The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

PASCO - The Adna Pi­rates' ground game proved too much for Waitsburg- Prescott in the first round of the state football playoffs. Adna rushed for 367 yards, beating the Cardinals 33-17 Friday night in Pasco.

WP tailed 19-0 at the end of the first quarter and was never able to get back in it. "We just got off to a slow start and I feel bad about that," said WP coach Jeff Bartlow. "That has happened a few times this year."

Bartlow said the Cardi­nals' struggled to get their passing game going. "We had more trouble passing the ball that we have had all year," he said. "It hurt us bad as we got down so early and so fast, we just had to execute the offense and we did not get it done."

Adna running back Mike Thompson had a stellar game, rushing for 241 yards on 17 carries and two touch­downs. Both of his TDs came on runs of more than 50 yards. Running back Isaac Ingle added a 50 yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Also in the first quarter, receiver Trevor Moon scored on a 61-yard pass from quar­terback David Young. It was Adna's only completed pass of the game, and one of only two passes attempted by Young.

WP finally got on the scoreboard in the second quarter with a 41 yard field goal by Antonio Benito. It was Benito's first FG of the year for the varsity team; he has kicked two in JV games. Benito was also two-for-two on the night kicking extra points.

The game turned defen­sive in the second and third quarters, and the Cardinals entered the fourth quarter down by 16, before Ingle's run gave the Pirates a 26-3 advantage.

WP finally found the end zone on a 23-yard pass from backup quarterback Jacob Dunn to running back Chance Leroue. Dunn and Leroue connected again late in the game on a 28-yard pass play.

Bartlow praised Dunn's performance, coming in to spell starter Owen Lanning at QB in the fourth quar­ter. "He just looked very natural," Bartlow said of Dunn. "He will be a good one before his playing days are done here at WP." Dunn was six-for-six passing, for 105 yards, including the two touchdowns.

Bartlow also made spe­cial mention of the perfor­mance of his special teams. Punter Luke Alexenko, had four punts for an average of 40.5 yards. "He punted well all night," Bartlow said. "We also successfully faked a punt for a first down as well as Nate Bartlow blocking a punt. The special teams were a highlight."

For the game, Leroue rushed 15 times for 75 yards, and Lanning had 13 runs for 28 yards. Lanning also passed for 39 yards, going nine-for19, with one inter­ception.

Along with his punt­ing performance, Alexen­ko caught five passes for 93 yards. Devin Acevedo caught four passes for 30 yards.

Adna 33, Waitsburg-Prescott 17

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