AUBURN — Playing in their final regular-season game of the year, the Quilcene Rangers scored seven offensive touchdowns on only 23 plays and romped over Muckleshoot 52-14 in a rare Friday night game.
The win gives the undefeated Rangers the undisputed North Division title of the Sea-Tac 1B League and the chance to play in the Sea-Tac 1B championship game Saturday night against Evergreen Lutheran. That game will be played at 7 p.m. Saturday at South Kitsap High School.
The Rangers only ran 23 plays but gained 162 yards on 15 rushes and 81 yards on five passes for 243 total yards. Everyone got in on the action as five different players scored touchdowns.
The Rangers set the tone for the game by scoring on their first play from scrimmage, a 54-yard pass from Nathan Kieffer to Kevin Alejo. Kieffer had another 27-yard touchdown pass to Austin Hough. Alejo scored a second touchdown on a 22-yard run, while Hough scored a TD on a 48-yard interception return.
Isaiah Reimann scored a touchdown on a 7-yard run and kicked four extra points, and Bishop Budnek added a touchdown on a 38-yard run. Donovin Opulencia-Rogers scored two second-half touchdowns on 7-yard and a 51-yard runs.
Opulencia-Rogers led the team with 77 yards rushing on seven carries, while Alejo had 76 combined yards receiving and running.
Alejo and Bishop Budnek also had interceptions, while Walter Beck had a fumble recovery. Dominic Smith had two quarterback sacks “and a lot of quarterback pressures,” said coach Trey Beathard.
The Sea-Tac championship game will be Quilcene’s (4-0) lone playoff game.
“It’s a little bit disappointing. Like a lot of team’s we thought were going to be pretty good this year,” said Beathard. The Rangers have three seniors on their team who played their final regular-season game, though one of them, Chase Newman, has been out since the first week after suffering a broken bone in his hand. Zach Budnek and Hough are the other seniors.
In addition to the Sea-Tac championship game, the Quilcene junior varsity will play the East Jefferson junior varsity at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Chimacum.
Quilcene 52, Muckleshoot 14
Quilcene 14 25 6 7 — 52
M’Shoot 0 6 0 8 — 14
First Quarter
Q—Alejo 54 pass from Kieffer (Reimann kick)
Q—Hough 27 pass from Kieffer (Reimann kick)
Second Quarter
Q—Alejo 22 run (PAT failed)
Q—Hough 48 INT return (Reimann kick)
Q—B. Budnek 38 run (PAT failed)
Q—Reimann 7 run (PAt failed)
Third Quarter
Q—Opulencia-Rogers 7 run (PAT failed)
Fourth Quarter
Q—Opulencia-Rogers 51 run (Reimann kick)
Individual Stats
Rushing—Q: Opulencia-Rogers 7-77, B. Budnek 2-32, Alejo 1-22, Kutler 2-10, Reimann 3-15.
Passing—Q: Kieffer 2-5-81, 2 TDs.
Receiving—Q: Alejo 1-54, Hough 1-27.
