2024 GAME SUMMARIES
To see game summaries from prior weeks, scroll down.
Playoff Game Summary: Woodinville vs Gonzaga Prep
Woodinville’s season ends at the hands of Gonzaga Prep
SPOKANE, WA - The Woodinville Falcons were eliminated from the playoffs after falling to Gonzaga Prep Bullpups 40-18 last Saturday.
It was a competitive game early–the Falcons (4-6, 1-4 KingCo) traded blows with Gonzaga Prep (10-0, 9-0 Greater Spokane) throughout the first half, trailing 20-12 at halftime after making a decisive stop in the red zone. Gonzaga Prep was able to force some turnovers in the rainy conditions, using the extra possessions to pull away in the second half for the win.
On offense, the Falcons battled an experienced Gonzaga Prep squad on their home turf. Quarterback Levi Grothen led the team with 119 passing yards on 10 completions, spreading the ball to Casey Larson, Cadan Van de Wege, Owen Milnes, and Santiago Hernandez. Hernandez led the team with 41 rushing yards, while Larson led the team with 48 receiving yards and ran for two touchdowns in his final game. The offensive line put up a valiant effort thanks to the efforts of Aidan Anable, Evan Gaylord, Alex Wenzel, Alex Kromann, and Tenzin Stull.
On defense, the Falcons made enough plays to keep the game competitive well into the second half. Mauricio Toloza led the team with 13 tackles in his final appearance. Trevor Larson, Cooper Angellar, Jayland Coleman, Alex Torgesen, Nour Elgohary, Bernard Moore, Casey Larson, and Enzo Calozza all had 4+ tackles. In addition, Calozza recovered a fumble, Max Flack had two tackles for loss, and Sawyer Munson, Gabe Porter, Adrian Torres, and Blaine Hager all added tackles.
On special teams, the Falcons ended the year on a high note. Jayland Coleman burst through the line and blocked a punt in the second quarter, which was promptly returned for a touchdown by Gavin Watts in yet another impactful play made by the Falcons special teams. In addition, Cadan Van de Wege ended his season as a punter with another strong performance, punting 4 times with a long of 45 yards.
In the week leading up to the game, multiple players were presented with all-league honors. On offense, Casey Larson was named KingCo offensive player of the year in addition to first-team honors, Levi Grothen was named to the first team all offense, Evan Gaylord and Alex Wenzel were named to second team all offense, and Santiago Hernandez and Cadan Van de Wege received honorable mentions. On defense and special teams, Casey Larson was named to first team all defense and special teams, Max Flack and Trevor Larson were named to second team all defense, and Cooper Angellar and Gabe Porter received honorable mentions for defense.
The Falcons were led by a core group of seniors this season, and their presence on the team this year and in years past will be dearly missed. Shoutout to Enzo Calozza, Cooper Angellar, Adrian Torres, Rayan Salameh, Levi Grothen, Mauricio Toloza, Bernard Moore, Alex Torgesen, Nour Elgohary, Ryan Lay, Trevor Larson, Max Flack, Casey Larson, Yohannan Sandles, Gabe Porter, Alex Wenzel, Alex Kromann, Tenzin Stull, and Evan Gaylord for their contributions throughout this season and past seasons. With that, Woodinville ends its first season as a member of KingCo’s Tier 1 group, proving their status as one of the best teams in KingCo through their competitiveness in the toughest tier of the league.
-- DJ Baerwald
(DJ Baerwald is a senior at Woodinville High School)
Game 9 Summary: Woodinville vs Lake Washington
Woodinville blanks Lake Washington to keep their state title hopes alive
BOTHELL, WA—The Woodinville Falcons shut out the Lake Washington Kangs 28-0 last Friday night, keeping their season alive.
It was a performance for the Falcons (4-5, 1-4 KingCo) that resembled their results early in the year, where the Falcons jumped to an early lead and never looked back. Following a blowout loss to Bellevue a week prior, the Falcons asserted their dominance over the Kangs (3-6, 1-4 KingCo), holding Lake Washington to just 5 first downs and 36 total yards on offense.
Offensively, the Falcons used a balanced attack to cleave through the Lake Washington defense. Levi Grothen finished with 216 passing yards on 12 completions, the first being an 82-yard touchdown pass to Casey Larson on the opening possession for Woodinville. Larson led the team with 142 receiving yards on 5 catches. At the same time, Santiago Hernandez, Ryan Salameh, Cadan Van de Wege, and Bernard Moore all had receptions. Hernandez led the team with 105 rushing yards on 16 carries, including a pair of red zone touchdowns from 5 and 1 yard out. Gavin Watts also received a sizeable share of carries, tallying 23 yards on 9 attempts rushing. The Woodinville offense line supplemented the offensive effort nicely, thanks to the efforts of Aidan Anable, Evan Gaylord, Alex Wenzel, Alex Kromann, and Tenzin Stull.
Defensively, the Falcons rebounded from a rough outing the previous week against Bellevue with their best effort of the season, producing a shutout. In addition to allowing just 5 first downs and 36 yards on defense, both season bests, the Falcons forced two turnovers and a safety, snuffing out any chance for Lake Washington to make an impact offensively. Enzo Calozza led the defense, intercepting a pair of tackles in the first half and totaling a team-high 6 tackles, 3 of which were for a loss. Other notable defense players included Cooper Angellar (3 tackles for loss), Trevor Larson and Adrian Torres (5 tackles and a sack each), and Josiah Keo-Pelagio, Casey Larson, Mauricio Toloza, and Jayland Coleman (3+ tackles each). In addition, Max Flack, Alex Torgesen, Zach Verner, Sawyer Munson, Nour Elgohary, Gabe Porter, Jonah Leavengood, Bernard Moore, Ryan Lay, and Gavin Watts all contributed to the defensive effort.
On special teams, the Falcons continue to impress. The Falcons made multiple impactful plays on special teams, including Trevor Larson blocking a punt for a safety, Gavin Watts nailing a season-long 39-yard field goal, Cadan Van de Wege booting a 59-yard punt, and Santiago Hernandez exploding for a 67-yard kick return.
Woodinville will look to take the momentum from the win across the state. They travel to Spokane to face Gonzaga Prep (9-0, 9-0 Greater Spokane) at 2 PM next Saturday in a winner-to-state playoffs/loser-out game.
-- DJ Baerwald
(DJ Baerwald is a senior at Woodinville High School)
Game 8 Summary: Woodinville vs Bellevue
Bellevue overpowers Woodinville in the regular-season finale
BELLEVUE, WA—The Woodinville Falcons lost their final game of the regular season last Friday night, 55-7, to the Bellevue Wolverines (7-0, 5-0 KingCo).
It was a grueling game for the Falcons, who faced off against the defending 3A state champions. Despite the Falcons’ best efforts, Bellevue’s advantage in size and speed ultimately was the deciding factor in a lopsided victory.
The Falcon offense put up a valiant effort in the loss, totaling 156 yards of offense. Quarterback Levi Grothen finished completing 7 of 16 passes for 84 yards, scoring the lone touchdown of the game on a 1-yard quarterback sneak in the second quarter. Owen Milnes led all receivers with 30 yards on 4 catches, with Casey Larson and Cadan Van de Wege chipping in 28 and 26 yards on a combined 3 catches. Santiago Hernandez led all rushers with 72 yards on eight carries. With the size of the deficit, other players got some touches, including running back Zach Verner and quarterback Rohan Dharmaraj. The Woodinville offensive line of Aidan Anable, Alex Kromann, Alex Wenzel, Tenzin Stull, and Evan Gaylord worked hard against a Bellevue defensive line with a size advantage, holding their own for most of the game.
On defense, the Falcons faced a brutal rushing attack that no one has figured out yet this year, as Bellevue has scored at least 31 points in every game this season. Despite this, the Falcons could still make some plays early in the game to keep it competitive, at one point trailing by just six points in the second quarter. Jayland Coleman led the team with 4.5 tackles, but Max Flack had the highlight of the night for the defense with a sack in the first quarter. Flack, Trevor Larson, Alex Torgesen, Sawyer Munson, Nour Elgohary, Gabe Porter, Bernard Moore, Ryan Lay, Casey Larson, Enzo Calozza, Gavin Watts, Steven Carlson, and Cole Sullivan all had multi-tackle games. In addition, Cooper Angellar and Rohan Dharmaraj also added tackles.
On special teams, Gavin Watts connected on the one kick the Falcons attempted on the night: an extra point in the second quarter. Santiago Hernandez, Enzo Calozza, Logan Morris, and Casey Larson all had returns on special teams, and Cadan Van de Wege and Steven Carlson shared the punting duties.
The Falcons (3-5, 1-4 KingCo Tier 1) season is not over. The Falcons will face the Lake Washington Kangs (3-5, 1-4 KingCo Tier 2) next Friday night at 7 PM at Pop Keeney in a loser-out game.
-- DJ Baerwald
(DJ Baerwald is a senior at Woodinville High School)
Game 7 Summary: Woodinville vs Skyline
Skyline hands Woodinville another devastating loss
SAMMAMISH, WA—The Woodinville Falcons lost by one score for the fourth time this season, falling to the Skyline Spartans (4-3, 1-3 KingCo) by a score of 23-22 last Friday night.
The loss soured what was a valiant effort by the Falcons, who rallied from a 15-0 first-quarter deficit to take the lead in the fourth quarter, only for Skyline to score a touchdown and convert the game-winning two-point conversion with just 32 seconds left in the game. It has been a rough season for Woodinville (3-4, 1-3 KingCo), whose four losses have come by a combined ten points, as the Falcons are just a handful of plays away from a winning record.
Despite facing cold, rainy conditions, the Woodinville offense was able to rack up 265 yards of offense against a physical Skyline defense. Quarterback Levi Grothen led the way with 201 passing yards and two touchdowns on 10 completions, hitting wide receiver Casey Larson for 38 and 40-yard touchdowns. Larson led the team with 5 catches for 125 yards receiving, adding a 10-yard rushing touchdown that gave the Falcons the lead early in the fourth quarter. Santiago Hernandez led the team with 51 rushing yards on 11 carries. Cadan Van de Wege, Owen Milnes, and Gavin Watts produced 90 yards of offense in receiving and rushing yards. The offensive line battled through injury and the slick conditions in the trenches, featuring Aidan Anable, Evan Gaylord, Alex Kromann, Tenzin Stull, Alex Wenzel, and Cash Miller, who filled in for Wenzel while he was battling an injury.
On defense, the Falcons ground the Skyline offense to a halt after surrendering two touchdowns in the first quarter, which was critical to keeping Woodinville in the game long enough to mount a comeback attempt. The Falcon defense held firm against a Skyline team determined to establish the running game, holding the Spartans just 3.7 yards a carry on 51 attempts, primarily due to an impressive team effort in tackling and pursuit at the line of scrimmage. Linebacker Bernard Moore led the team with 11 tackles, one of which was a sack. Trevor Larson, Jayland Coleman, Alex Torgesen, Gabe Porter, and Casey Larson all had at least 6.5 tackles. In addition, Porter added a sack, Max Flack and Cooper Angellar had multi-tackle games, Enzo Calozza recovered a fumble, and Sawyer Munson, Nour Elgohary, and Adrian Torres all assisted in the defensive effort.
It was a quiet night for the Woodinville special teams, who have made influential plays in every game. Most of that was due to the effort of Skyline’s special teams, who only attempted one kick all game and consistently booted balls to the endzone on kickoffs to avoid the potential for a return. Despite this, punter Cadan Van de Wege still had a great game, averaging 42 yards on his punts, which helped pin Skyline back in their territory several times.
The Falcons will face their toughest test yet this year next week--they will go on the road to face the defending 3A state champions, the Bellevue Wolverines (6-0, 4-0 KingCo), at 7 PM next Friday at Bellevue High School.
-- DJ Baerwald
(DJ Baerwald is a senior at Woodinville High School)
Game 6 Summary: Woodinville vs Bothell
Woodinville holds off rival Bothell on senior night
BOTHELL, WA - The Woodinville Falcons were victorious in their home finale, defeating their rivals, the Bothell Cougars (2-4), by a score of 36-29 last Saturday night.
It was a refreshing win for a Woodinville team (3-3) that has been through a series of brutal losses. The Falcons took the lead on their first possession of the game. They never looked back, building a two-score lead coming into halftime and trading scores in the second half to secure their first victory in a month.
The Woodinville offense rebounded from a sluggish performance last week, using a balanced attack to slash through the Bothell defense for most of the game. For the first time this season, the Falcons had more rushing yards than passing yards, mainly due to another outstanding performance from running back Santiago Hernandez, who rushed for 202 yards on 25 carries, including a 23-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Hernandez's touchdown was one of three rushing scores for the Falcons, as quarterback Levi Grothen and wide receiver Casey Larson also found paydirt, each from inside the three-yard line. Grothen was efficient through the air, finishing the game completing 18 of 22 passes for an even 200 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns: an 18-yarder to Larson and a 16-yarder to Owen Milnes. Larson led the team with 98 receiving yards. Milnes, Hernendez, Cadan Van de Wege, Gavin Watts, and Rayan Salameh also received touches. The offensive line played a leading role in the dominant offensive effort, opening a plethora of holes for Hernandez and company to run through, thanks to the efforts of Aidan Anable, Evan Gaylord, Alex Wenzel, Alex Kromann, and Tenzin Stull.
On defense, the Falcons made impactful plays down the stretch to prevent a resilient Bothell team from pulling off the comeback. Defensive lineman Max Flack made the Cougars pay for a fumbled snap by tackling the quarterback in the endzone for a crucial safety late in the fourth quarter. The defense then made a final stand in their territory to clinch the victory with a fourth down stop in the final minute. Linebackers Bernard Moore and Jayland Coleman each led the team with 5 tackles. Flack, Trevor Larson, Cooper Angellar, Josiah Keo-Pelagio, Gabe Porter, Blaine Hager, Casey Larson, and Enzo Calozza had multiple tackles. Nour Elgohary, Adrian Torres, Cadan Van de Wege, and Steven Carlson assisted in the defensive effort.
The Woodinville special teams were phenomenal again, blocking two extra points and a field goal attempt, thanks to the efforts of Casey Larson and Cooper Angellar. The Falcons continue to make outstanding plays on special teams, forcing their opponents to chase points late in games.
Before the game, all the seniors on the team were honored. The following seniors were honored: Enzo Calozza, Cooper Angellar, Adrian Torres, Rayan Salameh, Levi Grothen, Mauricio Toloza, Bernard Moore, Alex Torgesen, Nour Elgohary, Jake Belarmino, Cole Sullivan, Ryan Lay, Trevor Larson, Max Flack, Casey Larson, Yohannan Sandles, Ben Kahn, Lincoln Gentry, Gabe Porter, Alex Wenzel, Alex Kromann, Tenzin Stull, Evan Gaylord, and Omar Amira.
Woodinville will hit the road next week for a Friday night showdown against the Skyline Spartans (3-3) at 7 PM at Skyline High School.
-- DJ Baerwald
(DJ Baerwald is a senior at Woodinville High School)
Game 5 Summary: Woodinville vs Mount Si
Mount Si hands Woodinville another heartbreaking loss
SNOQUALMIE, WA - The Woodinville Falcons lost another drama-filled game last Friday, falling to the Mount Si Wildcats (2-3) 21-20 on the road.
It was the same frustrating story for the Falcons (2-3), who gave up the game-winning score in the final minutes for the third straight week. The Falcons were ahead or tied for the entire game until Mount Si made a field goal to take the lead with 40 seconds remaining.
It was a quieter night than usual for the Woodinville offense, who jumped ahead in the first half but struggled to pull away from a pesky Mount Si defense. The Falcons totaled just 183 yards of offense on the day but came through with clutch plays when they needed them. Quarterback Levi Grothen finished the day 7 of 17 for 157 passing yards and a pair of first-half passing touchdowns–a 47-yard strike to Casey Larson in the first quarter and a 14-yard score to Cadan Van de Wege in the second quarter. Larson and Van de Wege combined to catch six of the seven completed passes for 155 yards despite the cold, damp conditions slowing down the passing attack for the Falcons. Santiago Hernandez led the team with 11 carries for 46 rushing yards, while Larson and Gavin Watts also received carries.
The Falcon defense did a great job of bending but not breaking, which was crucial in preserving the Woodinville lead for most of the game despite giving up more than double the total yardage accumulated by the Falcon offense. For example, defensive end Max Flack forced a fumble in the fourth quarter that eventually led to a Woodinville touchdown – a six-yard run by Casey Larson – that extended the Falcon lead to eight points and gave Woodinville some momentum. An interception by Bernard Moore in the first quarter, a fourth down stop in the second quarter, and two stands on two-point conversions in the second half were other important plays made by the defense. Mauricio Toloza had a team-high 9.5 tackles, while Moore, Trevor Larson, Jayland Coleman, Nour Elgohary, Casey Larson, Enzo Calozza, and Gabe Porter all had at least 5 tackles. In addition, Cooper Angellar, Sawyer Munson, Blaine Hager, Cadan Van de Wege, Gavin Watts, and Cole Padget added tackles.
On special teams, the Falcons continued to impact the game with lengthy returns on kickoffs, averaging over 20 yards a kick return. Although the Falcons did not have a touchdown on special teams for the first time this season, Casey Larson was able to block an extra point in the first quarter, which forced Mount Si to chase points for the rest of the game.
Woodinville enters the end of the season with their playoff hopes very much alive despite the string of crushing losses in the past weeks. The Falcons will look to rebound next week for their final home game of the year against the rival Bothell Cougars (2-3) at 6 o’clock next Saturday at Pop Keeney.
-- DJ Baerwald
(DJ Baerwald is a senior at Woodinville High School)
Game 4 Summary: Woodinville vs Eastlake
Woodinville’s furious comeback attempt comes up one yard short against Eastlake
BOTHELL, WA - The Woodinville Falcons nearly completed a heroic comeback effort last night, erasing a 21-point halftime deficit in a 35-28 loss to the Eastlake Wolves (2-2).
It was a crushing loss for Woodinville (2-2), who was stopped on the last play at the Eastlake one-yard line. In each of the past two games, touchdowns in the closing minutes of the game have cost the Falcons, despite gritty, determined efforts by the Falcons to overcome multiple touchdown deficits in both games.
Despite being held under 300 yards of offense for the first time this season, the Falcons offense continues to respond well to early setbacks. The Falcons had a much more balanced offensive attack, finishing with 161 passing yards and 114 rushing yards. Quarterback Levi Grothen finished 8 for 18 for 161 yards and a touchdown, a clutch 33-yard strike to Casey Larson that tied the game well into the fourth quarter. Larson finished with 68 receiving yards and was responsible for all four Woodinville touchdowns in the game, adding a pair of one-yard touchdown runs and a spectacular 69-yard punt return touchdown to his game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter. Cadan Van de Wege led the team with 71 receiving yards on 3 catches. Owen Milnes also had a catch for 15 yards. Santiago Hernandez led the team with 20 carries for 87 yards, spearheading a Woodinville ground game that continues to improve each week. Gavin Watts was also featured in the backfield, turning 5 yards on 3 carries. Woodinville continues to operate behind a formidable offensive line, which allowed only one sack on the day due to the efforts of Evan Gaylord, Aidan Anable, Alex Wenzel, Alex Kromann, and Tenzin Stull.
The Falcon defense stepped up in the second half, helping add momentum to the ferocious come-from-behind effort by making stop after stop, allowing the Falcons to tie the game twice in the fourth quarter. Perhaps most impressively, the Falcons forced two turnovers deep in their territory; Adrian Torres jumped on a loose ball for a fumble recovery in the first quarter, and Casey Larson intercepted a pass standing in his own endzone just before halftime. Without these plays in the first half, the Falcons may not have been able to recover the way they did in the second half. Cooper Angellar led the team with 6 tackles, Mauricio Toloza, Trevor Larson, and Max Flack had sacks, Navaughn Felton, Jayland Coleman, Sawyer Munson, Nour Elgohary, Gabe Porter, Bernard Moore, Casey Larson, and Enzo Calozza had multi-tacke games, and Josiah Keo-Pelagio, Adrian Torres, Blaine Hager, Ryan Lay, and Cadan Van de Wege added tackles to the defensive effort.
In the first three games this season, the Falcons won the special teams battle, continuing this trend against Eastlake. In every game, the Falcons have scored a touchdown on special teams. Against Eastlake, the Falcons averaged 17.8 return yards on kickoffs and 34.5 return yards on punts, which helped put the Woodinville offense in plus-field position on almost every possession. Kicker Gavin Watts has been solid, knocking through all four extra-point attempts he tried.
The positive takeaway for Woodinville is that they still have another half of the season in front of them, and the Falcons have proven that they are a very resilient team that does not back down from adversity. The Falcons will have a chance to get back into the win column next week when they face the Mount Si Wildcats (1-3), who are reeling from being shut out by Bellevue. The game will be next Friday at 7 PM at Mount Si High School in Snoqualmie, Washington.
-- DJ Baerwald
(DJ Baerwald is a senior at Woodinville High School)
Game 3 Summary: Woodinville vs Juanita
Juanita hands Woodinville gut-wrenching first loss of the season
KIRKLAND, WA - The Woodinville Falcons suffered their first loss of the season last Friday night, falling by a score of 29-28 to the Juanita Ravens.
The Falcons (2-1) nearly pulled off a gritty, come-from-behind win after falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, but Juanita (1-2) put together a pair of long touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, taking the lead very late in the fourth quarter with a two-point conversion on the second one.
After a slow start in the first quarter, the Falcons would end up with exactly 400 yards of offense on the day, a resilient performance despite trailing into the third quarter. Levi Grothen, Casey Larson, and Santiago Hernandez had big games, each with over 100 yards and a touchdown on offense. Grothen went 13 for 21 for 254 yards and a touchdown, an arching, 19-yard jump ball to Larson, who finished with 112 receiving yards on 5 catches. Hernandez had a break-out game, rushing 16 times for 132 yards, nearly half of which came on a 60-yard touchdown run that gave the Falcons a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. Cadan Van de Wege, Owen Milnes, Enzo Calozza, and Gavin Watts were also contributors on offense, finishing with 82, 10, 33, and 27 yards respectively. Once again, the offensive line did a great job opening holes for the running game and giving Grothen time to throw when he needed it, thanks to the efforts of Aidan Anable, Evan Gaylord, Alex Wenzel, Alex Kromann, and Tenzin Stull.
The Woodinville defense did a great job keeping the Falcons in the game after surrendering an early deficit. The defense was led by Bernard Moore, who led the team with 9 tackles. Trevor Larson had 5 tackles and a sack combining for a tackle for loss with Max Flack, who had 5.5 tackles and a sack of his own, and Casey Larson, who had an interception deep in Woodinville territory. In addition, Cooper Angellar, Navaughn Felton, and Jayland Coleman all had high tackle games, adding 8.5, 7.5, and 6.5 tackles. Zach Verner, Sawyer Munson, Nour Elgohary, Gabe Porter, Adrian Torres, Connor Sybrandt, and Blaine Hager had tackles in the game.
On special teams, it was a mixed bag for the Falcons. Gavin Watts made a crucial fumble recovery in the Juanita endzone after a high snap led to a botched punt for the Ravens, which gave Woodinville its first lead of the game in the third quarter. Watts also went 4/4 on extra points on the day, but a missed field goal in the final minute ultimately sealed the win for Juanita. However, the Falcons had multiple opportunities to put the game away in the second half, and their inability to do so was the deciding factor in a crushing loss.
Woodinville will have to rebound as the schedule gets more difficult for the Falcons. Woodinville will face the Eastlake Wolves (1-2) next Friday at 7 o’clock at Pop Keeney in front of what should be a packed, friendly crowd.
-- DJ Baerwald
(DJ Baerwald is a senior at Woodinville High School)
Game 2 Summary: Woodinville vs Union
Woodinville uses big second quarter
to take down Union
BOTHELL, WA - The Woodinville Falcons won their home opener last Friday night, defeating the Union Titans 44-23 at Pop Keeney.
The Falcons (2-0) dominated in the middle quarters, which proved crucial to the victory. The Falcons outscored Union (0-2) 31-0 in the second and third quarters; in the first two games of the young season, Woodinville has outscored its opponents 82-7 in those quarters. If the Falcons can continue to pressure teams in this fashion, it will make them very tough to beat.
Following a sixty-five-point performance was extremely difficult, but the Falcons offense turned in another stellar performance, racking up 44 points and 466 yards of offense. Levi Grothen had a phenomenal game following his five-touchdown performance last week, completing 16 of 23 passes for 370 yards and 3 touchdowns. Grothen spread the ball to his receivers, resulting in three different receivers – Casey Larson, Enzo Calozza, and Santiago Hernandez – catching touchdowns for the second straight week. Larson led the receiving corps with 4 catches for 91 yards and a rushing touchdown. Meanwhile, Calozza, Hernandez, Cadan Van de Wege, and Owen Milnes all had over 50 receiving yards. Gavin Watts led the offense with 62 rushing yards, followed by Hernandez with 42 yards and a touchdown. Zach Werner also received three carries as part of the rushing effort. Of course, all of the successes of the offense would not have been possible without the offensive line, which had a spectacular game, so shout out to Joey Lampe, Tenzin Stull, Alex Wenzel, Alex Kromann, and Evan Gaylord.
On defense, the Falcons held Union to under 200 yards for the game, helping Woodinville cruise to the victory. As always, it was a collective effort for the Falcons on defense, with notable contributions coming from Jayland Coleman, who led the team with 9 tackles, 1 for loss, Trevor Larson, Max Flack, and Gabe Porter, who combined for 5 sacks and a tackle for loss, and Casey Larson, who had an interception. Furthermore, Mauricio Toloza, Cooper Angellar, Sawyer Munson, Bernard Moore, Jacob Werner, Enzo Calozza, and Rohan Dharmaraj all had multi-tackle games. Finally, Josiah Keo-Pelagio, Nour Elgohary, Jonah Leavengood, Blaine Hager, Ryan Lay, and Caden Van de Wege assisted the defense with tackles.
Woodinville’s special teams’ play was also not exempt from the theme of recurring trends from the season opener. Gavin Watts continued to knock kicks through the uprights, tallying 5 extra points and a field goal. Casey Larson scored his second special teams touchdown of the season via a 33-yard punt return in the second quarter.
The Falcons will look to continue their hot start to the season next Friday at 7 PM against the Juanita Ravens (0-2) at Juanita High School.
-- DJ Baerwald
(DJ Baerwald is a senior at Woodinville High School)
Game 1 Summary: Woodinville vs Ganesha
Woodinville football begins 2024 campaign with blowout win over Ganesha
POMONA, CA - The Woodinville Falcons opened the 2024 season with a 65-7 blowout win over the Ganesha Giants last Friday.
For the second straight season, the Falcons played their season opener on the road in a different state, generating a similarly dominant performance to last year’s 40-0 win over Waialua in Hawaii. In both games, the Falcons started slow in the first quarter before taking control in the middle quarters with a combination of superior strength and athleticism.
On offense, the Falcons passed the 50-point mark for the first time since the 2019 season, when the Falcons lost in the state semifinals. Levi Grothen led the team with five touchdowns on just nine completions passing, thanks in part to a pair of long touchdown passes of 44 and 22 yards to Owen Milnes and Sawyer Munson respectively. Grothen would finish with 173 passing yards and a 151.44 QBR. The Falcons also established a punishing ground game, racking up 136 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 17 carries. Gavin Watts led the offense with 47 rushing yards, Santiago Hernandez and Jake Belarmino combined were responsible for 42 rushing yards and both rushing touchdowns, and Zach Verner and Enzo Calozza each contributed to the rushing effort. Cadan Van de Wege led the team with 60 receiving yards on 3 catches, while Casey Larson hauled in 3 receiving touchdowns.
The Falcons flew around the field on defense, putting up an effort that was equally impressive as that of the offense. The physical Falcons defense forced six total fumbles in the game, recovering four of them to go alongside an interception and safety. Mauricio Toloza led the team with 7 tackles in addition to intercepting a pass and recovering a fumble. Trevor Larson led the team with 1.5 sacks. Also, he recovered a fumble, combining with Max Flack and Bernard Moore to take the Ganesha quarterback down three times total. Finally, Cooper Angellar, Navaughn Felton, Jayland Coleman, and Alex Torgeson all had multiple tackles, Connor Sybrandt and Ryan Lay recovered the other two fumbles, and Zach Verner, Sawyer Munson, Josiah Keo-Pelagio, Yohannan Sandles, Nour Elgohary, Gabe Porter, Adrian Torres, Josiah Leavengood, and Blaine Hager all made contributions to the tacking effort.
On special teams, Casey Larson added an impressive 87-yard kick return touchdown to his 3 receiving touchdowns. First-time kicker Gavin Watts was a perfect eight for eight on extra points.
While the Giants (0-3, 0-0 Miramonte) lick their wounds in California, the Falcons (1-0) will begin their challenging tier 1 schedule against the Union Titans (0-1) next Friday night at 6 o’clock at Pop Keeney.
-- DJ Baerwald
(DJ Baerwald is a senior at Woodinville High School)