Anacortes offense lays foot on gas, doesn't let up against Tumwater for WIAA 2A football title
SEATTLE – The sounds of 'Purple Rain' by Prince playing throughout Husky Stadium following the WIAA 2A state championship could only mean one thing.
The Anacortes Seahawks captured their first state title in program history.
And they did so in convincing fashion, breezing past Tumwater, 60-30.
The Thunderbirds scored on their opening drive of the game on a 26-yard run by running back Cash Short.
It was all Anacortes the rest of the first half as the Seahawks rattled off 34 unanswered points to take a 34-6 lead into the break.
Junior running back Brock Beaner scored the first three touchdowns for Anacortes on runs of 5 and 2 yards to go with a 7-yard return on a blocked punt.
Receivers Landon Schafer and Rylin Lang each caught passes from quarterback Rex Larson in the second quarter to add to the Seahawks' lead and set a new 2A championship game record with 27 points scored in one quarter.
"It's just incredible the way (the offense) has executed," Anacortes coach Travis Anderson said. "They peaked at the right time. We've got a lot that we try to get the ball to in space and they made plays over and over and over again."
Tumwater's offense finally showed back up in the second half, able to find the end zone on touchdown runs by Short (2 yards) and Peyton Davis (18 yards). Quarterback Ethan Kastner connected with Brady Bryant on a 35-yard pass for the other score.
But for all that was starting to work for the Thunderbirds offensively, the defense was yet to find answers for the Anacortes offense.
The Seahawks traded blow for blow with a 47-yard hookup between Larson and Lang, and a 16-yard run from Brady Beaner.
Larson completed 26 of his 34 passes in the game for 346 yards and four touchdowns. Brock Beaner ran the ball 21 times for 135 yards, three touchdowns and the blocked punt return for a score. Brady Beaner ran the ball nine times for 82 yards and a score.
Anacortes had a lead of two scores or more at every point following Brock Beaner's blocked punt return for a touchdown.
"It's huge in keeping everybody relaxed and loose," Anderson said. "You get in a tight ballgame and guys kind of stress a little bit more than they need to, so having it in hand was huge to be able to just continually run our offense and take what they can give us."
Tumwater ran the ball for 184 yards and was limited to just 99 yards through the air.
In addition to setting a new record for most points scored in a quarter, the Seahawks also broke the record for most points scored in the 2A championship, breaking the previous record of 57 with their 60-burger.
"This was expected for us," Brock Beaner said. "Everyone is saying we were a JV team three years ago, but this is what we want and the expectation for us."
And before the Seahawks walked off the field, they were sending one message to each other and their fans.
"We're going back-to-back next year," Brock said.
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Here are Vince Miller's photos from the game:
Photo by Vince Miller
Photo by Vince Miller
Photo by Vince Miller
Photo by Vince Miller
Photo by Vince Miller
Photo by Vince Miller
Photo by Vince Miller
Photo by Vince Miller
Photo by Vince Miller
Photo by Vince Miller
Photo by Vince Miller
