(PHOTO: Billygoat Brian Hagenbuch can't wiggle away from Inchelium's Alan Stensgar in B-8 championship battle in the Kingdome.)
Hornets take 8-man crown
SEATTLE - The Pateros Billygoats came away from Kingbowl XV with V state records, but the Inchelium Hornets were the ones carting off the large trophy awarded to the best in VIII-man.
Inchelium rallied from a poor first half to defeat Pateros 44-344 in the eight-man state championship football game Saturday morning in the Kingdome.
Hornet bruiser Aifala Ama, a 6-foot-1, 240-pound senior tailback, was the workhorse once again with 26 carries for a game-high 191 yards and three rushing touchdowns.
But he made a bigger impression on defense, picking up a Pateros fumble and returning it 29 yards untouched for Inchelium's first score late in the opening quarter.
The fumble return – with Eti Ena's two-point conversion run – boosted the Hornets ahead 8-6 in a game in which the lead was exchanged three times.
It was the closest eight-man title game since Garfield-Palouse edged Crescent 30-26 in 1987.
The fumble return eased a horrid start for Inchelium, which fumbled the ball away on the second play of the game and failed to convert on fourth-and-two – almost a given all year – on its second possession.
Derek McCoy recovered Ena's early fumble near midfield and the Billygoats raced ahead 6-0 when Aaron Hagenbuch scored on a 19-yard tackle-breaking run down the sideline.
The Billygoats recovered another Inchelium fumble on a punt return and cashed it in with a 1-yard Derek Hunter quarterback keeper for a 12-8 lead.
But the Hornets scored twice just before halftime – Ama dragging Pateros's 140-pound defender Robert VanLith into the end zone from 10 yards out.
A 46-yard charge by Ama on third-and-one had set up the TD.
Ama displayed good form as a hurdler, launching himself over many would-be tacklers.
"The last two games we played people have tried to cut me at the knees," he said. "I was worried about that."
Ama missed the last 4:02 of the first half, icing a bruised shoulder he reinjured while covering a kickoff.
Hornet Mike Heath intercepted Hunter on Pateros' next drive and returned the pick 76 yards up the Billygoat sideline. That set up a 1-yard keeper for Heath for a 24-12 halftime lead.
With Ama back in the lineup for the second half, the Hornets stepped up the defense, blitzing often and putting pressure on Hunter with two sacks and also causing a fumble.
Hunter still completed 22 of 34 passes for 334 yards and three TDs. The 22 completions are eight-man state championship records for both individual and team efforts.
Receiver Travis Maitland also set Kingbowl records with 214 receiving yards on seven catches – including a 76-yard TD connection in the fourth quarter.
The latter play is a Kingbowl record for longest pass play and longest TD pass play.
"We had two or three more chances to put them away, but they kept coming back," said Inchelium coach Ron Washington.
"(Hunter) had all day to throw and he hurt us," said Hornet defensive coordinator Chuck Wyborney. "I started blitzing Eti up the middle because most of their routes were long routes and took a long time to develop."
Ena was among six Hornet defenders with five tackles or more. He also ha two of Inchelium's four sacks on Hunter.
Alan Stensgar, who led the Hornets with 10 tackles, also helped stave off a late Billygoat rush by snagging and onside kick with 2:02 remaining.
"I was scared – their big center was rushing right at me," said Stensgar, who reached out while on his knees and pulled the bouncing ball in. "We had a couple mistakes early, but in the second half we came out and beat on them pretty hard."
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