Ocosta hasn't had much luck against Wahkiakum recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Ocosta Wildcats will host the Wahkiakum Mules at 7:00 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Ocosta's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They blew past Chief Leschi, posting a 34-0 win on the road. That 34 point margin sets a new team best for the Wildcats this season.
A big part of Ocosta's victory came down to the chemistry between Kayden Turner and his top target Ronin Rutzer. Turner gained 200 total yards and two touchdowns while Rutzer rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries. Rutzer also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, forcing a fumble and making 13 total tackles (2.0 for loss). Ocosta also got help from Jonathan Lewis, who showed off his sure hands for 91 receiving yards.
Ocosta wouldn't let Chief Leschi keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. It was truly a group effort as Matthew Wyland, Logan Rutzer, and Ronin picked up one apiece. Wyland also set a new season high mark in total tackles with seven.
Meanwhile, Wahkiakum came into Friday's game having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They took their matchup at home on Friday with ease, bagging a 52-20 win over Oakville. The Mules' offense checked out after the first half but had enough points banked to take the game anyway.
A big part of Wahkiakum's victory came down to the chemistry between Jayden Stoddard and his top target Parker Leitz. Stoddard rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries while Leitz gained 72 total yards and four touchdowns. The dominant performance also gave Leitz a new career-high in rushing yards. Another player making a difference was Mason Waldeck, who rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Wahkiakum was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 205 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Wahkiakum's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB three times. Preston West was especially locked on to Oakville's QB and sacked him twice.
The win made it two in a row for Ocosta and bumps their season record up to 3-1. As for Wahkiakum, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
Friday's match might be decided in the trenches. Ocosta has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 224.2 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Wahkiakum, though, as they've been averaging only 76.2. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Ocosta took a serious blow against Wahkiakum in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, falling 62-23. Thankfully for Ocosta, Zakkary Carlson (who rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries, and also threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns on only 17 passes) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
