WHITE SALMON — What appeared to be a tossup game through one half, turned into a 28-point Elma victory Sept. 18, as the Eagles pulled away at home to win 35-7 over visiting Columbia in a nonleague WIAA Class 1A football game.
After a scoreless first quarter, Elma (2-1 overall) outscored Columbia, 21-0, in the second half of the cross-over game between the Evergreen and Trico leagues.
The game started well for Coach John Hallead’s Bruins (0-3), as defensive back Cassidy Ebbert wrestled the ball away from an intended Elma receiver on the Eagles’ first possession. The interception gave Columbia the ball at the Bruin 40. Two plays after the pickoff, including a 14-yard gain for a first down on a Levi Connell to Caleb Reynolds bubble screen, Columbia fumbled the ball away.
A short time later, Columbia’s Leland Beyer intercepted Elma quarterback Grahm Rupe’s overthrown pass and the Bruins were back on offense. Columbia moved the ball on the ground, using four running plays to advance 52 yards. The big play was Brody Landgren’s 36-yard scamper to the Elma 20. A kickout block by William Polkinghorn opened a lane for Landgren, who then cut to his right in the secondary after following Razo Salazar’s lead block downfield.
The drive ended at the Elma 2-yard line after Elma’s Troy Rupe intercepted Connell’s pass. Elma scored its first touchdown early in the second period, capping a long drive, before Columbia answered to tie the game, 7-7, on a one-yard run by Samuel Knott. The Bruins kept the ball on the ground during the drive. Landgren had runs of nine and seven yards before Connell faked a handoff and ran around right end for a 35-yard gain to the Elma 9-yard line.
Knott scored up the middle three plays later from the 1, following the Columbia blocking wedge, formed to both sides of hulking center Trenton Boydston.
The game remained tied until five seconds remained in the first half, when Elma scored on a 14-yard pass play to take the lead for good. Elma’s drive was kept alive by a Columbia pass interference penalty.
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