Timberwolves 49, Bruins 20

"The snowball got big and the hill got steep," Bruins Coach Larry McCutcheon said of the 35-6 first-half deficit CHS ran up against Goldendale en route to a 49-20 defeat.

The Timberwolves dominated the game offensively, mixing the run with the pass to great effect. They finished with 440 total yards, led by running back Wade Gaston on the ground (125 yards, two touchdowns) and quarterback Tyrell Cronin through the air (11 for 12, 150 yards, one TD).

"Give Goldendale credit," McCutcheon said. "They came out like a veteran football team, like a team that had played three or four games already. And we played like a team that's really, really young, which we are."

After a touchback on the opening kickoff, the Timberwolves drove 80 yards in six plays for their first touchdown.

Columbia fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Nolan Bare recovered for Goldendale at the CHS 22-yard line. Four plays later Braydon Ross scored from the 2, then kicked the point-after to make it 14-0.

The Bruins mustered 15 yards during their first possession of the game before punting, lost a fumble on first down at midfield early in the second quarter, then failed to cover the ball on the kickoff following Goldendale's fourth touchdown.

That led to a 10-yard touchdown run by Gaston and another PAT by Ross that increased the Timberwolves' advantage to 35-0.

Columbia finally got its offense untracked late in the first half, after sophomore linebacker Taylor Feller fell on a loose ball at Goldendale's 27 with 4:03 showing on the clock.

Junior Sebastian Mael picked up 11 yards on first down, then senior quarterback Connor Warner ran for a yard before successive incomplete passes had the Bruins facing fourth down from the 15.

Warner finished the five-play, 27-yard drive with a pass to Mael at the right front pylon at the 2:28 mark.

In the second half, Warner directed scoring drives of 66 yards to open the third quarter and 80 yards in the fourth to more or less close out the game.

The Bruins finished with 123 rushing yards (41 and one TD by Feller) and 86 through the air (Warner was 4 for 14 with one score).

Senior Dylan Rabinowitz, after a couple of early drops, settled in to finish with two catches for 66 yards. His longest reception, covering 46 yards, set up a 3-yard touchdown run by sophomore Juan Mendoza early in the third quarter.

Defensive standouts for Columbia were sophomore defensive end William Sauter (five tackles, eight assists) and senior defensive back Jordon Barnedt (three tackles, three assists).

Next up:

Washougal comes to town Friday night for a non-league game in Bruin Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The Panthers, who run a double Wing T offense, are coming off a 10-7 season-opening win against Hudson's Bay.

The keys for Columbia will be to play with more aggressiveness and emotion on both sides of the scrimmage, and with more consistency when it comes to carrying out their offensive and defensive assignments.

"We'll make our adjustments in practice this week. But on Friday I want to see us come and play hard," McCutcheon said. "Last Friday I didn't think we played football the way we're capable of playing."