By Ross Coyle For Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles took advantage of four Bremerton turnovers to snap a 15-game losing streak at Civic Field.
Starting with a fumble recovery that became a quick 42-yard drive to a touchdown, and later adding two fumble recoveries and a pair interceptions, the Roughriders kept constant pressure on the Knights to triumph 36-14.
It was Port Angeles’ first win since November 2011.
“Last week I said we were almost there, and we did it, so how about that?” Port Angeles quarterback Nathan Angevine said during the postgame huddle.
The game started with Port Angeles’ Austin Polly recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff at Bremerton’s 32-yard line.
From there, the Riders’ run game attacked the right side of the field, with the drive culminating in Matt Robbins carry of 4 yards for a touchdown to give Port Angeles an early 6-0 lead.
“We took advantage of their errors, and we capitalized on that,” Angevine said.
On Bremerton’s first drive, Dan Dalsky and Darren Circulado carried the ball for 43 yards and quarterback Connor Mahoney completed several short passes to bring the ball to the Port Angeles 27.
But the Riders halted drive with an interception by defensive back Steven Lauderback.
The scored remained 6-0 until the early in the second quarter when Mahoney to Michael Brown hooked up with Michael Brown for a 31-yard touchdown pass that gave Bremerton a 7-6 lead.
The Knights’ lead was short-lived, though, as Port Angeles running back Nick Lasorsa scored on a 71-yard run two plays later.
“Thank god for those linemen,” said Lasorsa. “They did a killer job.”
Lasorsa’s scamper was the first of three second-quarter touchdowns for Port Angeles.
Later in the quarter, Robbins and Angevine teamed up to sack Mahoney on a fourth-down play to give the Riders possession at their own 37-yard line.
The offense added to its lead with a six-play drive with 35-yard touchdown pass from Angevine to Miki Andrus.
The Riders were given one more chance when they recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, setting up Angevine to throw another 35-yard touchdown pass to Zack Withrow that gave Port Angeles a 28-6 halftime advantage.
The Riders opened the second half with a 72-yard drive spread over 14 plays that featured Andrus sneaking through holes in the Bremerton defenders for more than 40 rushing yard.
Lasorsa finished the drive by busting into the end zone for a 1-yard run, extending Port Angeles’ lead to 36-7.
Neither team found the end zone again until late in the fourth quarter.
Port Angeles drove the ball inside the Bremerton 20-yard line, but Brown intercepted Angevine and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown for the game’s final score.
The Riders later capped off the win with an interception by Stephen Jasicki.
Port Angeles gained 398 yards and held the Knights only 170.
Angevine completed 3 of 7 passes for 73 yards and two scores.
Lasorsa rushed for 110 yards on nine carries, Andrus added 96 yards on 18 carries and Robbins finished with 15 carries for 65 yards.
Port Angeles (1-3, 1-5) next travels to face North Kitsap (4-0, 4-2) on Friday. The Vikings, who are currently tied for first place in the Olympic League with Kingston, beat North Mason 42-28.
