La Center Wildcats

Wildcats not phased by lopsided loss to talented Hockinson team in Week 1

Week 1: Hockinson 42, La Center 6

Week 2: La Center at Woodland, 7 p.m.

The score got away from them, but the Wildcats did have success moving the ball against the defending Class 2A GSHL champs.

For our coverage from game night, go here:

https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/2017/09/01/hawks-fly-high-in-opener/

Strange numbers:

Just looking at the drive charts, it would not appear La Center lost this game by five touchdowns.

La Center had two first downs on its first series. Didn’t score, but did not get rolled by the Hockinson defense.

Then the Wildcats put together a 14-play drive that got them on the brink of scoring before a fumble into the end zone.

On the third drive of the game, La Center would score after an 18-play drive.

Yes, 18 plays. That does not sound like a team that would lose by a lot.

Even in the second half, there was some sustained success driving the ball. One series went 13 plays.

La Center lost to a very good Class 2A team. The score was lopsided. But there is something to build on here. Plus, the Wildcats know that a Week 1 loss to Hockinson is not the end of the world. A year ago, La Center would bounce back from a similar defeat and the Wildcats sill reached the 1A state semifinals.

Couple defensive highlights: La Center did struggle to slow down Hockinson’s attack. Still, there were a couple big plays by the LC defense. Collin Namanny and Wyatt Siebert each recorded a sack.

Coach Speak:

What did coach John Lambert learn from Week 1? “I learned that Hockinson had its best team ever,’’ Lambert said. “Nobody in the 2A GSHL will beat them. We just need to continue to improve and work.”

Coach’s pick for MVP: Evan Honore for offense and defense. Honore rushed for 49 yards and also caught four passes for 63 yards, including La Center’s only touchdown. On defense, he was all over the place, giving maximum effort on every play, the coach said.

Thoughts on Week 2: “This is our rival, both teams get up for this game,” Lambert said of Woodland. “Wyatt Harsh and Tyler Flanagan are all-state players. Hopefully we can slow them down a little.”