Bulldogs hammer Gorillas to take lead in NE race

Colfax Bulldogs continued their league domination Friday at Davenport when they laced three TDs in the first quarter on the way to a 62-18 win. The heavy win moved the Colfax league mark to 3-0 and dropped the Gorillas to 2-1.

Colfax now has a 5-0 string and is among of group of teams stacking up big wins with an odds-on chance of playoff collisions. In addition to the Bulldogs, Adna, Napavine, and LaSalle of Union Gap are getting a lot of attention from the state pollsters in the big B division.

Coach Mike Morgan right now is aiming his team at the week’s first order of business, a trip north to neighboring Liberty for the last of four Colfax road trips. Liberty, which has been battling to stay in the NE varsity action despite a low turnout, has vowed to have 15 Lancers suited up for Colfax.

Coach Morgan said Liberty plays a single-wing offense and has a 3-5 zone set on defense.

“We’re seeing a lot of 3-5 zones this year,” Mogran commented.

The Colfax coach pointed out the Lancers turned out to be tough last year when they visited Colfax for a varsity game after opting down to jayvee ball at the start of the season,.

Liberty, 1-4 on the season, will host Colfax after sustaining a 42-14 loss last week to Reardan.

Colfax will finally return to their home field next week when they host the North Central jayvees, a team which agreed to make the trip to fill a Colfax homecoming game date after Republic folded before the start of the league season.

At Davenport last Friday, the Bulldogs rolled up 400 yards of offense with 235 on the ground and the balance on passes.

Colfax scored 22 points in the first quarter and added 27 more in the second quarter for a 49-10 lead at the break. In the second half, they broke the 45-point margin mark at 56-10 to put the game on fast clock. Davenport came back with a TD to put the clock back on reg time.

The first half had an unusual finsih with the Bulldogs booking their last score on a bonus play after the Gorillas were charged with a horse collar stop.

The dramatics started when Colfax took the ball with 2:30 left in the half and ran a two-minute drill. Tyler McNannay capped it with a 15-yard run.

Davenport took the punt and attempted a razzle dazzle play in the final seconds. Alex Teade intercepted and went all the way to the goal line where he was stopped by the horse collar tackle. With zero on the clock, Colfax was allowed one more play and Teade collected on a plunger.

Will Hatley had three TDs in the first half. He first was on a short shot from Teade and the second came on a 62-yard punt return.

He scored the third on a seven-yard pass from Teade.

Stetson Steiger reeled in a 56-yard TD pass from Teade.

Davenport’s Justin Piper capped a Gorilla drive with a plunger in the second quarter for the Gorillas and later hit a 28-yard field goal.

After the half, the Bulldogs put the starters on for the first series and McNannay picked up another TD on a 15-yarder.

Both teams then inserted their reserves and Davenport closed the gap on a score by Jason Stackhouse.

Colfax finished on a two-yard TD run by Kellen McNannay after Matt St. Mary escaped on a 50-yard play.