HS Football: Eatonville defense comes up big in win over Black Hills

9/12/2025

Eatonville 22, Black Hills 13

(Tumwater, WA) The Eatonville Cruisers got off to a fast start building a 13-0 nothing lead by halftime. Eatonville did it with great defensive pressure where they forced a fumble in the 1st quarter and QB Cole Fowler plowed in the endzone from the 1. Benjamin Bernt booted the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 3:45 to go on the 1st.

After Black Hills took over on their own 26 Eatonville’s Garin Parker came up and made a great open field hit on the Wolves receiver in the flat and the ball came loose. Parker scooped it and nearly went the distance down inside the 5.

After a couple of penalties the Cruisers would try a 28 yard field goal and Bernt drilled it down the middle for a 10-0 lead. Eatonville would get another chance to score prior to halftime but the Wolves defense again bent but didn’t fully break as Berndt would come on for his 2nd field goal of the game hitting a 21 yarder right down the middle. That would be the score at halftime 13-0.

The Cruisers would extend their lead to 20-0 with their 1st possession of the 2nd half. Fowler would find Amari Samuel on a 19-yard strike for 6 with 8:33 to go in the 3rd. Bernt added the extra point for the 20 point lead.

The Wolves offense finally got things rolling when QB Jesse Keith scrambled to his left and found a gap to sprint into the endzone from 19 yards out. The PAT was good and with 2:14 to go in the 3rd the Wolves were still breathing trailing 20-7.

The Wolves defense would again hold and as they did this entire game kept their team in the game. The offense was going to do their part now and scored a 2nd touchdown in the 2nd half and it was Keith calling his own number again pushing in from the 2 yard line. This time the extra point failed but Black Hills was back in it down 20-13.

After yet another big play by the Black Hills defense with a fumble recovery deep in their own territory, the offense tookover on their own 4 yard line. A lateral from Keith to his running back went awry and would end up going backwards and out the side of the endzone. This gave the Cruisers a huge 2 points with 5:54 to play in the game because it pushed Eatonville’s score to 22-13, a 9 point lead and 2-score difference.

Neither team would add any more points to the scoreboard and the Cruisers held off the Wolves comeback attempt. Eatonville is now 1-1 and will host Clover Park next Thursday. Black Hills drops to 1-1 and will travel to Montesano next Friday.

Our Thorbeckes MVP of the game went to Eatonville QB Cole Fowler.

Click this link to watch the full game replay on the NFHS Network (subscription required)

Video Highlights

Eatonville defense sets up scoring chance