BLAINE — The Port Angeles football team got three touchdowns from Kason Albaugh and three interceptions from Blake Sohlberg in thoroughly dominating Blaine on the road Friday 44-21 in the Roughriders’ opening game of the year Friday night.
The game had lots of turnovers early with Port Angeles and Blaine losing the ball four times in the first quarter.
“There is a lot of stuff to clean up and get better at,” said Port Angeles coach Dustin Clark. “But the boys played hard and we had a good game plan and they executed it.”
Frustratingly for the Riders, they had a fumble at the 1-yard line on their way in to score on the Riders’ opening drive, but one play later, they picked up a safety, as Tucker Rygaard and Tanner Flores tackled the Blaine QB in the end zone to make it 2-0.
Albaugh had that fumble, but he responded with a 100-yard game on the ground, a 44-yard catch on a pass from Parker Nickerson to set up a touchdown and three short TD runs.
“He’s the last kid on the team I’m worried about. He bounces right back if he makes a mistake,” Clark said.
Sohlberg also had a 45-yard pass reception for a touchdown, while Kaiden Point had a 75-yard kickoff return to open up the second half.
At one point, the Riders held a lead of 44-7 as Blaine scored a couple of touchdowns in the fourth quarter and nearly scored another TD in the final two minutes, but the Riders’ defense held to make sure it didn’t turn into a white-knuckle affair.
After Port Angeles built up a 23-0 lead, the Borderites tried to get back in the game with a touchdown with 1:22 left in the first half to make it 23-7. But, the Riders erupted with Albaugh catching a 44-yard pass to give Port Angeles first and goal with 21 seconds left. He scored two plays later on a 3-yard run to make it 30-7 at the half.
Point followed with his big return to open up the second half as Port Angeles scored 14 points in less than 20 seconds running on the clock.
Nickerson, who finished with two touchdown passes and an interception while playing defensive back, completed the scoring by lofting a pass to tight end Ezra Townsend in the back of the end zone on a 6-yard pass late in the third quarter to give the Riders their biggest lead at 44-7.
Port Angeles put in some of its reserves and the Borderites took advantage, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter. Blaine had the ball at the 15-yard line with 1:22 left and the Riders put in their starters on defense to prevent another score.
Nickerson was 8-for-16 for 181 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
Albaugh had 20 rushes for 139 yards and caught one pass for 44 yards.
Sohlberg had four catches for 96 yards and a touchdown, while Townsend had two catches for 20 yards and a touchdown. Point had one catch for 21 yards.
Jason Hawes had two runs for 22 yards and Landyn Jones three runs for nine yards.
Sohlberg was also 6-for-6 on his point-after kicks. Easton Merritt recovered a fumble.
Port Angeles (1-0) has a very tough schedule now with another road game at No. 5-ranked Anacortes next Friday. They host Olympic League powerhouse North Kitsap at Civic Field. Anacortes beat 3A Oak Harbor 21-7 on Friday, while North Kitsap beat 3A Mount Tahoma 24-21.
