Late against Washougal, Rochester coach AJ Easley had a tough decision to make.
Two, actually.
Up eight late in the fourth with possession deep in their own half of the field, the Warriors faced two fourth downs.
Instead of punting the ball back on either, Easley went for both. The Warriors converted both and went on to drain the rest of the clock, sealing a 22-14 win over the Panthers.
“The team played really hard,” Easley said. “Very proud of our effort.”
Maddox Rodgers led the offensive effort with 194 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries, and Owen Simpkin added 63 yards on 14 attempts.
Jackson Allman added 21 yards and a two-point conversion on four carries, Owen Driver added 16 yards and a two-point conversion on three rushes, and Kaiser Tartios also finished with 16 yards on five carries.
As a team, Rochester ran for 314 yards on 61 carries, good for a mark of 5.15 yards per carry.
Easley credited his defense, which he said was “outstanding,” and he also gave props to his special teams unit, which flipped possession with an onside kick out of the half.
Daniel Garcia-Flores kicked the onside, and Kaiser Tartios recovered to give the Warriors an extra drive. On other punts and kickoffs, Daniel and Aiden Villanueva “put the ball in great spots.”
“The coverage was really good and returns were really good as well,” Easley said.
The Warriors (1-0) will look to make it 2-0 next Friday, Sept. 11, when they head north to face Bremerton.
