Rivalry returns to Rottle this weekend

A weekly column about local football

Extra Point

By Justin Damasiewicz

There will be some familiar names and some new faces performing under the Friday night lights at Jack Rottle Field this weekend.

The stage is set for the most anticipated rivalry in Grays Harbor County prep sports.

No. It’s not the Myrtle Street Rivalry game. It’s more meaningful.

This rivalry has determined the Evergreen 1A League title each of the last two seasons and will likely hold the same significance this season.

It’s the Grays Harbor Red Rivalry game between the Montesano Bulldogs and the Hoquiam Grizzlies, which will be played this season on the east side of the county.

While some of the key players have graduated since Montesano all-but-secured the league crown with a thrilling 20-14 victory last season at Olympic Stadium, the context is eerily similar to 2016’s contest.

The Bulldogs are undefeated through six games…just like last year.

The Grizzlies are 4-2 with losses to state-ranked, Class 2A W.F. West and La Center…just like last year.

Just like last season, the Bulldogs are coming off a win over R.A. Long and will finish the season against Tenino and Elma. Montesano will be heavily favored in the last two games.

Basically, if the Bulldogs can get past the Grizzlies, they will have a pretty good shot at finishing the regular season undefeated for the second consecutive year.

Like last season, Hoquiam opened league play with convincing wins over Tenino and Elma. If the Grizzlies top Monte, their final league obstacle would be Forks at home on Oct. 27.

Montesano’s advantage is their returning core of experienced senior skill-position players.

Trevor Ridgway has proven to be a significant deep-ball threat at quarterback for the Bulldogs, while reigning league offensive MVP Carson Klinger is the focal point of the offense once again.

It was great to see all-league receiver Dakoyta Reninger back on the field last week against R.A. Long. The senior shook off the rust after missing four games due to a knee injury and caught three passes for 80 yards, including a ridiculous snag on a deep ball near the end of the second quarter while being interfered with by a Lumberjack defender.

The trio of Klinger, Reninger, and Ridgway gives the Bulldogs the edge in this contest. Emerging offensive playmakers sophomore Sam Winter, senior Kooper Karaffa and junior Teegan Zillyett are icing on the cake.

Last season, Hoquiam was led by league MVP running back/linebacker Artimus Johnson and 2015 league offensive MVP quarterback Gregory “Bubba” Dick. Both were seniors, and have since graduated, along with several other key Grizzly players.

I often brag on Montesano’s coaching staff. I am of the opinion that they are the best staff in the area, top-to-bottom. Terry Jensen, Brian Hollatz, Eric Stanfield, Jeff Klinger and the rest of the coaches have our boys ready to play every single week.

First-year Hoquiam head coach Jeremy McMillan is a creative offensive play-caller and will undoubtedly have some tricks up his sleeve. McMillan has been bold on offense this season while molding junior Payton Quintanilla into a quarterback, but also utilizing Matt Brown – listed as a lineman at 260 pounds – as a passer and a ball-carrier in certain situations.

McMillan has been the team’s offensive coordinator since 2013 and has been a paid member of the staff since 2007. He seems to have a knack for knowing the strengths of each player and finding a way to utilize them.

I don’t always make predictions, but I will for this game.

Hoquiam is no pushover and I think this will be a tighter contest than the Bulldogs have played most of this season, but I think this is still a double-digit win for Montesano, somewhere in the ballpark of 28-14.

Prante still a bulldog

I’m going to close this column with a little “where are they now” segment.

Here’s a little shout out to Kylar Prante, who you may remember as a league MVP and all-state football player, state champion wrestler and all-league soccer player for Montesano. Prante graduated from MHS in 2016 and went to school at the University of Montana Western (UMW) in Dillon, Mont., with the aspiration of playing college football.

Prante was one of the most explosive high school football players I have covered and his great lower-body strength made him tough to bring down. He also was on the receiving end of one of the most exciting plays I have ever witnessed when he caught the game winning 50-yard touchdown pass to beat Cascade Christian in a state playoff game in 2015.

As a redshirt freshman running back at UMW this season, Prante has worked his way to second on the depth chart and has scored a touchdown in two consecutive games, including a 12-yard scoring scamper late in the fourth quarter against fifth-ranked Montana Tech which tied the game. The Bulldogs – yes, UMW is also the Bulldogs – went on to pull off the upset in that game, thanks in part to Prante’s touchdown.

Keep working hard, Kylar. We’re all cheering you on from home.