Eatonville Dominates Washington 42-0 on Senior Day

On a brisk Saturday afternoon at Franklin Pierce High School Stadium, the Eatonville Cruisers celebrated Senior Day in the best way possible, with a dominant 42-0 shutout victory over Washington.

The Eatonville High School football team's seniors all posed for a photo following the Senior Day ceremony honoring them. Photo: Heather Quirie

Before kickoff, the program honored its 13 senior players and one senior manager in a pregame ceremony that recognized the group’s dedication and leadership. Seniors Connor McIlraith, Jackson Doll, Colton Herbrand, Landon Austin, Derek Wood, Asher Pruitt, Phillip Buchholz, Ricky Campbell, Connor Austin, Jose Cruz Diaz, Sam Reece, Kael Stump, and Oscar Garcia were all introduced and greeted by cheers from teammates, coaches, and fans. Senior manager Lilly Walls was also recognized for her contributions to the team.

Once the ceremony concluded, Eatonville wasted no time setting the tone. Despite an early miscue on the opening kickoff, a fumble recovered by the returner deep inside their own territory, the Cruisers quickly turned the early adversity into momentum. Starting from their own 2-yard line, quarterback Cole Fowler launched a 52-yard scoring strike to Jacob Simons. The extra point was good, giving Eatonville a 7-0 lead with 9:22 remaining in the first quarter.

Washington appeared ready to respond on its first drive, moving the ball quickly downfield thanks to a big reception that set them up inside the Eatonville 10-yard line. But the momentum vanished when Washington fumbled, and Eatonville’s Ricky Campbell pounced on the loose ball at the Cruiser 14-yard line.

Eatonville capitalized on the turnover. Fowler capped the next drive with a 2-yard quarterback sneak into the end zone. The extra point extended the lead to 14-0 with 5:00 left in the opening quarter.

The Cruisers’ defense then forced a three-and-out on Washington’s next possession, setting up another scoring opportunity. Starting from their own 32-yard line, Fowler connected with senior Jackson Doll, who found himself wide open for a 52-yard touchdown. The extra point was good again, and Eatonville closed the first quarter leading 21-0.

Washington managed to move the ball early in the second quarter, driving down to the Eatonville 15-yard line before being stopped on downs. The Cruisers immediately made them pay. Fowler fired a 43-yard touchdown pass to Amari Samuel, putting Eatonville ahead 28-0 with 9:03 remaining in the half.

On Washington’s next possession, the mistakes continued. A fumble near midfield was recovered by Eatonville senior Connor Austin at the Cruiser 39-yard line. Once again, the offense made the most of the opportunity. Fowler found senior Colton Herbrand across the middle for a 7-yard touchdown strike. The extra point made it 35-0 with 4:40 left before halftime.

Washington tried to mount a response before the break, reaching the Eatonville 4-yard line on their next drive. But another turnover on downs halted the effort, sending both teams to halftime with Eatonville in full control, leading 35-0.

The second half brought more of the same. Washington opened the third quarter near midfield but again turned the ball over on downs at the Eatonville 20-yard line. On the very next play, Fowler connected with Simons for an 80-yard touchdown — their second scoring hookup of the game. The extra point was good, and the Cruisers extended their lead to 42-0 with 6:55 remaining in the third quarter.

Eatonville’s defense continued to dominate, holding Washington without a score and stopping another fourth-down attempt late in the third quarter. The Cruisers entered the fourth quarter maintaining their 42-0 advantage.

Eatonville’s final possession began at its own 21-yard line following another defensive stand. The Cruisers methodically moved the ball into the Washington red zone before shifting into victory formation to run out the clock and seal the shutout win.

Fowler finished with a near-flawless performance, completing 17 of 22 passes for 394 yards and five touchdowns, a career high in yardage. Simons was his top target, catching five passes for 161 yards and two scores, also a career best in receiving yards.

The victory improved Eatonville’s record to 4-3 on the season. The Cruisers will look to carry the momentum into next week when they travel to Steilacoom to face the Sentinels on Friday night at 7 p.m.

For Eatonville’s seniors, it was a fitting way to close out their final “home” appearance, even though the game had to be moved to Franklin Pierce High School due to renovations at Eatonville’s field and stadium, as the Cruisers delivered a complete performance on both sides of the ball and a dominant win that reflected their season-long effort and leadership.