Kralik Does It All In Cruiser Win
The Cruisers' offensive and defensive lines showed their dominance on Friday night as they set the tone on both sides of the ball and helped lead #1 ranked Eatonville to a 35-14 non-league victory over their longtime rivals, the Orting Cardinals and extend their winning streak against the Cardinals to 7 games.
The Eatonville offensive line stands tall and ready for battle on Friday night against their rivals, the Orting Cardinals. The Cruisers would win their 7th straight against Orting, 35-14. Photo: Alyssa Wood
Eatonville coach Gavin Kralik said the line play was the difference in the game.
"The strength of our team is our offense and defensive lines," he said. "They're fantastic workers and just kind of blue-collar kids that represent our community really well."
On offense, that line allowed quarterback Job Kralik to shine in only his second high school start.
Kralik would have his hand in each of the Cruisers' five scoring plays on the night.
Through the air, he would go 6-7 passing for 123 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, he would run the ball 10 times for 90 yards and three touchdowns. He would also catch a 42-yard pass from Ky Nation off of a reverse. Kralik would also be a perfect 5-5 on extra-point attempts for the night.
Defensively, senior linebacker Jake Wood would have a field day picking off Orting's Mason McCall two times on the night. The defensive line would give McCall fits all night.
On the opening possession of the game, Kralik would find an open Aiden Eichost from 27-yards out for the score to give the Cruisers a 7-0 lead that they would never relinquish.
Following Jake Wood's first interception of the night on the Cardinals' first possession, the Cruisers would march 62 yards downfield and cap the drive with a little trickery.
Kralik would hand off to Walker Bruun who went in motion pre-snap, he would then pitch to Ky Nation coming from the opposite side of the field. Nation would then pass to a wide-open Kralik for a 42-yard reception down to the 6-yard line. On the next play, Kralik would walk in untouched for the score to put the Cruisers up 14-0.
After the Cruiser defense forced a Cardinal punt, Kralik found Nation on the first play from scrimmage for a 43-yard score that saw Nation outjump the Orting defender to haul the pass in and drag him into the endzone to put the Cruisers up 21-0.
On the very next Cardinal possession, Wood would pick off McCall again for his second interception of the night.
Late in the 3rd quarter, the Cardinals would try and chip away at the Cruiser lead when they would finally find the endzone to make it 21-7.
The Cruisers quickly answered back by marching 70-yards capped by a 1-yard Kralik keeper to increase the Cruiser lead back to 21 points at 28-7.
The Cardinals would respond by stringing together a 65-yard scoring drive and cutting back into the Eatonville lead at 28-14.
The Cruisers would finish up the scoring on the night in a big way.
Facing a 4th and 12, Kralik would keep the ball and weave his way through Cardinal traffic on his way to a 42-yard score to make it 35-14, the final score of the game.
The Cruisers would amass 533 total yards on the night, led by Kralik's 259 total yards.
Next up for the Cruisers is a rare Thursday night home game at B.W. Lyon Stadium in Eatonville where they will host the 2-0 Cascade Christian Cougars out of the 1A Nisqually League. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm.
