FORKS — The script was playing out perfectly for a Forks upset halfway through the Spartans’ senior night contest with Hoquiam.
After the Grizzlies missed a 35-yard field goal just before halftime, the Spartans headed into the locker room with a hard-earned 16-14 advantage.
But Forks couldn’t hold form after the break, quickly ceding the momentum, the lead and ultimately the Evergreen League’s No. 2 seed in the district playoffs to Hoquiam in a frustrating 55-22 loss Friday night.
“The thing is we were so close,” Spartans head coach Emil West said.
“Even though [the scoreboard] shows a blowout, we were ahead after the first half and we were so close in the third quarter. We just need to make that next step. I don’t know what it is, because the kids believe, but it’s small little stuff.”
With the loss, Forks dropped its shot at hosting the first playoff game on its new FieldTurf surface.
The Spartans (4-4) will visit TriCo League champion LaCenter (8-1) at 7 p.m. Friday with a state playoff berth on the line.
Forks traded punches with the Grizzlies in the first half, using its power running attack to jab out short gains and keep the yardage markers moving and the clock running on two touchdown drives.
Jack Dahlgren capped the Spartans’ 11-play, 55-yard opening possession with a 1-yard TD run at 7:26 of the first quarter.
Hoquiam’s speedy running back Artimus Johnson quickly answered back, scampering 31 yards off the left side for the first of his two rushing scores, to shrink Forks’ lead to 8-7.
The Spartans then methodically worked the ball downfield over the next 8:49 of the first and second quarters on an 18-play, 75-yard TD drive.
Facing 4th-and-goal from the 13-yard line after a penalty, Spartans sophomore quarterback Gabe Reaume hit classmate Bretty Moody with a strike up the middle for a score and a 16-7 lead.
Hoquiam drew closer on a 5-yard run around the left edge by wide receiver Anthony Nash to pull within 16-14.
The Grizzlies looked ready to take the lead at the end of the first half, with Johnson busting a 39-yard run and quarterback Gregory Dick finding Jerod Steen for a 21-yard reception as Hoquiam moved to the Spartans’ 14-yard line.
But the Forks defense held firm, stopping three straight running plays for losses, to force a 35-yard field goal attempt by Nazareno Mazariegos. Mazariegos’ try was wide right and the Spartans went to the locker room up two points.
The second half started off in the right direction for Forks when Gavin Palmer made a great break on a deep post route up the middle, flying in for an interception and a 30-yard return to near midfield.
But the Spartans couldn’t capitalize, turning the ball over on downs.
“We got it going a little bit in the second half with the interception, but you can’t make those kind of mistakes in a playoff atmosphere game,” West said.
“We definitely can’t make those kind of mistakes next week.”
Dick capped a 7-play, 64-yard drive with a 9-yard QB draw for a TD to put Hoquiam up for good 20-16 midway through the third quarter.
Palmer fumbled on Forks’ next drive, and Johnson made the Spartans pay on the next offensive play, going 55 yards for a 27-16 Hoquiam lead.
Johnson finished with 16 carries for 225 yards.
“The kids were fighting,” West said.
“There were a couple of times where we could have dove for tackles, or did a little better job hanging on, but I love my guys and we worked and worked. It was just tough.”
West was impressed by Hoquiam’s ability to burst big plays offensively.
“It’s just a great offense, a great quarterback making good decisions and a great coaching staff,” West said.
The Grizzlies’ run continued with a QB sneak for a score by Dick, a fumble recovery in the end zone by Johnson, a 4-yard TD run by freshman lineman Matt Brown and a 16-yard TD pass from Ryan Espedal to Nash for a 48-0 run.
“They knew what we were running [offensively] in the second half and were able to stop us,” Dahlgren said.
“We made some mistakes [defensively] and they have some really good skill guys. They were shifty.”
Forks honored its 12-member senior class before the game.
“They are awesome,” West said of his seniors.
“They’ve faced so much adversity in their four years of football with three head coaches. And there’s just no quit in them. They come from logger stock and they earn everything they can get “To go from a one-win team to a playoffs, it says so much about them. Guys like Jack Dahlgren and Billy Palmer, those guys work so hard and are the heart and soul of our team. They are the reason why we are in the playoffs.”
Hoquiam 55, Forks 22
Hoquiam 7 7 20 21— 55
Forks 8 8 0 6— 22
First Quarter
F—Dahlgren 1 run (Dahlgren run)
H—Johnson 31 run (Mazariegos kick)
Second Quarter
F—Moody 13 pass from Reaume (Dahlgren run)
H—Nash 5 run (Mazariegos kick)
Third Quarter
H—Dick 9 run (pass failed)
H—Johnson 55 run (Mazariegos kick)
H—Dick 1 run (Mazariegos kick)
Fourth Quarter
H—Brown 4 run (Mazariegos kick)
H—Johnson fumble recovery (Mazariegos kick)
H—Nash 16 pass from (Mazariegos kick)
F—J. Schumack 3 run (run failed)
Individual Stats
Rushing—H: Johnson 16-225; Gr. Dick 8-67; Espedal 2-15; Brown 1-4, Moodenbaugh 1-9, McAllister 3-7; Nash 2-2; Steen 1-2; Ga. Dick 1-0. F: J. Schumack 11-83; Dahlgren 19-51; Pisani 5-27; Palmer 5-16; G. Schumack 3-11; Terrones 1-4; Reaume 2-(-3).
Passing—H: Gr. Dick 13-16-1, 182; Espedal 1-1-0, 16. F: Reaume 4-9-0, 30; Terrones 0-3-0, 0.
Receiving—H: Steen 3-29, Nash 4-66, Johnson 1-8, Espedal 6-95. F: Moody 1-13; J. Schumack 2-15; Ramsey 1-2
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
