Columbia High lost for the seventh time this season on Oct. 13, when visiting Castle Rock beat the Bruins, 21-6, in a Trico League football game in White Salmon.
Once again, Columbia moved the ball on the ground, but the Bruin offense couldn’t score. The Columbia TD came after a second-quarter blocked punt and subsequent return.
Columbia will have two more chances to earn a win this season: The Bruins play at La Center this Friday and next week play at Fort Vancouver High.
Coach Shawn Friese said of the Castle Rock game: “We had the one drive that we get down to the 1-yard line and a couple of penalties there and we can’t get that in. We had two other drives that we got down inside the 30 and fumbled on both of those drives. Those miscues definitely hurt us, but we had opportunities.”
Columbia’s best offensive scoring chance came after it took over on downs at the Castle Rock 48, trailing 14-6 with a little more than six minutes left in the third period. Two running plays and a Castle Rock penalty advanced the ball to the 8-yard line. Two runs got the Bruins as close to the Rocket 1, but two five-yard penalties killed the home team’s momentum and Castle Rock eventually took over at their 5-yard line.
Columbia’s first drive — the initial one of the game — stalled inside the Castle Rock 15 when the Bruins were called for a delay of game penalty and then fumbled the quarterback-running back exchange on fourth down. Castle Rock responded by marching 85 yards for a touchdown on its ensuing possession.
The Rockets recovered a squib kick and were back in business a few minutes later in Bruin territory. Castle Rock scored on the first play of the second quarter on a 27-yard pass on fourth down.
“Our defense kept us in the game,” Friese said. “I thought for the most part we played outstanding defense. We had a good game plan going in and we executed it well. It was just a couple big plays here and there that bailed them out.”
Columbia moved the ball on its next possession, but an illegal motion penalty negated a good Humberto Pulido run to near the Rocket 20-yard line and the Bruin drive stalled a few plays later when they could only pick up six yards on a fourth-and-seven.
Columbia’s defense scored the Bruins’ lone TD on the next series. The Bruins forced a Castle Rock punt on a fourth-and-seven play at the Rockets’ 23-yard line. Junior defensive end Kai Brasuell came off the left side, shrugged off a blocker and blocked the Castle Rock punt. The ball ricocheted toward the left sideline where junior linebacker Seth White scooped it up just inside the 10-yard line — a few feet from the out-of-bounds line — and rambled in for a touchdown.
Columbia, trailing 14-6, had a great opportunity to score again on Castle Rock’s next possession. The Rockets gambled and lost when they failed to convert a fourth-and-three at their own 21-yard line late in the first half. The Bruins took over, but on first-and-goal from the 10, another miscue on the quarterback-running back exchange turned the ball back over to Castle Rock.
Castle Rock scored an insurance touchdown with four minutes remaining.
“We’re going to make some minor adjustments and changes and give ourselves the best opportunity to be successful,” Friese said of the final two weeks of the season. “I think we’ve been building every week … as far as the program goes, I’m really happy with where we’re at. Our record doesn’t show it, but we have been competitive nearly every game this season. I think that’s an important thing not to overlook. Obviously, you want to get some wins on the board, but we’re trying to build a foundation of a program and things are certainly headed in the right direction.”
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