After flying high against Tekoa-Rosalia last Friday, Waitsburg came back down to earth. The Cardinals took a 58-42 bruising from the Garfield-Palouse Vikings on Saturday. The game was a 42-42 toss-up at halftime, but the Cardinals couldn't quite close it out.
When it comes to explaining why Waitsburg lost, don't look at Isaias Reyes. Despite the final result, he rushed for 86 yards and one touchdown, and also picked up 42 receiving yards and one TD. Reyes got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 61 yards. Speaking of playmakers, who could forget Martin Vasquez, who went all the way with a kickoff return for a touchdown.
Koyen Fortune
| 10/03/25 vs Tekoa-Rosalia | 7 |
| 09/26/25 @ Dayton | 10 |
| 09/19/25 vs Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian | 16 |
| 10/11/25 vs Garfield-Palouse | 22 |
Even if they lost, Waitsburg's defensive line still kept up the pressure with nine sacks. Jarod Hankins led the group effort, picking up five of those sacks all by himself. Koyen Fortune also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with 22.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Waitsburg, adding 12 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Vasquez, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
The loss snapped Waitsburg's winning streak at four games and leaves them with a 4-2 record. As for Garfield-Palouse, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 3-3 record this season.
We've got plenty of inter-district action coming up soon. Waitsburg will face off against rival Pomeroy at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Meanwhile, Garfield-Palouse is set to square off against their familiar foe St. John-Endicott at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
