Woodland beats Ridgefield, looks toward next week for playoff berth

WOODLAND — The Woodland Beavers don’t need a reminder of what’s next or the challenge that’s ahead.

They want to lock up its first runner-up finish in league outright since 2014 and with it comes its best regular-season record since going 8-1 that same season.

Friday was a big step for both after Woodland’s 42-21 Homecoming football win over Ridgefield. A win next Friday at Columbia River (5-2, 4-1) puts the Beavers as the 2A Greater St. Helens League’s No. 2 seed and a road playoff game in Week 10’s state preliminary round. Last season, the Beavers finished in a three-way tie for second with Columbia River and Washougal, yet earned the No. 3 seed based on the Kansas tiebreaker held between all three teams.

This one, though, would be even sweeter.

“It’s all coming together,” said senior Reid Hope, who had a 14-yard touchdown reception and 10-yard touchdown run Friday. “It’s a big accomplishment from last year and the years previous.”

Making its season debut in the Class 2A Associated Press statewide rankings, 10th-ranked Woodland (6-1, 3-1) feels it has the all the tools to reach the Class 2A state playoffs, something the program hasn’t accomplished since making back-to-back 1A state appearances starting in 2012.

Friday, it scored 40 or more points for the fifth time in seven games, jumping to a 42-7 lead off Reid’s touchdown run 20 seconds into the second half. Woodland scored touchdowns on its first six possessions.

Like they’ve done all season, the Beavers’ offense was orchestrated by their senior quarterback, Tyler Flanagan. He played a part in five touchdowns, and also intercepted Ridgefield quarterback Hunter Abrams in the third quarter.

Ridgefield’s best drive came on its scoring drive — 80 yards on six plays — highlighted by a 37-yard first-down run by Hunter Abrams, followed by Abrams’ 19-yard touchdown pass to Brock Harrison.

Harrison finished with five catches for 73 yards. Three came on consecutive plays that led to Abrams’ 8-yard score on a fourth-and-2 play.

Two of Ridgefield’s (3-4, 1-4) scoring drives lasted 75 or more yards Friday. Its final touchdown ate 9 minutes off the fourth-quarter clock, ending with Harrison’s second score of the night.

For Flanagan, it could be a pretty special next few weeks not only for Woodland, but for him, too.

He’s on pace to break the school’s long-standing single-season rushing record held by his father, Glen Flanagan, also Woodland’s defensive coordinator.

As a senior in 1988, Glen Flanagan rushed for 1,583 yards in Woodland’s state playoff-bound season. Friday, the younger Flanagan rushed for 73 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown run for the game’s first score.

While a personal milestone is in the back of his mind, that’s not what’s foremost.

“I’m worried about getting River next week and getting a 2-seed,” he said.

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WOODLAND 42, RIDGEFIELD 21

Woodland 14 21 7 0 – 42

Ridgefield 0 7 7 7 – 21

First quarter

W — Tyler Flanagan 24 run (conversion failed)

W — Reid Hope 14 pass from Tyler Flanagan (Flanagan run)

Second quarter

W — Flanagan 20 run (Emmanuel Cruz kick)

W — Flanagan 19 run (Cruz kick)

R — Brock Harrison 19 pass from Hunter Abrams (Ethan Mollet kick)

W — Kenyon Guy 14 pass from Flanagan (Cruz kick)

Third quarter

W — Reid Hope 10 run (Cruz kick)

R — Abrams 8 run (Mollet kick)

Fourth quarter

R — Harrison 8 pass from Abrams (Mollet kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Ridgefield: Hunter Abrams 20-116, Brock Harrison 3-9, Tanner Roberts 5-0, Clayten Madsen 1-3; Woodland: Kenyon Guy 6-29, Tyler Flanagan 13-73, Reid Hope 1-10, Anthony Clifford 1-0, Ian Short 2-4, Elijua Schultz 1-5, JJ Fuertst 2-4.

PASSING — Ridgefield: Hunter Abrams 7-14-1-96, Tanner Roberts 4-4-0-30; Woodland: Tyler Flanagan 11-18-1-200, Isaiah Flanagan 1-1-0-14.
RECEIVING — Ridgefield: Brock Harrison 5-73, Jimmy Wallace 2-12, Spencer Harmon 2-14, Aidan Hundt 1-8, Tanner Roberts 1-19; Woodland: Alex Bishop 2-34, Reid Hope 2-23, Kenyon Guy 3-41, Christian Yager 3-54, Wyatt Wooden 2-62.