QUILCENE — Quilcene and Crescent ended up with similar offensive numbers, but in the end, it was three punt returns for touchdowns that was the difference as the Rangers football team won an Olympic Peninsula rivalry game with Crescent 52-22.
The Rangers’ Olin Reynolds had five touchdowns, two of them on punt returns, and 264 all-purpose yards in Saturday’s win. Crescent’s workhorse, Noah Leonard, had 17 carries for 178 yards himself, but the Quilcene defense limited Leonard to two touchdowns.
Quilcene got another 75-yard punt return for a touchdown from Isaac Dugdale.
Quilcene coach Trey Beathard gave much of the credit to his defense for the win as the Rangers started the season 2-0.
“The punt returns were huge and the defense played really, really well,” Beathard said. “It’s one of the best defensive games we’ve played in the past couple of years.”
While Leonard gained 178 yards, Beathard said the Quilcene defenders did what they could to make him work for it.
“The kids played with a lot of intensity. They swarmed the ball and gang tackled [Leonard]. He had to really earn those yards,” Beathard said.
Crescent coach Brian Shimko said the defensive play among the linebackers broke down for the Loggers.
“Our defensive backs were turning them back to the middle, but the middle linebackers weren’t stepping up to plug the holes,” he said.
Shimko also gave credit to Quilcene for being a well-coached team.
“Quilcene fundamentally works very well as a team,” he said.
Reynolds finished with 144 yards rushing and 120 yards on punt returns, with TD runs of 81, 40 and three yards and punt returns of 80 and 40 yards. Quilcene had 187 yards rushing and 48 passing for 235 yards of offense. Crescent had 273 yards rushing and 42 passing for 315 yards of offense. In addition to Leonard’s usual big game, Braden Emery had 67 yards on seven carries for the Loggers.
80, 40, 40 and three yards.
Quilcene finished the game with 187 yards rushing and In addition to Leonard’s 178 yards, Braden Emery had 67 yards on seven carries, including a 40-yard TD run. Robert Comstock III had a 39-yard touchdown catch for the Rangers.
Quilcene (0-0, 2-0) has a very interesting game coming up Friday evening against Neah Bay (0-0, 1-1). Despite these two teams being on the Olympic Peninsula, Beathard said this is the first time he’s faced the powerhouse Red Devils, who are coming off their first win of the year against Taholah. That game will be played at 6 p.m.
Crescent (0-0, 1-1) plays Lyle-Wishram (1-0), a 2B school, at 2 p.m. Saturday. This school is located near The Dalles, Ore., and last week beat Oakville 76-6.
Quilcene 52, Crescent 22
Crescent 6 0 0 16 — 52
Quilcene 28 16 8 0 — 22
First Quarter
Q—Reynolds 3 run (PAT failed)
Q—Reynolds 81 run (Bishop Budnek run)
Q—Reynolds 40 run (Comstock pass from Elkins)
Q—Reynolds 80 punt return (PAT failed)
C—Leonard 38 run
Second Quarter
Q—Reynolds 40 punt return (Dugdale run)
Q—Dugdale 75 punt return (PAT good)
Third Quarter
Q—Comstock 39 pass from Elkins (Comstock pass from Elkins)
Fourth Quarter
C—Leonard 70 run (Lee run)
C—B. Emery 40 run (B. Emery run)
Individual Stats
Rushing—Q: Reynolds 5-144; Elkins 1(-3), Alejo 3-10; Smead 2-23; Kieffer 1-9; Williams 1-4. C: B. Emery 7-67; Lee 8-28; Leonard 17-178.
Passing—Q: Elkins 2-5-48, TD, INT; Kieffer 1-1-12. C: Buchanan 4-12-42.
Receiving—Q: B. Budnek 1-9; Comstock III 1-39; Filmer 1-12. C: B. Emery 1-8; Dalton 3-34.
