Yakima Herald

Prosser stunned in semifinal
By SCOTT SANDSBERRY
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

JOHN FROSCHAUER/Associated Press Prosser quarterback Kellen Moore wipes his eyes as he walks off the field after the loss to Centralia in Tacoma on Saturday.

TACOMA — Fingertips.

In a game often defined by brawn, mass and muscle, those tiniest of body parts became the difference in Centralia going to the state championship game and Prosser's season — one that seemed destined to end with the Mustangs hoisting a huge trophy — ending a week early.

The Mustangs' 37-35 semifinal setback was ultimately decided by a 71/2-minute Centralia march that could have ended three different times ... but did not.

But that drive and the climactic five-yard scoring run by Colten Wesen that put Centralia up 37-33 — an intentional safety with two seconds remaining accounted for the final two points — wasn't Saturday's difference-maker.

Fingertips were.

Like those of Josh McFarland, who got enough of one on the ball to turn it into a greased pigskin in the hands of Mustang receiver Cory Engbretson in the end zone with 2:16 remaining and Prosser trailing by four.

JOHN FROSCHAUER/For the Yakima Herald-Republic Prosser's Cody Bruns makes a one hand catch against Centralia in Tacoma on Saturday.

Like those of Centralia defensive backs Justin Gabbard and Teigan Goodeill, who each got just enough of a fingertip — or perhaps even just the tip of a fingernail — on the ball to deflect long passes to Cody Bruns, or the Mustang speedster might have five touchdown receptions instead of the three (25, 63 and 52 yards) he did have.

Like those of surehanded Prosser sophomore Kirby Moore. He caught the other two of his brother Kellen's five TD passes, but couldn't quite reach his fingertips high enough to haul in another would-be go-ahead TD pass on that final Prosser possession.

"They did a good job of sticking their hands out, getting in our vision and getting a piece of the ball," said Bruns, whose eight receptions accounted for 156 yards, more than half of Kellen Moore's 300-yard passing total. "Yeah ... we were fingertips away."

"They did a good job of being physical," Kellen Moore said after his 18-for-37, five-TD night that broke his own state record for single-season scoring passes with 67. "We had our chances, but towards the end, when they doubled Kirby and Cody, that made it tough."

And making it tougher was that Moore — who had thrown only five interceptions in the Mustangs' first 12 games — got picked twice. Isaac Moog returned one of them 35 yards for a Centralia touchdown and the Tigers' first lead, the first of five times that lead would see-saw over the wild game.

"That was from the scouting report," Moog said of the play, in which he had one-on-one coverage with Kirby Moore and cut in front of the receiver just as the ball arrived. "We knew their receivers always go right to the first-down marker, and when I saw him slow down I thought the ball would be coming. I'm just glad the quarterback went to my guy."

Although Moog's score gave Centralia a 14-13 lead midway through the second quarter, Kellen Moore hit two more TD passes over the next 61/2 minutes — a 13-yarder to Kirby and a perfect 35-yard strike to Bruns, who raced in the rest of the way for a 63-yard scoring play. But even the Mustangs' 27-14 halftime lead seemed precarious, because they simply couldn't stop the Tigers' physical, ground-gobbling Wing-T. When they swarmed to stop Wesen, who finished with 80 yards and two scores, quarterback Cal Cruickshank would go play-action and find an open receiver — as he did with Moog on a 61-yard touchdown play just three plays into the second half.

"They had a weak league this year. We knew that," said Cruickshank, whose team will face Lynden next Saturday for the 2A title. "They haven't faced anybody as physical as us."

The Tigers scored on their first four possessions of the second half — "We just really couldn't stop them," Prosser coach Tom Moore said — and Prosser managed only a 52-yard Moore-to-Bruns bomb in response. An interception ended one Mustang possession; the others were thrwarted by fingertips. One here, two there.

Still, the Mustangs had their chances. After one drive ended on downs at the Centralia 7-yard-line with three minutes remaining, Prosser got the ball back a half-minute later after a three-and-out defensive stop. A 21-yard Bruns punt return set the Mustangs up at the Centralia 19.

But one pass went off Kirby Moore's fingertips in the end zone. Another was off the mark. A third was on target to Engbretson at the goal line, but McFarland got just enough of a fingertip on the ball that Engbretson couldn't hold on.

On fourth down, Moore whipped a perfect pass to Serg Torres at the goal line. Winning touchdown? Almost.

But defender Erik Hoium arrived at the same time as the ball and knocked it— and the season — from Torres' grasp.

With his fingertips.

Prosser 13 14 6 2 — 35

Centralia 0 14 17 6 — 37

Pro — Cody Bruns 25 pass from Kellen Moore (Trevor Fox kick)

Pro — Kirby Moore 2 pass from Ke. Moore (kick failed)

Cent — Colten Wesen 1 run (Alex Parke-Fagerness kick)

Cent — Isaac Moog 35 interception return (Parke-Fagerness kick)

Pro — Ki. Moore 13 pass from Ke. Moore (pass failed)

Pro — Bruns 63 pass from Ke. Moore (Jarid Leighty run)

Cent — Moog 61 pass from Cal Cruickshank (Parke-Fagerness kick)

Cent — FG Parke-Fagerness 24

Cent — Tyler Gussin 1 run (Parke-Fagerness kick)

Pro — Bruns 52 pass from Ke. Moore (kick blocked)

Cent — Wesen 5 run (pass failed)

Pro — Safety, punter Cruickshank tackled in end zone

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Prosser, Leighty 18-64, Bruns 2-4, Kody Frank 4-16, Ke. Moore 3-22, team 1-(minus 9). Centralia, Wesen 17-80, Gussin 16-48, Justin Gabbard 7-1, Cruickshank 3-minus 31, Moog 1-24.

PASSING — Prosser, Ke. Moore 18-36-2 300. Centralia, 6-16-1 177.

RECEIVING — Prosser, Bruns 8-156, Ki. Moore 5-35, Cory Engbretson 2-71, Serg Torres 3-38. Centralia, Sean Meehan 4-75, Moog 2-99, James Wakefield-Rickard 1-19, Wesen 1-9.