillah decided to go for the 2-point conversion. And Martinez got in for the victory.

Zillah’s offense ran 90 plays, according to Hudl.

“They probably did,” said Connell coach Scott Forsyth. “We bent, not broke. We held them to fourth down twice in OT. But they converted on a 4th and 15.”

Lloyd led Connell with 57 yards rushing.

Joshua Forsyth led the Eagles defensively with 9 tackles, a quarterback sack, a tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery.

Max Andersen added 6 tackles (4 for loss) and 3 QB sacks.

Last week’s scores: Cashmere 56, Wapato 0; College Place 27, Weston-McEwen (Ore.) 26; Royal 65, Kiona-Benton 0; Wahluke 14, Naches Valley 13; Zillah 8, Connell 7 (OT).

This week: Thursday, Sept. 12 — Connell at Othello, 8 p.m.; Wapato at Wahluke, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 13 (all games at 7 p.m.) — College Place at Royal; Kiona-Benton at Cashmere; Naches Valley at Zillah.

Class 2B EWAC East Division

Last week’s scores: Asotin 34, Tri-Cities Prep 29; East Valley-Yakima 50, River View 0; Granger 16, Kittitas 6; Northwest Christian-Colbert 47, Columbia-Burbank 6; Warden 7, Medical Lake 6.

This week: Friday, Sept. 13 — Asotin at River View, 6 p.m.; Columbia-Burbank at Kittitas, 7 p.m.; Tri-Cities Prep vs. LaSalle, Marquette Stadium, Yakima, 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 — Granger at Highland, 5 p.m.; Mossyrock at Warden, 1 p.m.

Class 1B Southeast B-8

LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 64, GARFIELD-PALOUSE 36: Charlie Branning scored two offensive touchdowns as the visiting Patriots won their conference opener on Friday.

Branning rushed 11 times for 93 yards, caught 2 passes for 21 yards, had 8 tackles, and returned an interception 88 yards.

QB Perry Pottle was 7 for 17 for 116 yards passing and three TD passes.

Defensively, Addison Lyle was credited with an astounding 18 tackles, a quarterback sack and a tackle for loss.

This Saturday, LC heads to Everett to play Neah Bay in a non-league game. It’s a rematch of a 1B state quarterfinal game last season.

Patriots coach Craig Lukins said that Everett was exactly 4 hours of travel for both teams.

“Our AD has a connection up there,” said Lukins. “We are excited for the early season test. It will be good to understand where we are before seeing them in the playoffs.”

Last week’s scores: Dayton 94, Yakama Tribal 0; DeSales 64, Waitsburg 8; Dufur (Ore.) 46, Touchet 0; Liberty Christian 64, Garfield-Palouse 36; Pomeroy 64, La Conner 24; Soap Lake 60, St. John-Endicott 18, Sunnyside Christian 50, Moses Lake Christian/Christian Covenant 44.

This week: Thursday, Sept. 12 — St. John-Endicott at Wilbur-Creston, 7 p.m.; Yakama Tribal at Entiat, 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13 — Bridgeport at Tekoa-Rosalia, 3 p.m.; Mabton at Pomeroy, 7 p.m.; Sunnyside Christian at Dayton, 7 p.m.; Touchet at Waitsburg, 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 — DeSales at Moses Lake Christian/Christian Covenant, Lions Field, Moses Lake, 6 p.m.; Garfield-Palouse at Almira-Coulee-Hartline, 5 p.m.; Neah Bay vs. Liberty Christian, Everett Memorial Stadium, 4 p.m.

Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.