The impressive postseason run by the Federal Way Eagles ended with a thud Saturday at Edgar Brown Stadium in Pasco.
The Chiawana Riverhawks (12-1) dominated the Eagles in the Class 4A state semifinals, pounding Federal Way, 40-7, in Eastern Washington. Chiawana, a school that opened in 2009, will play for the program’s first-ever state football championship next weekend against either Camas or Bellarmine Prep.
The loss ended Federal Way’s season with a 10-3 record. It was the school’s second-ever trip to the state’s Final Four. The Eagles played in the state championship game in 1976, losing to Snohomish.
To say the Federal Way offense had a tough time getting going Saturday would be a big understatement. The Riverhawks held the Eagles to just one first down during the first half and a grand total of 80 yards on the ground for the usually-potent Federal Way running game. Federal Way also lost four fumbles.
Junior all-stater Chico McClatcher, who had over 2,300 yards of total offense during the season, finished with just 55 yards on nine carries Saturday against a rugged Chiawana defense. Keenan Curran, who also had over 2,000 yards of offense this year, was held to just 11 yards rushing.
Things started impressively for the Riverhawks from the opening kickoff. Chiawana tallied a touchdown on its first drive of the game on a Joey Zamora pass. The Riverhawks’ senior quarterback finished with four TD passes on the day.
After one of many three-and-outs by the Eagles, Chiawana made it 13-0 on a 12-play, 55-yard drive with 4:27 left in the first quarter. Clinton Lozano ran it in from 9 yards out on a fourth-and-2. The Riverhawks were set to attempt a 33-yard field goal before an encroachment call on the Eagles made the fourth down more manageable.
After another three-and-out by the Eagles led to another Federal Way punt, McClatcher tallied the only points of the game for the Eagles when he picked off Zamora and ran 53 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-7 with 2:54 left in the first quarter.
The interception seemed to give Federal Way a little life and got the Eagles’ fans with something to root for. But the Riverhawks scored just four plays later on a 54-yard catch from Deion Singleton. The senior took a quick hitch pass through the Federal Way defense.
Chiawana made it 26-7 in the second quarter on a touchdown catch by Lozano from 25-yards out. The Eagles’ best chance at scoring again came late in the first half. McClatcher broke loose from the Chiawana defense for a 44-yard run with 17 seconds remaining in the half, down to the 16-yard line. But the Riverhawks blocked a Federal Way field goal attempt as the first-half buzzer sounded.
Federal Way finished with just 44 yards of total offense during the first half, with all 44 coming on the late McClatcher run. Chiawana had 274 total yards in the first half, including 163 through the air.
The Riverhawks made it 33-7 on their first drive of the second half on another touchdown catch by Singleton and added another late score to finalize their trip to the Tacoma Dome.
