The Tenino football team turned back the clock on Friday night, reverting to the power ground game to top Elma 14-6 in a 1A Evergreen matchup.
Like much of the area, the two teams played through a torrential downpour, which hampered both offenses.
Right before halftime, with the score tied at six, Tenino coach Darren Tinnerstet opted to go to a goal-line formation.
“We just decided we were going to run the ball,” Tinnerstet said. “And the guys responded.”
The second half wasn’t a massive success on the ground for the Beavers (2-5, 2-1 1A Evergreen), but they did enough, as Michael Vassar plunged in for his second touchdown early in the fourth quarter to give Tenino the lead.
Later in the fourth, the Beavers were within three feet of making it a two-score game, but the Eagles came through with a goal-line stand on fourth down.
The defense held firm, however, as the Eagles never got the game-tying score.
“We went old-school football,” Tinnerstet said. “The guys were used to it; this is what they used to run. It’s a little different… but it’s power football.”
Despite an 0-5 start to the season, the Beavers were able to clinch a crossover spot with the victory. While it wasn’t their best performance, Tinnerstet was happy to escape with a win.
“We got lucky. The conditions definitely helped us,” Tinnerstet said. “But the kids played hard. Both teams had to play in the same conditions. We definitely needed it. Especially in this league, we’ll take a win any way we can.”
It’ll be a tough league foe for the Beavers next week, as they’ll welcome unbeaten Montesano to Beaver Stadium on Friday.
