MONTESANO — With almost machine-like efficiency, Montesano wrapped up a piece of a league title — and also guaranteed that Senior Night would not be its final home appearance.

Scoring on all seven first-half possessions, the Bulldogs walloped Tenino, 54-0, in an Evergreen 1A League football game on Oct. 20 at Rottle Field.

The fourth-ranked Bulldogs (3-0, 8-0) assured themselves no worse than a share of the league crown. Coupled with Forks’ 20-3 victory over Elma, Friday’s win also earned Monte the league’s top-seeded district berth and a home game in the crossover playoffs on Nov. 3. A victory in that round would enable the Bulldogs to host a first-round state contest.

First, however, will be the East County Civil War at Elma next Friday.

Montesano’s Trevor Ridgway passed for 241 yards and four touchdowns, all in the first half, while Carson Klinger scored on a scrimmage run, pass reception and kickoff return for the Bulldogs.

Facing a Tenino team that was winless in league play and also short-handed due to injuries, the Bulldogs entered the contest as prohibitive favorites.

Monte coach Terry Jensen was nevertheless pleased that the Dogs avoided the mistakes that plagued them in last week’s win over Hoquiam. Monte played turnover-free ball and the first unit was flagged for only three penalties.

“We played a pretty clean game,” Jensen said. “They came out and played very, very hard. For the first time this year, we had everybody suited up, so we’re as healthy as we’ve ever been.”

The Bulldogs needed only seven scrimmage plays to build a 20-0 lead.

With the game less than three minutes old, Ridgway found a wide-open Klinger over the middle for a 42-yard touchdown pass. Jordan King tacked on the first of his six successful conversions.

After forcing a Tenino three-and-out, the Bulldogs regained possession on their own 33-yard line. This time it was Kobe Gallinger who broke free to take Ridgway’s sideline pass on a 67-yard catch-and-run.

The Ridgway-Gallinger connection struck again on a 37-yard TD pass with 3:32 remaining in the first quarter.

King promptly recovered his own onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, setting up a 47-yard scoring drive that closed out the first quarter. Teegan Zillyett punched it in from a yard out.

In the second quarter, Klinger scored on a 14-yard run, Dakoyta Reninger on a 10-yard pass from Ridgway and Sam Winter on a 27-yard run to give the Bulldogs a 48-0 halftime lead. The second half was played under the 40-point running-clock mercy rule.

The Bulldogs played reserves for the final two quarters, with the exception of the second-half kickoff. Klinger turned that into Montesano’s final TD, taking a bouncing kickoff on his own 4 and shipping it back 96 yards to the end zone.

The Montesano offense was on the field for the entire fourth quarter without scoring. The Bulldogs were inside the Tenino 10-yard line before taking a couple of kneeldowns in the final minute.

Klinger led Bulldog rushers with 97 yards on seven carries. Gallinger had three catches for 126 yards.

Jensen also cited Klinger for his defensive play. Reninger, Ben Sowers and Jared Wallace were also commended for defense.

(Photo by Justin Damasiewicz) Montesano’s Dakoyta Reninger turns upfield after running past a Tenino defender during an Evergreen 1A League football game on Oct. 20 at Jack Rottle Field.