HS Football: Aberdeen rolls at Centralia for 2nd win of season

10/12/2024

Aberdeen 40, Centralia 0

(Centralia, WA) It’s been a rough run for both of these teams coming into this Saturday evening match-up. The home team Centralia Tigers are trying to dig their way out of a lot of issues that the team had no control over with the senior class being the final class that went through the Covid at home schooling. Additionally, they have dealt with a couple of levy failures that forced the district to drop JV and C team games, limited coaching salaries and other expenses such as school bus travel.

They did pass their last levy and now Head Coch Jon Rooklidge and his coaches are trying to get players back in the program and it is going to be a process. The bright spot is 2 years ago they had 40 kids turn out and this year they began with 80. Turning a football program around is the hardest of all team sports to turn around and the road is bumpy to say the least.

The Aberdeen Bobcats Head Coach Todd Bridge has had his own issues with a ton of kids transferring out to neighboring schools and this year his senior class was particularly small due to losing many of these kids during the covid year. Bridge says some teams were able to keep their kids engaged especially those in more urban areas. Bridge says it was difficult and we just simply lost many kids during that time and never got them back.

This game was set for one of these teams to get a win as Aberdeen was 1-4 with their only win over Hoquiam and Centralia winless with their best chance in week 2 losing to RA Long 21-15.

1st Half belongs to the Bobcats

Centralia kicked off to Aberdeen and they returned it to their own 39. On the 1st play from scrimmage QB Mason Hill handed the ball off to Micah Schroeder and he was gone 61 yards for the score and in just 24 seconds the Bobcats led 6-0 as the PAT failed.

Aberdeen’s defensive tackle Cole Nylander came up with a pair of sacks and forced a 3 and out for the Tiger offense giving the ball back to the Aberdeen offense on the Tiger 48. The Bobcats simply handed off to Schroeder who scored on the 5th attempt to run it from the 13. The PAT failed again and it was 12-0 Bobcats with 7:05 to play in the 1st quarter.

Schroeder had run the ball the first 6 plays of the game for Aberdeen and scored twice while racking up 109 rushing yards. Centralia’s offense struggled mightily punting on their 1st 4 possessions.

The Bobcats scored again on their 3rd possession going 78 yards capping off the drive with a 7 yard run from Legend Vessey. Schroeder ran in the 2 point PAT and it was 20-0. Aberdeen had one more score in them in the 1st half and the Bobcats used the air this time as QB Mason Hill connected with Schroeder on a 41 yard catch and run score. The PAT was no good and Aberdeen was in total control 26-0 and that’s what it was headed to halftime.

Tigers offense threatens but Bobcats too much

The Centralia Tigers 1st drive of the 2nd half was their best as they began on their own 29 and drove all the way to the Bobcat 20 where the drive stalled and they attempted a field goal. Miles Page came on to attempt a 37 yard field goal. Page booted it high enough and deep enough but just drifted to the left and just missed.

On the drive that took nearly 7 minutes off the clock it was Donovan Gallaway stood out as he ran the ball hard and caught a long pass. At the end of the night Gallaway had 70 yards of the 121 total offensive yards for the game.

Aberdeen would score twice once on their 1st possession of the 2nd half with Riley Wixson taking it to the house from 32 yards out and the PAT failed making it 32-0. Aberdeen would score one more early in the 4th quarter with Micah Schroeder scoring again from 18 yards out and added the 2 point conversion to make it 40-0 which triggered the running clock and that is how the game would end.

The Numbers

Aberdeen racked up 472 offensive yards led by Micah Schroeder who ran the ball 11 times for 153 yards, caught 2 passes for 69 yards and scored 3 touchdowns and 2 2-point conversions. Riley Wixson ran the ball 9 times for 70 and a touchdown, Legend Vessey 4 rushes for 20 yards and a TD and Payton Crowder came in late running it 6 times for 26 yards.

Mason Hill was 7 of 9 for 194 and 2 TD’s. Schroeder had 2 catches for 69 yards, Daden Wixson caught 1 for 44 yards, Sam Schreiber had 1 catch for 29 yards and Adonis Hammonds 2 grabs for 27 yards.

Centralia finished with 121 yards with Donovan Gallaway leading the rushing yardage with 8 carries for 48 yards and he caught 1 pass for 22 from QB Terrell Sanders. Kellen Rooklidge had 15 yards rushing, Orion Babka added 9 and QB Sanders had 7. Sanders 5 of 11 for 42 yards, Gallaway led the yardage with 22 on the 1 catch.

Standings and what’s next

Aberdeen improves to 1-1 in league play and 2-4 overall while the Tigers drop to 0-2 in league and 0-5 for the season. Aberdeen takes on Tumwater next Friday at home then will travel to Black Hills and to Tenino in a non-league finale. Centralia hosts WF West next week then travels to Sultan in a non-leaguer and finishes on the road at Tumwater.

Thorbeckes MVP

Our Thorbeckes MVP of the game was easy as Micah Schroeder was the choice from the Bobcats. Riley Wixson had a game that normally would be more than worthy of an MVP award as did Cole Nylander. If Centralia had won our choice would have also been rather easy with Donovan Gallaway but David Daarud and Jack Muller we thought also stood out.

Link to watch full game replay on the NFHS Network (subscription required)

ESN Postgame Show