5 games you should not have missed in Week 4 of Washington high school football

Top-ranked Anacortes rolls up 480 yards of offense, leaves no doubt after 35-21 victory over No. 2 Lynden

Sophomore Ryan Harrington becomes Anacortes' new starting quarterback in 2024. / Photo by Todd Milles

Anacortes High School football coach Justin Portz is no cake maker, but he had the ideal celebration in mind for the 18th birthday Friday of all-state standouts Brady and Brock Beaner.

Get a convincing win over Lynden.

And the Seahawks did just that.

Brock Beaner rushed for 146 yards and scored three touchdowns, and his twin brother added a touchdown run and 153 yards of total offense as the No. 1 Seahawks racked up 480 yards in a 35-21 victory at home.

Anacortes is the reigning Class 2A champion, and flexed serious muscle in this win.

"I think it just confirmed," Portz said, "that we are the better team."

Nobody is going to dispute it at this point, and jumped on the Lions on the second play from scrimmage when Ryan Harrington found Brock Beaner down the seam on a 33-yard touchdown connection to go up 7-0.

Anacortes proved it can be a sustainable offense, not just a quick-striking unit, on its next series, going 82 yards on nine plays, capped by Brady Beaner's 8-yard touchdown run for a 14-0 Seahawks' lead.

"We felt everything we wanted to take was there," Portz said. "Our offense was cooking."

It ended up being the best birthday bash ever.

"I cannot think of a better birthday present than a win over Lynden in front of your famuly and community," Portz said.

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Bainbridge QB Jack Grant could be a 2,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher in 2024 as a senior. / Photo by Todd Milles

HEADS-UP DEFENSIVE PLAY LIFTS BAINBRIDGE

With his Brainbridge team trailing Olympic with five minutes remaining, all coach Dan Schoonmaker was thinking was getting a fourth-down stop defense.

Defensive back Paxton Malloy did him one better.

After Olympic quarterback Antonio Castorena was sandwiched by two Spartans' defenders near midfield, the ball sprung out of his hands near the home sideline.

Malloy picked up the action immediately, scooped up the fumble and scooted 49 yards for the game-winning touchdown with 4:49 remaining in the Spartans' wild 18-14 win Friday night, putting the program in strong position to win its first league title since 1995.

"The kid made a heads-up play," Bainbridge coach Dan Schoonmaker said.

After Castorena darted right on his fourth-and-3 run, linebacker Zach Ausmeier was there to meet him, plucking out the ball at the last second.

The bizarre thing about the sequence is that many of the players did not react to the play. Malloy did.

"It seemed like the only ones who knew were the quarterback, the cornerback and the referee," Schoonmaker said.

Garrett Goade picked off Castorena on Olympic's next drive to clinch the win.

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ASOTIN TAKES DOWN FREEMAN

Peter Eggelston is having one of those dream-like seasons for Asotin.

He had a walkoff kickoff return for a touchdown to beat Tri-Cities Prep. Against River Rivew, he had nearly 500 all-purpose yards. And last week, he rushed for a school-record 293 yards in a win over Colfax.

And on Friday, he had another big night in leading the No. 10 Panthers to a 21-18 win over third-ranked and 2B Northeast favorite Freeman.

Eggelston rushed for 195 yards, including the back-breaking 16-yard touchdown with 2:53 remaining.

"He is a stud," Asotin coach Jim Holman said.

And it puts the state on notices that the Panthers are legitimate deep playoff-run makers.

"Last night I am sure opened up some eyes," Holman said.

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EAST VALLEY UPENDS 2A CWAC CHAMPIONS

The wheel in the whacky world of 2A CWAC football landed on East Valley of Yakima on Friday night.

A week after losing to Prosser in heartbreaking fashion, the Red Devils rebounded with a resounding 40-7 victory over seventh-ranked Ephrata at Earl Barden Stadium.

Jaxon Berg passed for four touchdowns, including three in the first half, and rushed for another score as East Valley led 33-0 at halftime.

Berg got is started with his 27-yard score to Greyson Stevens for a 7-0 lead.

After stopping Ephrata cold on its first drive, Stevens added to the lead wit his 40-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Berg added a 17-yard touchdown run a few minutes later, and the rout was on.

"It was a challenge for our team to bounce back and respond appropriately ... and the boys played really well," East Valley coach Eric Berg said.

"This is anybody's league, it really is. On any given Friday night, whoever plays well for 48 minutes will win."

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IS FRANKLIN PIERCE THE TEAM TO BEAT IN 2A SPSL?

Trevor Hanson knew sophomore Jeremiah Orcutt had all the qualities to lead his Franklin Pierce team as a first-year starter. He just had to see it on the field.

And Orcutt is giving the Parkland-based Cardinals exactly what they need.

On Thursday, it was the biggest delivery of the season - a 36-8 win over No. 8 Orting, the consensus 2A SPSL preseason favorite.

Franklin Pierce rushed for 397 yards in the game, led by the running back duo of Bryson Allen (148 yards, TD) and Junior Teregeyo (123 yards, TD), and the defense registered three goal-line stands in knocking off Orting.

"We have guys who have grown up in our system who took it upon themselves to make a statement," Hanson said.

But Orcutt makes it all go, and made Hanson's fourth-down gamble from the Franklin Pierce 24-yard line pay off to start the second quarter.

On fourth and 4, Orcutt hit Teregeyo out of the backfield on a 68-yard pass to set up a short touchdown run, giving Franklin Pierce a 14-0 lead.

"He has the leadership qualities, the swagger and the rapport with his teammates to succeed, but we are now learning more about his competitive nature and how he brings other guys along with him," Hanson said.

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