Mavericks pass key test at Grays Harbor, 42-32

By CLIFF PFENNING, oregonsports.com

ABERDEEN, Wash. - The absence of their starting quarterback only slowed the Yakima Mavericks for a quarter in their key battle with Grays Harbor Saturday night.

Ryan Wright, filling in for John Loebbestael, threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more to lead the Mavericks to a 42-32 win over the Bearcats and virtually into the Pacific Football League playoffs.

Wright, who didn’t start the game at quarterback, completed 8 of 17 passes for 115 yards with just one interception. He threw two scoring passes to recent signee Tanner Goforth, who also returned a kickoff for a score.

The Mavericks improved to 4-2 in Northern Division games, while Grays Harbor dropped to 2-4, with all four of those losses by 10 points or less.

“We knew this would be a challenge coming in here without our quarterback,” Wright said. “But we’ve got athletes and we knew if we stuck with what we do best we could win.”

David Evans threw for a touchdown and ran for two others to lead the Bearcats.

Yakima plays at Northern Division leader Kitsap County and then closes the season at Clark County (5-1). The Mavericks need one win or a loss by South Sound (2-4) against Snohomish (1-5) or Grays Harbor to claim a playoff spot.

Yakima trailed 7-0, but tied the game with a 13-play, 79-yard drive capped by a 30-yard pass from Wright to Goforth. Wright completed two passes on the drive – 14 yards to fullback Jesse Cardenas and the touchdown to Goforth.

“The touchdown pass was huge for us because I’m mostly a running back,” Wright said. “That put a lot of pressure on them whenever I rolled out.”

Wright showed off his versatility at the start of the second half, driving the Mavericks 62 yards on four plays for a 21-10 lead. He ran once for 18 yards and completed all three of his passes, the third for 28 yards to Goforth. Following an interception, Wright drove the Mavs 49 yards on eight plays for a 28-10 lead. He hit John Muir with a 2-yard scoring pass to finish the drive with 5:56 left in the third quarter.

Yakima attempted just two more passes the remainder of the game.

The Mavericks collected three interceptions and a fumble recovery on defense.

Grays Harbor rallied throughout the game behind quarterback David Evans, scoring quickly several times. After the Mavericks went up 14-7 with 46 seconds left in the second quarter – a four-play drive off an interception, Evans got the Bearcats to the Yakima 35, where Jadon Crassino kicked a 52-yard field goal as the half expired.

The Bearcats were undone by penalties throughout the game, including an offsides call that wiped out a successful onsides kick. The most influential penalty might have been for offsides on a Yakima punt in the first quarter. The penalty turned fourth and 6 into fourth and one and the Mavs got a 2-yard run from Cardenas to earn first down at their own 32, which kept the 13-play drive going.

Yakima                   0      14      14     14       - 42

Grays Harbor         7        3        0      22      - 32

GH – Jeremy Walker 43 pass from Alex Todak (Jadon Carassino kick)

Yak – Tanner Goforth 30 pass from Ryan Wright (Matt Poggie kick)

Yak – Wright 8 run (Poggie kick)

GH – FG 52 Carassino

Yak – Goforth 28 pass from Wright (Poggie kick)

Yak – Nick Muir 2 pass from Wright (Poggie kick)

GH – David Evans 1 run (Travis Tucker pass from Evans)

Yak – Goforth 70 kickoff return (Poggie kick)

GH – Evans 1 run (Carassino kick)

Yak – Wright 28 run (Poggie kick)

GH – Joseph Winther 5 pass from Evans (Carassino kick)