ADNA — Adna’s matchup at home against Rainier in a 2B District 4 Crossover was set up, in large part, due to luck.
Adna finished in a three-way tie for first in the C2BL West, but won a three-way coin toss to earn the No. 1 seed and the right to host their first postseason game.
The matchup may have been set up by the literal flip of a coin, but the Pirates left nothing to chance in a dominant 64-8 victory over the Mountaineers on Friday night.
The win sends Adna (8-2) through to the state tournament for the third year in a row.
“We’re just excited to play more football,” Adna coach Aaron Cochran said.
The Pirates took the lead almost instantly, as Cash Smith jumped a pass in the flat and returned an interception for a touchdown on just the third play of the game.
Rainer responded, as a 56-yard bomb down the sideline from Ryan O’Neal to Jacob Hanson set up an O’Neal 13-yard touchdown scramble moments later. After the two-point attempt was converted, it was the Mountaineers that held an early 8-6 lead.
“We could have just been like ‘oh, here’s the start of the downfall,’” Rainier coach Andy Bartell said. “But we responded. It was really good to see that from our team … The response was outstanding.”
Adna bounced back just as quickly.
Trevin Salme hit Landen Cline for a 39-yard touchdown pass on the next offensive snap, Adna’s first of the game outside of their initial two-point try, and Salme added a touchdown run of his own before the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Cline and Beau Miller both scored on the ground, Salme hit Kannen Kephart for a touchdown through the air, and Salme also got a pick-6. By halftime, the Pirates were up 50-8.
“We’ve had to bounce back on mistakes that we made,” Cochran said. “Our kids have done a really good job of just competing. We’re not a very fun team to have to put away. Our kids play hard, and I appreciate them for that.”
Salme added a third touchdown pass in the third quarter, a 28-yard pass to Smith, and Barron Luond hit Kaden Richardson for a touchdown through the air in the final moments of the game.
Salme finished with five total touchdowns, including his defensive score, and he tallied 139 total yards. Miller finished with 96 rushing yards, Smith finished with 42 receiving yards on two catches, Kephart added 41 receiving yards and two catches, and Cline finished with 64 total yards.
“Trevin did a good job working the ball to the perimeter,” Cochran said. “Our offensive line picked up pressure well, Trevin did a good job of distributing, and the kids made good plays when given opportunities.”
Defensively, the Pirates ended up allowing just 156 total yards, 76 of which came on Rainier’s lone scoring drive.
Cochran praised his entire defense, specifically his defensive line, saying that they have continued to get better over the course of the season.
“We want to be the team that always gets better every week, and our kids did that,” Cochran said. “I can't appreciate them enough.”
O’Neal finished with 83 total yards to lead the Rainier offense, Jacob Hanson finished with 66 receiving yards on two catches, and Keagin Howell added 43 rushing yards.
Rainier finishes its season at 4-5 overall. The four wins came over Pe Ell/Willapa Valley, Raymond/South Bend, Mossyrock, and Toutle Lake, while their losses came against Tenino, Rochester, Onalaska, Toledo, and Adna, five teams that are playing for state tournament berths in Week 10.
“We’re right there in the mix,” Bartell said. “We haven’t gotten to the point where we can compete with those other teams, but that’s what we’re striving for.
“We use the word potential,” he continued, talking about his underclassmen in particular. “We’ve got to turn that potential into game-makers. We can’t just have that potential tag all the time. That’s what our offseason focus has to be.”
Rainier will graduate eight seniors: Hanson, AJ De Armas, Howell, Michael Garrard, Bryce Keller, Mat Wooden, Blake Roberts, and Lukas Sollars.
“What those guys give you on the field is their all-out effort,” Bartell said. “They give you every ounce of energy they’ve got.”
The Pirates will wait to hear their state fate on Sunday, when the WIAA releases the state tournament brackets.
Adna entered the week as No. 4 ranked team in the Washington State Football Coaches Association 2B Coaches Poll, and the Pirates are expected to be in the mix for a top-four seed and the first-round bye that would come with it.
Regardless of where they end up, Cochran and his group will be ready.
“I don’t think our kids care where we wind up,” Cochran said. “I don't particularly care, wherever they put us, we’re gonna be happy to play football.”
