Moore’s record effort helps Eagles rebound

Klahowya’s been developing a pretty good football rivalry with neighbors to the north Port Townsend during the past two seasons.

After falling in the first game against the Redskins last year, Klahowya rebounded with a 20-8 road win that secured a tie for the final 2A state qualifying game out of the Olympic League. The Eagles later won that ensuing coin toss to advance to the state qualifier.

Friday, Klahowya (3-2, 1-0 in Olympic League play) made sure it struck first in 2007, delivering a 35-13 blow to Port Townsend (2-3, 0-1) to earn the Eagles a win in the league opener.

“It was nice to go up there and win,” Klahowya coach Brad Hamblet said. “That’s the second time in two years we’ve won on their field. It’s a really nice feeling.”

And much like neighboring Port Angeles, PT too has a reputation for having a home-field advantage that goes beyond lots of fans.

That just made Friday’s drubbing even sweeter, Hamblet said.

“We needed to get back on a winning track,” he said. “And when you’re playing up there it’s not always the best.”

Andre Moore set a new Klahowya record with 348 rushing yards in the game, scoring four touchdowns to lead the Eagles. Moore is now averaging more than 200 yards per game, heading the maxpreps.com state rushing leaders with 1,006 yards on the season.

“It’s a pretty good game,” Hamblet said of Moore’s record-setting effort. “It’s definitely a school record.”

After a slow start, Klahowya picked it up pretty quickly. Moore broke out a 90-yard run to strike first before a PT player scored on an 85-yard kick return.

Moore scored again in the second half to take a lead that would hold when PT’s Aaron Glaspell found the end zone from 20 yards out. The Eagles led 14-13 at the half.

“We sputtered the first half,” Hamblet said. “We couldn’t get started. There were lots of penalties.”

But the second half was all Klahowya.

The Eagles turned to their strengths, with Cody Hertenstein scoring from 3 yards out in the third quarter. Moore scored again, this time on a 30-yard scamper.

“Our talk at halftime was that we had to come out and do what we do best,” Hamblet said. “That’s power plays.”

But Hamblet said playing in PT means no lead is safe. “Up there, that’s not a big enough lead,” he said. “Our defense played exceptionally well on their part.”

With the defense finishing off the second-half shutout of Port Townsend, Moore scored again to lock up the win, this time rushing for a 75-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown.

“Our offense picked it up in the second half too,” Hamblet said.

The Eagles were able to pick off two passes and recover a fumble, while coughing just one up. Hertenstein also blocked his fourth punt of the season.

The win ties Klahowya for first place in the Oly Leauge’s 2A Division with Sequim, a team that topped Klahowya 21-17 in a non-league contest a week ago.

Next up for the Eagles is Kingston at 7 p.m. Friday, also Klahowya’s homecoming game.

“It’s always a big game,” Hamblet said. “It’s always an exciting game. Just by that alone it makes it an exciting game.”

As for Kingston, Hamblet said his team won’t be overlooking the first-year school.

“A new school, we’re looking forward to playing them,” he said. “For a first-year school, they play pretty darn well.”

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