Montesano’s special teams were special all along. Eventually the Bulldog offense was as well.
Taking the lead with two huge special teams plays in the second quarter, the Bulldogs pulled away from upset-minded Aberdeen, 41-20, in a season-opening non-league football game on Sept. 1 at Stewart Field.
Carson Klinger rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Trevor Ridgway passed for 150 yards and two TDs as the Bulldogs (1-0) overcame a sensational all-around performance by Aberdeen running back Kylan Touch.
The elusive AHS senior ran for 124 yards, caught four passes for 81 yards and a touchdown and even threw a 70-yard scoring strike to Cameron Hochstetler.
Until the Bulldog offense kicked into gear midway through the third quarter, the Bobcats (0-1) did a good job of containing Montesano’s traditional big-play attack. But they were stung by some critical mistakes, including 85 yards in penalties, and a pair of special teams breakdowns.
After forging a 6-6 deadlock on Ben Dublanko’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Bailey Delahanty with 6:16 remaining in the second period, the Bobcats twice sent kickoffs out of bounds. Opting against taking possession on its 35-yard line, the Bulldogs made the Cats re-kick on both occasions.
“Other teams do that to us a lot,” Monte coach Terry Jensen explained. “We’ve got two really good return men and we just feel we can get it past the 35 every time.”
Montesano senior Kobe Gallinger took the second squib kick in full stride on his 43, found a seam and took it to the house on a 57-yard scoring return. Jordan King tacked on the first of five successful conversions.
The ball came loose when the Bobcats attempted a reverse on the ensuing kickoff. Montesano’s Kooper Karaffa came up with it and returned it to the Aberdeen 4-yard line.
Three plays later, Ridgway scored on a quarterback sneak from a yard out.
“That gave them 14 points right there,” Aberdeen coach Kevin Ridout said of the special teams turnaround. “Credit to our kids. They battled back, they realized what they could do. But we’ve got to clean up our mistakes.”
The Bobcats reduced the halftime deficit to 20-12 when Touch, hit at about his own 40 after catching a short pass from Dublanko, spun free and went the distance to complete a 69-yard pass-and-run.
Pinned deep in their own territory midway through the third quarter, the Bulldogs dug out of it on Ridgway’s 80-yard pass to Gallinger down to the AHS 15. That set up Klinger’s 4-yard scoring run.
On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Touch uncorked a halfback pass to a wide-open Hochstetler, who took it the rest of the way to complete the 70-yard scoring play.
But the Bulldogs fired right back with a four-play scoring drive. Klinger’s 43-yard run set up Teegan Zillyett’s 5-yard TD sweep.
Montesano completed the scoring on Ridgway’s 25-yard pass to Sam Winter early in the fourth quarter after a bad snap on a punt put the Bulldogs deep in Bobcat territory.
Klinger had opened the pointmaking with a 1-yard run in the first quarter.
Both teams lost starters to injury. Montesano receiver Dakoyta Reninger was transported to a hospital with a knee injury, while Bobcat center Alex Reyes suffered a broken hand.
Jensen cited the defensive play of Klinger, Winter, Karaffa, Jared Wallace and Ben Sowers. Touch, Skyler Murray, Sage Bridges, Bradley Deakin and Bodie Wharton drew Ridout’s praise.
The Bobcats will hook up with rival Hoquiam for the 112th time Friday at Olympic Stadium. The Bulldogs host Sequim the same night.
