Okanogan holds off Napavine for WIAA 2B football title, finds sweet redemption

Tigers had defeated Erick Judd's group the past two seasons, including in 2022 state championship game. But Bulldogs grab 28-24 victory Saturday at Husky Stadium

SEATTLE - The anesthetic that is the Okanogan running game numbed Napavine in the Class 2B championship game Saturday morning, just as it’s done all season.

And while it needed an assist from the passing game as the clock got late, that rushing attack won the day.

The second-seeded Bulldogs ran the ball 54 times and gained 267 yards, eating field position and clock en route to a 28-24 victory over No. 1 seed Napavine at Husky Stadium.

"It’s awesome," Okanogan coach Erick Judd said. "You know, we’ve played Napavine four times the past two seasons and they’ve gotten us. It’s always better to come out on top of these games."

The damage was put in the hands of quarterback Carter Kuchenbuch and running back David Huffstetler. Those two accounted for virtually all of Okanogan’s meaningful offensive production on the ground.

Trailing 18-14 with more than nine minutes to go, and facing a third-and-11 play from the Napavine 34-yard line, Kuchenbuch put the ball in the air. He found Tanner Grooms open for 25 yards along the left sideline, giving the Bulldogs (13-0) a first-and-goal at the Tigers' 9.

"That was the coaches call," Kuchenbuch said. "I was a little nervous. I didn’t know if we were going to get it, actually, because the first time we tried it, they ate it up."

Two plays later, Kuchenbuch scored his third rushing touchdown of the game to give Okanogan the lead for good, 20-18.

His fourth touchdown run with 4:55 to go made it a 28-18 game.

Kuchenbuch completed three of five passes for 45 yards to go with his 70 rushing yards on 15 carries. Huffstetler was the workman against the Tigers (11-2) as the junior carried the ball 30 times for 191 yards.

"We’ve got the best O-Line in the state, so all I do is run behind them," Huffstetler said.

Even with all the ball control Okanogan had (they kept the ball for 29:09 to Napavine’s 18:51), the Tigers put together enough offense in the third quarter to require a comeback by the Bulldogs.

Napavine put together its only truly sustained drive, going 64 yards on 10 plays to open the third quarter, and getting a 3-yard touchdown run from Cayle Kelly to cut a cut the deficit to 14-12.

After Conner Holmes intercepted Kuchenbuch on the next Okanogan drive, the Tigers scored again when Ashton Demarest found James Grose for a 21-yard touchdown strike in the right corner of the end zone

Suddenly, the Tigers held an 18-14 lead with two seconds remaining in the third quarter. But the Bulldogs running game took over once again to earn Okanogan’s third state title overall - and first since they beat Napavine, 36-34, in 2015.