The Central Kitsap varsity football team faced off against Yelm for Friday night football on September 15, 2023.
Troops from the U.S Navy showed up to the field for a pregame rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. The game, with a 6:58 pm kickoff, saw CK receiving the ball to begin the game. Maddox Compton (#15) caught the ball and received a hard hit, but he quickly got back up and the game was on.
CK turned the ball over on 4th down and punted the ball to Yelm. Though CK defense was strong, Yelm neared the end zone with a distance of 8 yards. The ball was snapped and the ball gets hit loose from the Yelm running back and recovered by a CK player, giving us the ball at the 9 yard line.
Yelm fought back, scoring a touchdown after a CK turnover. CK defense managed to sack the quarterback and cause incomplete passes for Yelm. Taking on CK defense was no easy task for the quarterback.
Throughout the game the crowd is very loud, cheering and yelling in support for the home team. The cheerleaders lead them in chants with the crowd participating in group cheers. The crowd’s energy is most definitely felt throughout the whole game and they cheer every time the home team moves the ball down the field.
Tristan Hall (#11) and JJ Martinson (#13) both had several receptions during the game. Each of them caught deep balls for a gain of more than 20 yards each time. The wide receivers were able to shake the Yelm cornerbacks for each of their receptions. Tristan scored the first touchdown for CK in the 3rd quarter bringing the home team up six points.
Both Yelm and CK played very aggressively. Penalties were very common throughout the game, with the yellow flag being thrown a total of 19 times in total. With 13 out of the 19 flags, Yelm makes up the majority of the penalties. Most of the flags against Yelm consist of blocks in the back, pass interference, and illegal use of hands.
CK was unable to come out with the win, with the final score being 56-6. The CK football team played hard despite the loss. Smiles were still seen on the sidelines even with the scoreboard status through the game. Hopefully, this isn’t a trend that will continue, but knowing how passionate and committed CK athletes are, we know this loss is just another lesson.
