Non-league football: Woodland 44, La Center 0

LA CENTER — It was a celebratory atmosphere Friday prior to the La Center Wildcats breaking in their brand new football field that had been almost a decade in the making.

But it was their former league foes, the Woodland Beavers, now in the 2A Greater St. Helens League, that ended up crashing the party with a 44-0 win over their old rival.

“It was great to come out here and put the running clock on them,” said Woodland running back Eli Whitmire, who ran for 120 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. “They beat us for two league championships in a row. On their brand new field, their first game belongs to us.”

La Center and Woodland were neck-and-neck for about a quarter.

Although the Wildcats gave the Beavers good field position early in the first quarter, Woodland managed just three points.

Both teams were playing the field position game until La Center was backed-up into their own endzone where they punted for the first time in the game.

Following the punt, Whitmire then returned the punt 38-yards for a touchdown to make it 10-0 early in the second quarter.

Whitmire was the first of many uninvited guests that slowly, but surely, turned the party out.

Whitmire scored on the next two times he touched the football: a 60-yard punt return and a 77-yard touchdown run on a pitch play.

In the blink of an eye, the game went from 3-0 to 24-0 and the Beavers never looked back.

“It was good to return to two punts against them and just get our turn,” Whitmire said.

Freshman quarterback Wyatt Harsh added insult to injury with a 17-yard touchdown run right before the half.

La Center struggled to get things going offensively, sticking with their running attack that went nowhere.

Quarterback Wyatt Aguirre and running back Brett Judd rarely found room to run.

In the second half, the Wildcats struggles continued while the Beavers continued to roll.

Up next for Woodland will be their first league game int he 2A GHSL against Hudson’s Bay.

“Haven’t ever played against them before but I’m ready to watch some film,” Whitmire said. “Hopefully we can get our defense rolling like we did tonight.”

Woodland 44, La Center 0

Woodland 3 28 14 6—44

La Center 0 0 0 0— 0

First quarter

W — Tylor Bishop 38 FG.

Second quarter

W — Eli Whitmire punt return (Bishop kick)

W — Whitmire punt return (Bishop kick)

W — Whitmire 77 run (Bishop kick)

W — Wyatt Harsh 17 run (Bishop kick)

Third quarter

W — Jared Cloud 8 pass from Harsh (Bishop kick)

Fourth quarter

W — Hunter Rainey 61 run (kick failed)

Individual statistics

RUSHING — Woodland: Whitmire 9-120, Rainey 3-75; Harsh 3-20; Trevor Huddleston 2-42; Thomas Brower 1-(-5); Cody Aceveda 1-5 La Center: Wyatt Aguirre 26-77, Brett Judd 15-42; Dalton Morgan 4-15; Jeffery Mayolo 2-5, Jacob O’Donnel 2-(-4).

PASSING — Woodland: Harsh 6-8-0-73; Brower 1-1-0-10 La Center: Aguirre 3-7-0-31; Jeremy Scott 3-4-0-22

RECEIVING — Woodland: Jared Cloud 3-39, Whitmire 2-32; Huddleston 2-12. La Center: Jake Wise 1-25; Issac Kulla 2-10; Dustin Brigham 2-14; Sean Nolan 1-4