Shelton blanks Centralia 30-0

Matt Baide | Oct 13, 20220

Matt Baide

Shelton's Weetly Cordova is pushed out of bounds by Centralia defenders after catching a pass during an Evergreen Conference football game Oct. 6 at Tiger Stadium in Centralia.

The Highclimbers scored 21 points in the first half en route to a 30-0 victory against Centralia on Oct. 6 at Tiger Stadium.

Dante Trikoff led the Shelton backfield with 88 yards on 18 carries. Skyler Smith had three carries for 49 yards.

Weetly Cordova caught two passes for 42 yards and a touchdown, and Gabe Menefee had three catches for 40 yards.

Bradley Eleton led the defense with four tackles, including a tackle for loss. Mario Boxley and Phenix Oleachea each added three tackles. Each had a tackle for loss.

"I thought it was one of our cleaner performances," Shelton coach Mark Smith said. "We did a good job taking care of the football, good job in the penalty department. I thought that our quarterback made some good decisions, much more decisive in his play."

Smith said he is proud of the second team that entered the game midway through the third quarter. The defense forced a turnover and the offense ran out the clock with a 4-minute offense.

The Highclimbers offense got going early, after Centralia fumbled the opening kickoff. Shelton turned it around and scored on a 1-yard touchdown run by Eleton.

In the second quarter, quarterback Mason Goos pump-faked and found Cordova for a 33-yard touchdown pass and a 14-0 lead. Eleton scored with 2.5 seconds left in the first half on a 5-yard touchdown run.

Eleton scored his third touchdown of the game early in the third quarter on a 42-yard touchdown run. The scoring was completed in the third quarter on a Jan Wagner 36-yard field goal.

Shelton (4-2, 2-1) hosts Tumwater on Friday in the homecoming game for the Highclimbers. Smith said last year was the first time he had been to a homecoming game since he graduated in 1986, and he is looking forward to the festivities.

"First year, we didn't have homecoming because of COVID. This is honestly, last year, the first time I was present in the flesh for a homecoming game since my senior year," Smith said. "It's quite a span. It was cool to see the alumni come back. I don't think of it as a class reunion. We have a job to do and focused on the game, but last year, a dozen or so guys come in the locker room, some I knew, some I didn't. It was just fun to shake their hands and see them and go about our business that way and incorporate them into our program."

As for on the field, Smith knows this is a big test for his team playing against last year's state runner-up.

"If you circle one on the calendar before the season started, Tumwater and homecoming together, it doesn't get much better than that," Smith said. "It's a marquee matchup for our home slate. For us, it's the next game on the schedule and an exciting week to welcome all the alumni back. It's an exciting week to play a quality opponent, an opponent that has state ramifications, so we'll see where we're at."