Cardinals Football Lose to Pirates

WAITSBURG —The Waitsburg High School football team scored more against the Pomeroy Pirates than any team this season. The Cardinals put 46 points up against a team that has only allowed 18 points by any other team so far this year.

Despite the 80-46 loss at Pomeroy on October 17, the Cardinals played well. Landen Henry had four touchdown receptions among his 11 total catches for 296 yards. JJ Gleason ran the ball 16 times for a total of 141 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Gleason also had 21 completions out of 40 attempts for 434 yards. Martin Vasquez had 41 receiving yards and 17 total tackles, and Koyen Fortune had 14 tackles and two quarterback sacks. Tucker Hamilton had 13 total tackles. Jarod Hankins had seven total tackles and a 30-yard interception at the end of the first half. Uriah York had 47 receiving yards. Victor Whitmore sacked the quarterback twice, and both Henry and Alex Zuniga got a sack.

The Cardinals are 4-3 on the season, ranked 13th in the state (according to the WIAA RPI Ranking System), and are in third place in the SE1B Wheat Division.

Pomeroy is ranked fourth in the state and first in the wheat division, and Garfield-Palouse is ranked sixth in the state and second in SE1B WD.

On Friday, October 24, the Cardinals play the Eagles at St. John-Endicott at 7 p.m. If the Cardinals are victorious in that game, they will play at home on October 31 against the third-place finisher in the SE1B Grape Division, which looks like it will be Sunnyside Christian.

After the game on Halloween night, Waitsburg will be either the SE1B 5th or 6th seed and will play another crossover game against a team from the NE1B. If Waitsburg wins the second crossover game, they will be in the state playoffs for the first time since they have been playing 8-man football.