Eatonville Powers Past Foss 55-24 With Dominant Ground and Air Attack

Eatonville displayed its most complete offensive performance of the season Friday night, scoring early and often in a 55-24 victory over Foss at Mt. Tahoma Athletic Stadium in a 2A South Puget Sound League game.

Eatonville running back Connor McIlraith powers through the Foss defense on his way to the end zone for one of his two touchdowns during the Cruisers’ 55-24 victory Friday at Mt. Tahoma Athletic Stadium. Photo: Heather Quirie

Behind a balanced attack that produced four rushing touchdowns and four through the air, the Cruisers (3-1 overall, 2-0 SPSL) kept control from start to finish while limiting mistakes. Quarterback Cole Fowler led the way with an efficient 12-of-20 passing performance for 296 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Head coach Gavin Kralik said the team’s improvement through the first month of the season has been noticeable, though the toughest part of the schedule still lies ahead.

“I am proud of the improvement of the team through the first four weeks,” Kralik said. “Very pleased with the way we have limited turnovers the past two weeks. We still have plenty of areas for improvement in all three phases of the game. The rate of improvement needs to continue for us to put ourselves in a good position with the schedule becoming increasingly challenging.”

First quarter fireworks

Foss won the opening coin toss and deferred, giving Eatonville the ball first. The Cruisers wasted no time. Fowler needed just two plays to get Eatonville on the board, connecting with Landon Austin for a 16-yard touchdown with 10:55 left in the first quarter. The extra point made it 7-0.

Foss answered quickly thanks to a special team’s breakdown. A long kickoff return set the Falcons up at the Eatonville 13-yard line, and two plays later Landon “CJ” Wiley lofted a 14-yard touchdown pass to Mateo Christie-Suddeath. The two-point attempt failed, leaving the Cruisers up 7-6 with 9:13 in the quarter.

Eatonville took the momentum right back. Starting from their own 14 after a fumbled return that went out of bounds, the Cruisers strung together a seven-play march. Ben Smith capped the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run out of a wildcat look, stretching the lead to 14-6 with 6:26 left.

Foss’ next possession stalled at its own 20-yard line, forcing a punt that gave Eatonville the ball at the Falcons’ 48. A trick play went wrong when Smith’s halfback pass was intercepted at the Foss 5-yard line, but the Cruisers’ defense forced another punt and quickly regained field position.

This time, Eatonville cashed in. McIlraith finished a short drive with a 1-yard plunge in the final seconds of the quarter, putting the Cruisers ahead 20-6.

Big plays open the second

The Eatonville defense held Foss to another three-and-out to start the second, and the Cruisers struck again. On a quick-hitting play, Fowler flipped a screen pass to Oscar Garcia, who weaved through the defense, shed multiple tacklers and raced 59 yards for a touchdown. Garcia finished with two catches for 99 yards, including that highlight-reel score. The extra point pushed the lead to 27-6 with 11:58 remaining in the half.

Foss responded with its best drive of the night to that point. Running back Lakai Hovelman capped a seven-play possession with a 9-yard scoring run. The two-point try failed, trimming the Eatonville lead to 27-12 with 7:30 left.

Eatonville was forced to punt on its next drive, but the defense held firm again. Foss drove all the way to the Cruisers’ 6-yard line but turned the ball over on downs with just over two minutes left in the half.

On the very next play, Fowler delivered a dagger. He connected with Jacob Simons on a deep ball that went 94 yards to the end zone, electrifying the sideline and giving the Cruisers a 33-12 lead at 2:01 of the second quarter. The extra point was blocked, but Simons’ big play pushed his totals to two catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.

The half closed with another Foss three-and-out, sending Eatonville to the locker room with a 21-point advantage.

Cruisers pull away in the third

Foss opened the second half with the ball but punted again after three plays. Eatonville marched 62 yards in five plays, highlighted by McIlraith’s punishing runs. The senior running back finished with nine carries for 121 yards and two touchdowns, including a 57-yard burst. He capped this drive with a 5-yard touchdown run and added the two-point conversion himself, pushing the lead to 41-12 at 8:53 of the third.

The Falcons’ next drive ended when Eatonville’s Garin Parker intercepted Wiley at the 30-yard line. A personal foul pushed the Cruisers back to their own 20, but Fowler remained sharp. Six plays later, he connected with sophmore Ryder Herbrand across the middle for a 9-yard touchdown pass, Fowler’s fourth of the night. The extra point stretched the margin to 48-12 with 7:10 left in the quarter.

With Eatonville rotating in reserves, Foss capitalized. Wiley hit Christie-Suddeath for a 52-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 48-18 with 6:03 remaining in the third.

Backup quarterback Ethan Packard led the next Eatonville drive, which reached the Foss 26 before turning it over on downs. Foss advanced to midfield as the third quarter expired.

Closing it out

Any momentum Foss built quickly evaporated. Eatonville’s defense grabbed its second interception of the night early in the fourth when Axel Stammen picked off Wiley at the Cruiser 33. Sticking to the ground game, the Cruisers marched 57 yards, finishing with a 4-yard touchdown run by Asher Pruitt. The extra point made it 55-18 with 7:07 left.

Foss tacked on one final score with a 43-yard touchdown strike at the 5:19 mark, but it was too little too late. Eatonville would go on to take the 55-24 win.

Looking ahead

The Cruisers’ balanced performance highlighted their offensive firepower. Fowler spread the ball around to multiple playmakers, McIlraith punished Foss on the ground, and Garcia and Simons each produced highlight-reel touchdowns on explosive plays. The defense forced two turnovers and stood tall in multiple red-zone situations, limiting Foss to just four touchdowns on sustained drives.

Kralik emphasized that while the progress is clear, Eatonville must continue to sharpen execution with tougher games looming.

“The rate of improvement needs to continue for us to put ourselves in a good position with the schedule becoming increasingly challenging,” Kralik said.

Eatonville will return “home” to Yelm Stadium Friday, Oct. 3, to host Franklin Pierce (2-2, 1-1) for its annual Homecoming game, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.