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Prosser Mustang recap |
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Lions won’t defend state title after semifinal lossPREP FOOTBALL STATE PLAYOFFS: Prosser dethrones LyndenJOE SUNNEN TACOMA — So much for defense. And so much for Lynden’s hopes of defending its Class 2A state football title. A late Lions rally fell a few points short and Prosser’s high-powered offense proved to be too much as the Mustangs muscled past Lynden 47-30 in the state semifinals at the Tacoma Dome on Friday. Lynden scored 16 points in six minutes during the second half to pull within 33-30 early in the fourth quarter after trailing 33-14, but couldn’t complete the comeback. The Mustangs’ Steve Natho sealed the win with a 1-yard touchdown run with just over five minutes to play to cap a 13- play, 86-yard drive and give Prosser a 10-point lead. Natho added a second score late in the game to set the final margin. Prosser (13-0) moves on to meet Burlington-Edison in the Class 2A state championship game at 10 a.m. on Dec. 1 at the Tacoma Dome. The Tigers beat Othello 23-20 in the other semifinal game on Friday. The Lions end their season 10-3 overall. “Unfortunately we just didn’t get the job done tonight,” Lynden coach Curt Kramme said. “Part of that is just that we played a pretty good football team.” Prosser jumped out to a 19-7 lead after the first quarter, opening the game with a 34- yard touchdown run by Jordan Durbin, followed by a 59-yard touchdown pass by Durbin, and a 14-yard run by Drake Washington. The early deficit proved too much to rebound from. “Our offense had a little bit of a slow start,” Lynden quarterback Tate Dallas said. “We just didn’t come out aggressive. In the second half we started coming down hill, but we didn’t do that at first and it hurt us.” While Lynden’s offense was in an early malaise, Prosser’s shotgun spread look was running at an efficient hum. Durbin threw three touchdowns and ran for another and Natho added a pair of rushing touchdowns. The 47 points scored by Prosser were the most allowed by Lynden this season. The Mustangs came into the game averaging more than 50 points a contest. “They were very physical,” Prosser receiver Cody Bruns said. “Very hard-nosed. They didn’t give up .They’re probably the best defense we’ve played all year. The Lions’ offense finally started hitting its stride late in the third quarter. Dallas connected with Adam DeLange for a 16-yard touchdown pass to cut Prosser’s lead to 33-22 and then David Gaylord powered in to the end zone from 1-yard out a few minutes later to pull within 33-30. “I really thought we had them,” Lynden sophomore Blair Bomber said. “We started playing so well and I thought we were going to get there, but we didn’t.” The game was the last high school contest for several Lynden seniors including Dallas, Ryan Gaylord, Brady Bomber and Ryan Hastings. And though the Lions have many starters returning next season, Kramme wanted Friday night to be about the present rather than the future. “We have some potential and we’re exited about the kids who are coming back, but we want to celebrate this season,” Kramme said. “We had a great season. Somebody has to lose when you get to this level, unfortunately, but I’m so proud of our kids and how hard they worked to get to this point. As much as we’d like it we don’t get that championship trophy this year, but finishing third in the state is pretty good, too.”
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Prosser makes most of second chance in semifinalsThis story was published Saturday, November 24th, 2007 By Mark McKenna, Herald staff writer TACOMA -- The looks of disbelief, the empty feelings and the uncomfortable silence were nowhere to be found on the Prosser Mustangs' sideline Friday at the Tacoma Dome. Instead, it was all smiles, high fives and a heck of a lot of howling. The Mustangs did it. They scored the daily double, exorcising the ugly memories of last season's loss to Centralia in the 2A state semifinals with a convincing 47-30 victory over the Lynden Lions to earn a berth in next Saturday's championship game. "It's all about this year and winning a state championship," said Mustangs senior receiver Cody Bruns. "Last year was tough, but we've got another chance and now we want to make the most of it." The Mustangs (13-0) will get that chance at 10 a.m. next Saturday, when they meet Burlington-Edison in the title game. The Tigers defeated Othello 23-20 in Friday's other semifinal. Prosser, which breezed to lopsided victory after lopsided victory during the regular season, showed Friday it can take some heat. The Mustangs built a 33-14 lead with 3:53 left in the third quarter when Jordan Durbin hit Kirby Moore on a 30-yard touchdown pass, the duo's second TD connection of the game. But Lynden (10-3), the defending state champions, scored a pair of touchdowns to pull within 33-30 with 9:35 left in the game. Suddenly, the Lions had the momentum. Prosser, though, had the athletes. The Mustangs, who rode the running of Drake Washington to a 126-yard day, turned to the fresh legs of Steve Natho on their ensuing possession. And the senior answered in a big way, rushing for 47 yards as Prosser marched 86 yards for a score to make it 40-30 with 5:09 to play. "Our linemen were screaming at me to keep running the football," said Mustangs coach Tom Moore. "They (Lynden) were tired, and our guys were fresh. To be able to put a guy like Steve in during the fourth quarter is huge." It also helps to have a quarterback like Durbin, who completed 18 of 25 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for a 30-yard score to give his team an early 7-0 lead. Then after the Mustangs muffed a punt that led to a Lynden touchdown, Durbin fired a pass over the middle to a streaking Cade Wandling for a 59-yard touchdown and a 13-7 lead. Prosser led the rest of the way. "I don't think they were ready for our speed," said Wandling, whose team led 19-7 after one quarter and 25-14 at halftime. "I played a part on the fumbled kickoff, so it felt good to get the touchdown right back." Bruns and Moore also had big days receiving. Bruns caught nine passes for 54 yards, giving him 302 for his career to tie the national record set by Abram Booty of Evangel Christian in Shreveport, La. And Moore's two TD receptions give him 28 for the season, tying the school record set by Bruns last year. Lynden was led by quarterback Tate Dallas, who rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown. However, the Mustangs held the Lions to 127 yards passing and intercepted three passes. Prosser 47, Lynden 30 Prosser 19 6 8 14 -- 47 Lynden 7 7 8 8 -- 30 SCORING PLAYS P -- Jordan Durbin 34 run (Ricardo Sanchez kick) L -- Tate Dallas 3 run (Joel Brown kick) P -- Cade Wandling 58 pass from Durbin (kick failed) P -- Drake Washington 14 run (pass failed) L -- David Gaylord 19 run (Brown kick) P -- Kirby Moore 25 pass from Durbin (kick failed) P -- Moore 31 pass from Durbin (Washington run) L -- Adam Delange 16 pass from Dallas (Ryan Gaylord pass from Dallas) L -- D.Gaylord 1 run (Dallas run) P -- Steven Natho 1 run (Sanchez kick) P -- Natho 1 run (Sanchez kick) STATISTICS RUSHING--P, Washington 18-126, Natho 14-64, Durbin 3-29, Cody Bruns 1-3, team 1-0. L, Dallas 15-107, Stephen Johnson 13-49, D.Gaylord 11-60, Brady Bomber 1-(minus 4). PASSING--P, Durbin 18-25-1-243. L, Dallas 14-39-3-127. RECEIVING--P, Bruns 9-54, Moore 5-78, Wandling 3-86, Keegan Pilot 1-25. L, R.Gaylord 6-73, Bomber 4-29, Delange 2-30, Landaal Hersman 1-2, Johnson 1-(minus 7). FIRST DOWNS--P 22, L 21. FUMBLES-LOST--P 1-1, L 0-0. PENALTIES-YARDS--P 9-86, L 6-25
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