Wolverines fall behind fast, trampled by Trojans; 50-27 | Football

With just five ticks off the game clock, the Wolverines trailed 6-0 after Meridian's Junior Castro took the opening kick off 75 yards into the end zone. The Trojans were just getting warmed up.

The Wolverines put more points on the board against Meridian than they did in either of their two previous games.

But three second-half touchdowns proved too little and too late, as the Trojans led from start to finish in dealing the Wolverines a 50-27 defeat Friday under the lights in Friday Harbor.

Friday Harbor (1-2) found itself on its heels and playing from behind from the get-go.

With just five ticks off the game clock, the Wolverines trailed 6-0 after Meridian’s Junior Castro took the opening kick off 75 yards into the end zone.

The Trojans were just getting warmed up.

On the very next play, they recovered an onside kick and two plays and a pair of Friday Harbor penalties later, were then in the end zone with their second touchdown. With less than two minutes elapsed in the opening quarter, the Trojans led 14-0. They upped the advantage to 32-6 at the break.

The Trojans (2-1) were not the only team to benefit from big plays, however.

Friday Harbor junior Jacob Justiniano picked off a pass by Meridian quarterback Max McGuinn and followed that up by recovering a Trojans fumble later in the second period. Wolverines linebacker Dylan Radden picked off a pass in the second quarter as well.

With just under two minutes left in the opening half, sophomore Nate Steenkolk tallied the Wolverines first touchdown with a 4-yard plunge up the middle and into the end zone. Quarterback Donald Galt tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Radden in the third quarter and hooked up with wide receiver Marquis Napier for a pair of TDs in the final quarter as well.

The Wolverines will have a shot at avenging Friday’s defeat in three weeks.

They square off against against Meridian Oct. 7 on the Trojans home field.

Next:

The Wolverines face regional 1A rival Nooksack Valley on the road, Friday, Oct. 23; kick off is 6 p.m.

— Scott Rasmussen