The DeSales Irish will be playing at home against the Neah Bay Red Devils at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. One thing working in DeSales' favor is that they have posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season.
DeSales is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They claimed a resounding 56-16 win over Ocosta. With the Irish ahead 40-0 at the half, the game was all but over already.
DeSales got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Jason Guest out in front who rushed for 45 yards and a pair of scores, and also picked up 57 receiving yards and one touchdown. Another passer making a difference was Cohen Wood, who threw for 149 yards and three TDs on only 13 passes.
DeSales didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Guest and Manning Filan, who each picked up one interception apiece.
Meanwhile, Neah Bay faced Garfield-Palouse in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Red Devils snuck past the Vikings with a 60-54 win. The Red Devils pushed the score to 46-24 by the end of the third, a deficit the Vikings cut but never quite recovered from.
Neah Bay's win came from a few key players DeSales will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kane Greene, who rushed for 195 yards and three touchdowns on only eight carries, and also threw for 25 yards and one TD. He also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making 12 total tackles and defending one pass. Caleb Cummins helped out on the ground, rushing for 179 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Neah Bay was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 461 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 199 rushing yards in seven consecutive matchups.
One reason for the win was Neah Bay's imposing defensive line, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. Eugene Ray refused to say out of the backfield, picking up three sacks all by himself.
Neah Bay pushed their record up to 8-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 41.5 points over those games. As for DeSales, their record is now 11-0.
Saturday's contest might be decided on the ground. DeSales has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 180.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Neah Bay struggles in that department as they've been averaging 216.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Saturday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
