PORT ANGELES — Bad breaks in the first nine minutes of the game turned into a Bainbridge runaway late in the first half as three crucial plays early went against the Riders in a 40-6 loss to the first-place Spartans.
“We’re getting there, it’s just little things,” said coach Dustin Clark. “We just can’t seem to get out of our own way.
“It been four or five plays a game. The kids are playing hard and not giving up,” Clark said.
Bainbridge came in to Friday’s game 4-1, 3-0 in league, and ranked No. 13 in the state.
The Riders handled the Bainbridge running game well, allowing only a handful of plays over five years. But, in end, Port Angeles didn’t have an answer for Bainbridge quarterback Jack Grant, who passed for four touchdowns, including an amazing play in the second quarter that gave the Spartans all kinds of momentum for the rest of the half.
The game started encouragingly as the Riders were able to put pressure on Grant at times. On Grant’s very first pass play, he was under heavy pressure and threw the ball right to Blake Sohlberg, who got the interception to set up the Riders in good position at midfield.
Mistakes have killed Port Angeles all year and this game was no different as on the very next play, the Riders fumbled, giving the ball right back to Bainbridge.
The Spartans took advantage as Grant threw a deep pass along the sideline to his big receiver Isaiah Beyer. Port Angeles’ Oliver Martinez played the pass perfectly and set himself up in ideal position for an interception, but Beyer literally ripped the ball out of Martinez’s arms and ran in the end zone for a touchdown.
“He [Martinez] did everything right. He was in good position. Bainbridge just made a great play,” Clark said.
On the next drive, Port Angeles’ Aiden Otis came within inches of making a spectacular play. He anticipated a screen to the outside and broke on the ball. He missed an interception and a possible pick-six by inches. Bainbridge gained 20 yards on the play, then fumbled, but the Spartans were able to recover their own fumble.
A couple of plays later with the Spartans on the Port Angeles 13-yard line, Bainbridge hiked the ball way over Grant’s head. With a pair of Riders in pursuit, Grant was able to pick the ball up at the 30-yard line and rolled to his left. He had the composure to find teammate Luca Scheltens standing all alone in the end zone for a touchdown.
Three bad breaks in less than seven minutes and the Spartans had a 12-0 lead. If all three plays had gone Port Angeles’ way, it could’ve been a different game.
With a running clock in the second half and Bainbridge playing some its reserves, Port Angeles’ defense held the Spartans scoreless in the second half. The Riders put together a nice drive with Dylan Mann, who ran hard all game, gaining 24 yards on two carries. Port Angeles was helped by a pass interference call on a fourth-down incompletion. Lane Wilson finished the drive with four runs for 16 yards, including a 1-yard plunge for a score.
Mann finished the game with 66 yards on 14 carries.
Port Angeles (0-4, 0-6) next plays at home at 6:30 p.m. Friday in a nonleague game against Squalicum (3-3), which is a fifth-place team out of the powerful Northwest 2A League that has three out of the top 12 teams in the state. That game is also homecoming and will begin 30 minutes early.
Bainbridge 40, Port Angeles 6
BI 18 22 0 0 — 40
PA 0 0 0 6 — 6
Scoring
First Quarter
BI — Beyer 35 pass from Grant (PAT failed), 9:21.
BI — Scheltens 13 pass from Grant (PAT failed), 3:51.
BI — Scheltens 45 pass from Grant (PAT failed), :29.
Second Quarter
BI — Meek 50-yard interception return (PAT good), 10:12.
BI — O’Neil 35 pass from Grant (PAT good), 6:14.
BI — Beyer 7 run (PAT good)
Fourth Quarter
PA — Wilson 1 run (PAT no good)
Individual statistics
Passing
Port Angeles — Sohlberg 4-16, 16 yards, 1 INT.
Rushing
Port Angeles — Mann 14-66, Wopperer 7-6, Wilson 4-14, TD, Sohlberg 1-10, Martines 1-4.
Receiving
Port Angeles — Martinez 2-10, Smithson 1-5, Wopperer 1-1.
