TD showing steady progression

“I just think that we learned a lot from last week,” said TD coach Steve Sugg. “Our offensive line really stepped it up and played a lot better.”

In the opening half, Devin Wilson and Payton Eaton each scored touchdowns, Eaton’s coming on a 68-yard pitch and catch from Dominque Seufalemua.

Down 54-12 in the fourth quarter, The Dalles scored on two of their final three possessions and looked a lot more fluid in execution.

“Our passing play was a lot better and our receivers ran better routes,” Sugg said. “We dropped a few balls today, but we also made some catches. It is all part of the process. We just got to keep grinding and get better each week.”

The first scoring drive of the second half, Seufalemua completed passes to Glenn Breckterfield and Kristian Lucas for gains of 33 yards to make first down on the Fort Vancouver 24 yard line.

Seufalemua then scrambled 16 yards, getting a crushing block from Jacob Wetmore to move the chains all the way down to the Trapper 8.

On third down and goal from the 3, the Riverhawk sophomore quarterback called his own number and bolted through the teeth of the Trapper defense for a 3-yard scoring scamper.

After holding Fort Vancouver to a three and out on its next drive, the Riverhawks went to work again from their own 41.

On second down and 13, Seufalemua and Breckterfield hooked up for 21 yards, and the duo connected for another five yard play to move the ball in the red zone.

Facing a first down from the Trapper 9, Seufalemua broke through tackles and pounded his way to paydirt for a 9-yard score to inch TD to within 54-28 with four minutes and 24 seconds on the watch.

Fort Vancouver came up dry on its next possession, and the Riverhawks went to work again on another long drive.

With the marker reading third down and 10, Seufalemua fired a bullet to Eaton on a swing pass for a 26-yard gain to make it first down and 10 from the Fort Vancouver 37.

The sophomore then ran free on the next play for 13 yards to move the sticks to the 24.

However, the drive short circuited on the next play, as a pass intended for Eaton wound up in the hands of Fort Vancouver’s Cesar Bonilla for an interception.

Having the offense communicate better, execute at a higher rate and getting all of the elements on the same page left an impression on junior receiver and safety Antonio Argueta.

“It shows that over the past week that we have come super-duper far,” he said. “Last time, we lost 0 to 50, but this week, we put points on the board and you know what? I am really proud of my team today.”

In looking at the entire picture, the defense also made some plays to keep the team close.

Fort Vancouver had seven second-half drives and ran 31 plays for 141 yards with four punts mixed in.

The two lone blemishes were a 25-yard touchdown run at the start of the second half by Thomas Shields.

Later in the contest, Jeremiah Davis tacked on a 37-yard dash with 9:48 left in the fourth quarter that made it 54-12.

The progressions were telling, but now this group has to band together as it hits the teeth of the schedules with the likes of Redmond, Summit, Ridgeview and Mountain View on the docket.

Argueta is not looking too far ahead, however, he and the team are looking forward to preparing for Redmond on Friday, on the road.

“We will come out next week and try our best,” the junior said. “Hopefully, we will come out with a ‘W,’ but if not, we want to show improvement by the end of the season. It is all in the long run, because this year, we got a lot of young kids. After next year when we all grow up, we are going to be a part of a bigger and better team.”

Action starts at 7 p.m. next Friday.

Radio station 1440 AM will broadcast the game.

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