PORT ANGELES — If the Port Angeles Roughriders escaped Kingston with a victory last fall, this year’s edition left little doubt about which was the better football team Friday night at Civic Field.
Starting with the very first play of the game — an 87-yard kickoff return from senior Skyler Gray — the Roughriders imposed their will on the Buccaneers in a 34-14 win that affirmed their status as Olympic League contenders.
The Riders out-gained the Bucs 373 yards to 178 on the game, leaving little need for the sort of late-game heroics that gave them a 14-9 victory at Kingston a year earlier.
“It’s a big win, it’s almost as big as the Sequim game at the end of the season,” Gray said.
“Kingston is always a good team, it’s always a good contest, but I felt like we came in and conquered.”
After back-to-back convincing victories to open its Olympic League slate, Port Angeles (2-0 in league, 4-0 overall) is starting to look like a team that deserves the No. 10 Class 2A ranking bestowed upon it by The Associated Press this week.
Kingston’s Dan Novick — who visited Civic Field for the first time since stepping down as Rider head coach in 2003 — could hardly argue with it.
“I would like to see how it would have turned out had we not given up the kick return for a touchdown,” said Novick, now 0-2 against his former team as Kingston’s head coach.
“But I think it was obvious that we got out-played and we got out-coached in all three areas of the game.
“They out-executed us. They played far more aggressive than we did tonight.”
The Kingston (1-1, 2-2) power-run game was almost nonexistent against the Riders on Friday.
While Port Angeles rumbled for 243 yards on 37 carries, Kingston was limited to just 59 yards on the ground off 29 carries.
“That’s a big credit to our D-line and our linebackers to hold Kingston that low on their rushing yards,” Rider coach Tom Wahl said.
“I think of them as one of the best running teams in our league, just because I know that is Dan’s emphasis and he really coaches his guys up well to do that.
“We knew, though, if we could get some points on the board that we would kind of throw them out of the game-plan that they really like to have.”
Quarterback Keenen Walker had his fourth straight game of 200-plus yards of offense to begin the season, running for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries and throwing for another 130 yards, one TD and one interception on 11-of-19 passing.
Senior running back Dylan Brewer added 115 yards and one score on 11 carries as well as a 19-yard touchdown reception off a perfectly-executed screen pass that punctuated a 28-7 Port Angeles first half.
Cameron Braithwaite caught five passes for 59 yards as the top receiver.
Meanwhile, the Rider defense accumulated nine tackles for a loss, with linebackers Riley Hannam and Eli Fiscalini each getting two.
“We just took this week and prepared and stepped up,” Hannam said.
“There was a little bit of blitzing, but a lot of it was just us doing our assignment and shooting our gaps.”
Gray set the tone from the outset with his touchdown return.
The three-year starter zipped through a wide open gap in the middle of Kingston’s coverage, then sprinted past the kicker down the sideline to go 87 yards untouched into the end zone.
Port Angeles scored on three of its first six offensive possessions after that, while Kingston managed just two first downs.
The Riders rolled for 266 yards during that time, nearly quadrupling their yardage total (69) from last year’s narrow win over the Bucs.
“The linemen showed a lot of heart,” said Gray, who also had an interception on defense and 60 yards of offense.
“They were the ones who set the tone with their blocking, and we just had to get around, and the skill guys did what we do best.”
The one blemish on the Rider resume Friday night was the team’s ball security.
Port Angeles turned the ball over three times in its own territory on the game — twice on Brewer fumbles.
The Bucs were able to convert those giveaways into just one touchdown, however.
And that came off a broken play on fourth-and-5 at the Rider 33-yard line, with Byers scrambling out of the pocket and finding receiver Richie Sander all alone at the goal line for a 33-yard scoring pass.
It was one of just three passes that went for more than 10 yards for Byers, who finished 13 of 31 for 119 yards with two interceptions. Nick Tweter had the other pick for PA.
“There was no doubt who was the better team tonight,” said Wahl, whose team has road games at Olympic and at North Mason the next two weeks. “We’re getting better, and I think we can get even better.
“If we can just continue to keep growing, then we’re building for the playoffs.”
Port Angeles 34, Kingston 14
Kingston 7 0 0 7— 14
Port Angeles 14 14 6 0— 34
First Quarter
PA—Gray 87 kickoff return (Haskins kick)
PA—Walker 8 run (Haskins kick)
K—Sander 33 pass from Byers (Stone kick)
Second Quarter
PA—Brewer 3 run (kick failed)
PA—Brewer 19 pass from Walker (Walker run)
Third Quarter
PA—Walker 29 run (kick failed)
Fourth Quarter
K—Marinan 9 pass from Byers (Stone kick)
Individual Stats
Rushing— PA: Brewer 11-115, Walker 16-105, Gray 6-13, Braithwaite 1-8, Lasorsa 2-5, Andrus 1-(minus 2). K: Setterlund 14-30, Byers 9-14, Nick Tabanera 4-10, White 2-5.
Passing—PA: Walker 11-19-1, 130. K: Byers 13-31-2, 119.
Receiving—PA: Braithwaite 5-59, Gray 4-45, Brewer 1-19, Hannam 1-7. K: Sander 3-48, Reece 5-44, Marinan 4-25, McMullen 1-2.
