The Quilcene Rangers football team found themselves outmatched by the Darrington Loggers, who maintained their zero-loss record by the close of their home game on Friday, Oct. 6, but Quilcene recovered nicely by shutting out the Lummi Nation Blackhawks on a lucky (for the Rangers) Friday, Oct. 13.

Versus Darrington Loggers on Oct. 6:

Quilcene football coach Trey Beathard noted that Darrington went into the Oct. 6 match with a 6-0 scorecard, and by the end of the contest, the Loggers had defeated the Rangers by a score of 56-14, but Beathard credited his team with keeping it relatively competitive right up to halftime.

Beathard praised tailback Andrew Perez-Lopez for running 182 yards and making 19 carries, including one 80-yard run that yielded a touchdown.

Indeed, Beathard credited both Perez-Lopez and fellow junior Mason Iverson, who made a two-point conversion, with tying the score 8-8 early on in the game, before the first quarter ended with Darrington leading 14-8.

Beathard further commended Iverson for running the ball nine times and 68 yards, including a six-yard touchdown run during the second quarter that ultimately contributed to the Quilcene Rangers following on the Darrington Loggers’ heels with a score of 28-14 by halftime.

Beathard went on to cite both boys’ skills at tackling as well, with Perez-Lopez leading his team with a total of nine tackles and four passes denied that Friday, and Iverson barely one behind with eight tackles, which included one quarterback sack and one tackle for a loss.

Tyler Beukes, yet another junior on the Quilcene Rangers lineup, likewise earned himself a mention by Beathard for “playing a good game” and racking up six total tackles of his own.

Nearly rounding out the Quilcene juniors is Taylor Boling, whose 6-foot 3-inch height and 240 pounds Beathard said have made it possible for him to disrupt his opponents’ offense and defense alike.

“With his size, our own offensive line can run behind Taylor,” Beathard said. “He’s tough for our opponents’ defense to overcome, since he can just shut down the middle of the field. And for our division, he’s the leading punter in the league.”

Boling’s punting and kicking abilities were evident in the 64-yard punt he made against Darrington on Oct. 6.

Taking stock of the Quilcene Rangers’ shortfalls, Beathard acknowledged that his team has been struggling in the wake of both of his quarterbacks sustaining leg injuries that prevent them from “running very well” in the meantime, but the coach has been fairly impressed with how well his third-string quarterback has managed to step up to even more demanding expectations than he had anticipated.

“He’s done a pretty good job in the meantime,” Beathard said. “But we’re still hoping our two primary quarterbacks can recover enough to play in the coming weeks.”

Versus Lummi Nation Blackhawks on Oct. 13:

It may have been “Friday the 13th” on traditionally tough terrain for the Rangers, but Quilcene still defeated the Blackhawks on their home turf by 57-0.

“Lummi’s a hard place to play,” Beathard said. “This is the first time we’ve ever won there. Even when we beat them in the playoffs, we still lost on their ground. It’s a long trip just to get there, and while the Blackhawks might not be as tough to beat as the Loggers, they’re still a pretty good team.”

Beathard again credited Perez-Lopez with rushing six times for 119 yards to score three touchdowns, while also running 46 yards to return a punt and score a fourth touchdown.

“Andrew also scored two running two-point conversions, for a total of 28 points,” Beathard said. “He even made an interception with a 42-yard return, and a 45-yard touchdown punt return. And Boling again dominated our opponents’ defensive line.”

Boling accounted for three tackles, a quarterback sack, two QB hits, a QB hurry and a blocked punt, in addition to kicking an extra point.

Meanwhile Beukes racked up seven tackles and “knocked down” three passes, according to Beathard, while Mason Iverson rushed six carries for 70 yards, along with a two-point conversion run, and senior Eli Iverson rushed two carries for 69 yards and two touchdowns.

“Eli only ran twice, but he scored touchdowns both times,” Beathard said.

Quilcene eighth-grader Tyler Matheson had an interception he returned for 14 yards, while senior Dominic Smith completed two out of his three passes, for 51 yards and one touchdown.

Beathard closed out his praise for his Rangers by mentioning that sophomore Robert Evans received a catch for 27 yards, and rushed a carry for a 35-yard touchdown, while fellow sophomore Oliver Hopkins rushed a carry for 14 yards, and received a catch for a 20-yard touchdown.

“Best of all, everyone got to play, and they all left the field totally injury-free,” Beathard said.