Hudson’s Bay right at home in first football game on own campus

Hudson’s Bay made school history on Friday.

The Eagles played their first varsity football game on their own campus, beating R.A. Long 28-13.

The school, which opened in 1955, has always played its home games at Kiggins Bowl.

But with COVID-19 throwing all convention out the window this season, Hudson’s Bay played Friday’s game on its own campus turf field, which was installed in 2018. About a hundred fans watched on the grassy berm to the field’s north or from cars parked on East McLoughlin Boulevard.

All week, Hudson’s Bay players looked forward to doing something no Eagles team had done.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” said running back Jamarion Hinton. “Especially us seniors, we went all out. This was the funnest thing all year, honestly.”

Hinton rushed for 136 yards and one touchdown, helping the Eagles earn their first win of the season.

Hudson’s Bay (1-3) was originally scheduled to face Hockinson, but the schedule was shuffled to allow the Hawks to face Ridgefield in a game that will likely decide the 2A Greater St. Helens League title.

Earning a win over R.A. Long (0-4) made Friday’s campus debut that much sweeter.

“It’s a memory forever,” Hudson’s Bay coach Ray Lions said. “It’s the first time and that can never be taken away. There are a lot of memories here. Obviously winning helps those memories.”

Hudson’s Bay took a 6-0 lead in the second quarter when Devontay Moore outmuscled a defender to grab a 26-yard touchdown pass from Dean Jesus Castillo.

Hinton extended the lead to 14-0 on a 11-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter.

R.A. Long halved the deficit when Jamond Harris grabbed a 10-yard touchdown pass.

Hudson’s Bay needed just two minutes to respond, taking a 21-7 lead on Jesus Castillo’s 11-yard keeper.

The Eagles put the game away on Hayden DeGrandpre’s 5-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter, which extended the lead to 28-7.

“To have the same energy from the beginning to now, when you’re 0-3 to start, it’s pretty amazing,” Lions said. It says a lot about the character of all our guys. Being able to stay focused and believing that if we do the right things, we win football games.”

HUDSON’S BAY 28, R.A. LONG 13

RA Long 0 0 7 6—13

Hud. Bay 0 6 15 7—28

Second quarter

HB — Devontae Moore 26 pass from Dean Jesus Castillo (kick failed)

Third quarter

HB — Jamarion Hinton 11 run (Justice Jones Jr. Faylim pass form Jesus Castro)

RAL — Jamond Harris 10 pass form Gage Kutera (Layne Oberloh kick)

HB — Jesus Castillo 11 run (William Sandilands kick)

Fourth quarter

HB — Hayden DeGrandpre 5 run (Sandilands kick)

RAL — Israel Rutherford 10 pass from Kutera (pass failed)

Individual statistics

RUSHING — RA Long: Jorge Aguilar 10-26, Shaun Mize 6-27, Jamond Harris 2-36, Gage Kutera 6-27. Hudson’s Bay: Jamarion Hinton 20-136, Dean Jesus Castillo 3-15, Mateo Varona 1-5, Dylan Damos 1-6, Raven Barnes 1-5, Travis Charlton 2-10.

PASSING — RA Long: Shaun Mize 7-16-0-58, Gage Kutera 9-18-0-126. Hudson’s Bay: Dean Jesus Castillo 7-15-1-84.

RECEIVING — RA Long: Jamond Harris 6-42; Gage Kutera 3-30, Jake Anderson 5-87, Shaun Mize 1-0, Evan Pithan 1-15, Israel Rutherford 1-10. Hudson’s Bay: Justice Jones Jr. Faylim 1-7, Mateo Varona 1-9, Devontay Moore 2-43, Kayden Gonzales 1-5, Pablo Pedroza 1-16, Mario Gonzalez 1-4.