Rogers routs Federal Way

By CASEY OLSON

The Mirror

This wasn’t how the Federal Way Eagle football team wanted to start the 2005 high school football season.

The Eagles were pounded 40-18 Thursday night by the Rogers Rams in both teams’ South Puget Sound League South Division openers at Federal Way Memorial Stadium.

Federal Way hung with the Rams early, but couldn’t overcome five turnovers and several big plays by Rogers. The Rams tallied five touchdowns on the night and all of them were over 20 yards.

Rogers’ starting tailback Zach Hulse broke loose through the middle of the Eagle defense for scoring runs of 43 and 22 yards and finished the night with 175 yards on 24 carries.

Rodrick Knight caught a pair of touchdown passes of 50 and 21 yards from quarterback Cam Gredler and Dion Cooper returned an interception 40 yards early in the fourth quarter to give the Rams a commanding 40-12 lead. Jesse Kase also booted a pair of field goals of 32 and 27 yards for Rogers.

Federal Way tried to make it a game early in the second quarter after the Rams jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead. But the Eagles got right back into the game with a pair of touchdowns of their own, cutting the Rogers’ lead to just 14-12 early in the second quarter.

Federal Way’s first touchdown came on a 55-yard pass from junior quarterback Donny McConnaughey, who scrambled out of the pocket and found a wide open Jay Davis down the right sideline. The Eagles then used a solid seven-play, 66-yard drive to open the second quarter. The drive was punctuated by a 1-yard run from senior tailback Victor Williams. Williams tallied 36 of his team-high 55 rushing yards on the drive. He finished with 14 carries.

Federal Way’s third and final touchdown drive was led by sophomore quarterback Justin Southern in the fourth quarter. The 83-yard scoring march was highlighted by a pair of catches from wide receiver Aaron Broussard. The 6-foot-4 sophomore caught passes of 46 and 25 yards to set up a 1-yard run by Lenne Williams.

The Eagles’ season continues Friday on the road against a solid Spanaway Lake Sentinel team.

Sports editor Casey Olson: 925-5565, sports@fedwaymirror.com

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.