Tigers Drench the Red Devils

Ashleigh Martin and Halee Moore

Vaden Dormaier (54) rushes through the tunnel for pregame introductions.

Ephrata, WA – It was a night of luck for Ephrata this past Friday under the lights at Kiwanis Field.  The Tigers came away with a victory against East Valley of Yakima 7-6 is a very tight contest. The teams combined to complete several great plays in the first half of the game. The defensive contest had the teams tied at zero at halftime.

When the second half started, East Valley scored a quick touchdown.  The Red Devils opted for the two-point conversion but the pass fell incomplete.  This left East Valley with a 6-0 lead over the Tigers. Tiger junior Hudson Sager returned the ball for a total of 40 yards, which ultimately would set up a scoring opportunity for the Tigers.  A couple plays later, senior quarterback Cole Hertz connected on a 55-yard pass to senior wide receiver Garet Hagy.  Junior running back Travis Hendrick then pushed the ball closer to the goal line, resulting in a 2-yard touchdown with 1:17 left on the clock in the third quarter. The ensuing extra point was good from Hagy, filling in for the injured Carson Burns.

With the Tigers now leading 7-6, the stage was set for a decisive fourth quarter. The quarter was back and forth throughout until the final 32 seconds of the game. East Valley had the ball inside the 1-yard line and knocking on the door of victory.  Junior defensive lineman, Vaden Dormaier continued his pressure on Red Devil quarterback Garin Gurtler resulting in a Hudson Sager interception. The Tigers were able to run out the final seconds securing the win.