11/30/2024
The WIAA State Football Semifinals were all contested on Saturday, and in this post, we cover the 2A games. Recaps, our MVPs, postgame shows, and highlights are included as Eli Sports covered all 12 of the Semifinal games.
#6 W.F. West Bearcats 13 vs #2 Anacortes Seahawks 35
After winning their first football State Championship, many wondered if Anacortes would be back at Husky Stadium for an encore. W.F. West has been very successful lately, with this being the Bearcats second State Semifinal appearance in three years. At Oak Harbor High School, this game would determine who would head to the State Championship Game.
In the first quarter, Anacortes got the ball first, and in just three plays, the Seahawks scored the first touchdown of the game. Brady Beaner took a handoff and outran the Bearcats defense and put Anacortes up 7-0. After a W.F. West fumble, Anacortes used a 12-play drive this time to get their second touchdown, as Brock Beaner rumbled in for a five-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0 in the first quarter. The defenses stepped up big time, as both sides forced fumbles and punts, while W.F. West came up with an interception before Anacortes went 88 yards in six plays for the game’s third touchdown. Anacortes sophomore quarterback Ryan Harrington delivered a great ball to Luca Moore, who leaped up for the 19-yard touchdown and a 21-0 lead at the half.
In the second half, Anacortes went with an onside kick to start the second half and recovered it. Anacortes went on another 12-play drive that was just as successful as the first, resulting in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Harrington to Brady Beaner to make it 28-0 with Anacortes in the lead. The Seahawks defense forced another fumble and drove down the field once more. Brock Beaner recorded his second touchdown of the night with a dazzling 29-yard run where he dodged multiple defenders en route to the end zone to make it 35-0 halfway through the third quarter. The teams exchanged turnover on downs for the majority of the game after that, until W.F. West scored late in the fourth quarter, with Gage Brumfield tossing a touchdown pass to Grady Westlund for the 13-yard score. That made it 35-6, and the Bearcats decided to try an onside kick of their own and recovered it. After a penalty, Gage Brumfield eluded the pass rush and stayed in bounds for a 63-yard touchdown run to close the gap on the Seahawks at 35-13, but there were only two minutes left in the game. Anacortes ran out the clock and secured their second straight appearance in the State Championship Game and seventh straight State Football Playoff win in their defense of the 2A State Football crown.
Our Thorbeckes Game MVP went to Anacortes two-way star, Brock Beaner, who was electric running the football with a pair of touchdowns and was a force on the defensive side, leading the defense to a great team performance. Brady Beaner had a great performance with two touchdowns, Ryan Harrington was very impressive at quarterback, and Luca Moore was tremendous at wide receiver. W.F. West had great performances from Kage Homan on the defensive line, who seemed to have his hands on nearly every tackle up the middle, Grady Westlund was reliable catching the ball on the offensive side for the Bearcats and Greysen Serl had a magnificent interception.
W.F. West’s season ends at 11-2, with their two losses coming to the two best teams in the state in Tumwater and Anacortes. The Bearcats making their second State Semifinal appearance in three years is also impressive.
Anacortes improves to 12-1 on the season and will take on Tumwater in the 2A State Championship Game, Saturday December 7th, at 3:00 PM from Husky Stadium. The Eli Sports Network will stream the game and have coverage of that game.
ESN Talks With Game MVP, Anacortes’ Brock Beaner
Game Highlights
Brady Beaner’s 42-Yard Touchdown Run
W.F. West Gets Fantastic Interception From Greysen Serl
Thorbeckes Game MVP Brock Beaner Gets His Second TD Of The Game
#5 Archbishop Murphy Wildcats 0 vs #1 Tumwater Thunderbirds 42
The Archbishop Murphy Wildcats know how to win on the road in the postseason, coming off an impressive 10-9 win over the 4-seed Lynden last week, after Lynden defeated the Wildcats earlier in the year. The Tumwater Thunderbirds know how to win virtually anywhere, with the historic football program looking to avenge their loss last year at Husky Stadium to Anacortes, they needed one more win to set up a rematch.
In the first quarter, an uncharacteristic Tumwater turnover set up Archbishop Murphy with great field position but the Wildcats field goal was no good and kept the game tied at zero. Late in the quarter, Cash Short put points on the scoreboard for Tumwater, as he scored on a 14-yard run to give Tumwater a 7-0 lead. In the second quarter, Short found the end zone twice, both from short distance as he scored from two yards out to make it 14-0, then punched it in from one yard to make it 21-0 which is what the halftime score would be.
In the second half, Tumwater’s offense continued to flourish, this time with some long plays, as in the third quarter, Jaxon Budd threw a screen to Sunny Nguyen. Nguyen would take it the distance, going 60 yards for the score and making it 28-0. In the fourth quarter Tumwater would go back to Nguyen for the long play, as Nguyen did it on the ground this time for a 74-yard touchdown run to make it 35-0. Jaxon Budd would cap things off with an 11-yard touchdown run to make it 42-0 and send Tumwater back to the State Championship Game and force a rematch against Anacortes.
Our Thorbeckes Game MVP went to Tumwater’s Cash Short and Sunny Nguyen. Short had three touchdowns and Nguyen had two touchdowns, both of them were 60+ yard touchdowns.
Archbishop Murphy’s impressive season ends at 10-2, which features a win over the defending State Champs, Anacortes.
Tumwater improves to 13-0 on the year and will see Anacortes in a rematch of last year’s State Championship Game. Anacortes won the game 60-30 last year, and the Eli Sports Network will have coverage from Husky Stadium, with kickoff set for 3:00 PM on Saturday December 7th, and postgame written coverage with highlights to follow.
ESN Postgame Show
Game Highlights
Cash Short’s First Of Three Rushing TD’s
Sunny Nguyen Goes 60 Yards For The Score
Sunny Nguyen Takes Handoff 74 Yards To The House
www.elisportsnetwork.com
