Tigers struggle in 49-14 loss to East Valley (Yakima); tiny Tiger cheerleaders steal the show
Updated
Ephrata’s Jacob Reyes (3) stretches out in an attempt to stop East Valley running back Braden Albrecht (1). Photos by Casey Devine
EPHRATA – Facing one of Washington’s top teams, Ephrata showed grit for a half Saturday night, but visiting East Valley’s depth, balance and explosiveness ultimately proved too much in the Red Devils' 49-14 victory.
The loss for Ephrata, which evened its record at 2-2, underscores the gauntlet of the Central Washington Athletic Conference, where East Valley holds the No. 2 spot in the WIAA’s Ratings Percentage Index, a statewide system that ranks teams based on win-loss record and strength of schedule. The unbeaten Red Devils, now 3-0, are joined by Othello at No. 7 and Prosser at No. 9. With three of the top 10 teams in the state coming out of the same league, CWAC programs face a playoff-level test almost every week.
Tiger QB Brady Hendrick (12) shakes off a tackle attempt by East Valley.
Quarterback Brady Hendrick scored both Tiger touchdowns on runs of 9 and 5 yards to keep the Tigers within 21-14 at halftime. Hendrick also led the Tiger rushing game with 59 yards on 12 carries, while running back Carson Andrus added 35 yards on 11 attempts.
Hendrick completed seven passes for 106 yards, including a 54-yard strike to Hunter Mills and a 27-yarder to Mitchell Morford.
The halftime show belonged to the youngest Tigers on Saturday night, as youth cheer camp participants from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade took the field to perform with the Ephrata High School cheer team. The camp was hosted by the EHS cheer squad, a photo gallery can be found at the end of this article.
But, the second half belonged to East Valley. The visitors opened with a 51-yard touchdown pass and never looked back, scoring 28 unanswered points after intermission while playing shutout defense. By the final buzzer, the Red Devils amassed 526 yards of offense (294 passing, 232 rushing), outpacing Ephrata’s total of 232.
Tigers take a knee while an injured East Valley player is attended to.
On defense, though, Ephrata had some standout performances. Calvin Lybbert led the Tigers with eight tackles, and Owen Fitch made a splash with two tackles for loss among his eight stops. Wyatt Schluckebier added seven tackles.
Ephrata defenders Tyler Lybbert (11), Clayton Wolther (23), and Benson Bair (54) team up to stop an East Valley ball carrier.
“We came and executed our offensive game plan well, and played a good first half of football,” head coach Patrick Mitchell said afterward. “East Valley was a tough opponent to defend, because they can get in run-heavy formations and pound the football at you, and they can get in spread formations and throw the ball to some really good receivers."
Mitchell remains confident despite the loss. "Our team wants to compete and keep improving on what we do," he said.
This Friday, Ephrata travels to Yakima to face Davis High School (1-3), one of the largest schools in Washington, for a non-league matchup.
Elsewhere around the CWAC: Othello (3-0) heads to East Valley (3-0) for a battle of the unbeatens, Quincy (0-3) defends home turf against Prosser (3-1), Toppenish (3-1) takes its show on the road to battle Selah (2-1) and winless Grandview (0-4) hosts winless Ellensburg (0-4).
Some bright moments at Kiwanis Field were provided Saturday evening by a spirited student section dressed in neon and a performance by the Tiny Tiger cheerleaders.
Youth cheer camp participants from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade took the field to perform with the Ephrata High School cheer team.
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Tigers struggle in 49-14 loss to East Valley (Yakima); tiny Tiger cheerleaders steal the show
EPHRATA – Facing one of Washington’s top teams, Ephrata showed grit for a half Saturday night, but visiting East Valley’s depth, balance and explosiveness ultimately proved too much in the Red Devils' 49-14 victory.
The loss for Ephrata, which evened its record at 2-2, underscores the gauntlet of the Central Washington Athletic Conference, where East Valley holds the No. 2 spot in the WIAA’s Ratings Percentage Index, a statewide system that ranks teams based on win-loss record and strength of schedule. The unbeaten Red Devils, now 3-0, are joined by Othello at No. 7 and Prosser at No. 9. With three of the top 10 teams in the state coming out of the same league, CWAC programs face a playoff-level test almost every week.
Quarterback Brady Hendrick scored both Tiger touchdowns on runs of 9 and 5 yards to keep the Tigers within 21-14 at halftime. Hendrick also led the Tiger rushing game with 59 yards on 12 carries, while running back Carson Andrus added 35 yards on 11 attempts.
Hendrick completed seven passes for 106 yards, including a 54-yard strike to Hunter Mills and a 27-yarder to Mitchell Morford.
The halftime show belonged to the youngest Tigers on Saturday night, as youth cheer camp participants from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade took the field to perform with the Ephrata High School cheer team. The camp was hosted by the EHS cheer squad, a photo gallery can be found at the end of this article.
But, the second half belonged to East Valley. The visitors opened with a 51-yard touchdown pass and never looked back, scoring 28 unanswered points after intermission while playing shutout defense. By the final buzzer, the Red Devils amassed 526 yards of offense (294 passing, 232 rushing), outpacing Ephrata’s total of 232.
On defense, though, Ephrata had some standout performances. Calvin Lybbert led the Tigers with eight tackles, and Owen Fitch made a splash with two tackles for loss among his eight stops. Wyatt Schluckebier added seven tackles.
“We came and executed our offensive game plan well, and played a good first half of football,” head coach Patrick Mitchell said afterward. “East Valley was a tough opponent to defend, because they can get in run-heavy formations and pound the football at you, and they can get in spread formations and throw the ball to some really good receivers."
Mitchell remains confident despite the loss. "Our team wants to compete and keep improving on what we do," he said.
This Friday, Ephrata travels to Yakima to face Davis High School (1-3), one of the largest schools in Washington, for a non-league matchup.
Elsewhere around the CWAC: Othello (3-0) heads to East Valley (3-0) for a battle of the unbeatens, Quincy (0-3) defends home turf against Prosser (3-1), Toppenish (3-1) takes its show on the road to battle Selah (2-1) and winless Grandview (0-4) hosts winless Ellensburg (0-4).
Youth cheer camp participants from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade took the field to perform with the Ephrata High School cheer team.
Offensive Stats
Defensive Stats