Colfax again faces Asotin test for ticket to 2B state playoffs

Marcello Mendez, top ground gainer for Kettle Falls, struggles for more yards while Dakota Hall puts on the stop for Colfax.

Will the Colfax football season end where it ended for the last two years, on the Asotin football field with a loss to the Panthers who pick up a ticket to the state’s 16-team round of the state playoffs?

The Bulldogs and the Panthers will collide on the Asotin turf for the third straight year Friday in the NE League crossover round.

The crossover matches the top six finishers in the NE league race to decide three entrants in the 16-team lineup for the first state round.

The Panthers and Colfax finished in a tie for third place in the league this year with 6-3 records. Asotin claimed the number-three slot and the home field for the this week’s game by virtue of a 12-0 shutout posted over Colfax in the second league round of the season.

The Asotin-Colfax clash will be among a league qualifying round which will also see undefeated Liberty host the sixth-place LRS Broncos, and second-place Davenport host fifth-place Northwest Christian.

Colfax finished at 6-3 with a 46-0 shutout of Kettle Falls Friday on seniors’ night at Schmuck Park, and Asotin finish with a 42-16 win over Wilbur Creston.

Liberty finished their 9-0 run with a 41-6 win over Springdale, and Davenport finished 7-2 with a 41-27 win over Northwest Christian.

That kept the Gorillas in second place and knocked the Crusaders out of a three-way tie for third with Colfax and Asotin.

Lind/Ritzville/Sprague stopped Reardan 27-12 to claim the sixth and last slot for this week’s playoff and bump Reardan out of the crossover round.

Looking ahead to Friday’s trip to Asotin, Colfax Coach Mike Morgan believes the Bulldogs have marked a big improvement since the second week of the season when they were shut out by Asotin, a team which was picked to be on top of the pack at the start of the year.

Colfax sustained the Sept. 9 loss at Asotin after they scored just nine points in their opener this year against Reardan.

The big factor for the 0-12 loss at Asotin was six turnovers committed by the Colfax offense.

“You can’t expect to win a game with six turnovers. You just give up too many chances to score,” Morgan commented.

After the shutout, the Bulldogs picked up traction with a run of three league wins, until they ran into Liberty and Davenport.

Asotin continues to feature the running power of Colton Ball who scored four TDs last week against the Wildcats.

Colfax Friday on their home field scored 16 points in the first quarter and broke it open with 30 points in the second quarter against a Kettle team that has just 17 players.

Ben Ahmann and Christopher Jones scored the first two TDs, and Brett Kincaid scored the first one in the explosive second quarter. He then hit Dakota Hall for a 22-yard passing score.

TD runs by Blake Bodey and Gaven Hammer finished out the scoring.

Bulldog coaches in the second half activated the bench against Kettle in what turned out to be a 0-0 standoff over the last two quarters of with the clock moving on fast time because of the big lead posted by Colfax in the first half.

Coach Morgan and crew made it a point after the game to commend all the Kettle players and coaches for making the long trip down and competing despite the disparity in numbers.

“They could have just forfeited out and avoided the long road trip down here, but they didn’t to that. They made it here for senior night, and we appreciated it,” Morgan commented,.

Colfax seniors marking their last game on the home field were Kincaid, Ben Ahmann, Jones, Dylan Nails, Dane Hall, Riley Wuestney, Tucker Gleason, Zach Jarosch, Derek Ward and Leo Huels, this year’s exchange student from Germany.

Senior cheer squad members were Sara Whelchel, Sadie Thompson and Hailey Aase.

Colfax stats: 308 total yards with 5 for 96 passing, 36 for 212 rushing; 4-30 penalties, 1 fumble, 23:48 time of possession, 19 first downs, Passing: Kincaid 4-4 78, Hunter Claassen 1-1 18. Rushing: Jones 8-77, B. Ahmann 34-48, Gavin Hammer 10-43, Anthony Becker 6-25, Bodey 1-12, Kincaid 2-8, Layne Gingrich 1-3, Claassen 3 minus 4. Receiving: Nick Klaveano 1-35, Dakota Hall 1-24, Becker 1-18, Zach Jarosch 1-15, G. Ahmann 1-4; Tackles: B. Ahmann 4, Dane Hall 3, Leo Huels 3, Jones 3, Klaveano 3.

Kettle stats: 51 yards, 28 for 29 rushing, 3-22 passing: 5-40 penalties, 2 fumbles 1 lost; 24:02 possession, 4 fist downs. Passing: Marcello Mendez 3-7 for 22; Rushing: Mendez 13-15, Leo Clendennen 6-13, Bubs Snyder 3-3, Collin Thomas 1-3, Jordan Clendennen 3 minus 1, Talon Olson 2 minus 4. Receiving: L. Clendennen 2-20, J. Clendennen 1-2.

Sophomore QB Hunter Claassen, one of the jayvees activated in the second half Friday, launches a pass over a charging Phoenyx Dodsun of Springdale.