Junior Kolten Lindstrom was at the center of many plays and scored three touchdowns during the 1B semifinal against Almira-Coulee-Hartline. Naselle fell 68-32 against the speedy eastern Washington team, which will play Quilcene in the championship game.

MOSES LAKE — Knowing the semifinal was lost, Naselle players appeared determined to have the last word on their season.

And so they did.

One minute, eight seconds remaining, decidedly lopsided score, and the clock running because of the “mercy” rule.

That’s when junior Kolten Lindstrom made his third run into the endzone to move the scoreboard to 68-32. The stadium announcer had barely told the chilled contingent of fans his name before the Comets snapped the ball again.

Classmate Luke Johnson wrapped the ball in his arms and tried to wrestle every one of his 140 pounds toward the line.

But the beefy Almira-Coulee-Hartline defense pushed him back.

Shortly afterward, time ran out.

Some bold plays

The semifinal win had been all-but secured by the Warriors in the second quarter, when speedy senior running back Grady Murray scored four of his six touchdowns. The fourth, a soaring pass from far out into the end zone, garnered applause from all quarters. “That was a heck of a catch,” said one referee to the chain gang.

But Naselle scored in each quarter. Lindstrom’s first was a long run around the Warriors’ defense that evened the score early in the contest. His second was a bold run right through a large, uncharacteristic gap in the ACH defense.

Two other Comets were on the scoreboard. Senior quarterback Joey Strange figured in plays throughout the game, adding the only successful extra points, and totaling the second-highest number of tackles. One of his seven, on 6-3 lineman Reese Isaak, who outweighed him by 84 pounds, saved what appeared to be a certain touchdown just before halftime.

The Comets were behind 52-14 at halftime. As time ticked down in the then-scoreless third quarter, Strange kept the ball and ran toward the line until brought down. He repeated the process on the next snap, gaining more yards. The third time was indeed a charm as he dived over the line to score.

Jason Harman, another senior whose impressive six touchdowns had characterized the quarterfinal win over Pomeroy, gathered in a terrific high pass from talented freshman Jacob Lindstrom to score. On another play, Harman had a zig-zagging run in which he sidestepped two would-be tacklers to gain significant yards.

Running clock rule

Other Comets provided memorable moments. Senior Trent Stephens ran and turned his body back to catch an excellent pass from Joey Strange to gain a first down. Senior Riley Thorsen and freshman William Anderson used their bulk effectively as tacklers, and Jack Strange, another freshman, broke up Warrior runs by bundling opponents out of play.

Once, when ACH failed to protect their quarterback, senior Craig Reitz seized him and dumped him sideways. A flag on the play prompted a referee conference after which a “no-foul” announcement drew cheers from Comet families huddled on the cold metal bleachers. Sadly, Reitz later left the field with an injury, reporting a knee in the stomach.

But Naselle’s chances of having time to mount a significant comeback diminished further when Murray scored his fourth touchdown. The score was 60-20 after quarterback Dane Isaak ran in the two-point attempt, and that 40-point difference triggered the running clock rule.

Fastest opponents

The loss put the Comets’ 2021 season record at 9-2. Their other loss was to Lummi, which did not advance to the playoffs.

With the players assembled on the field afterward, first-year head coach Kevin McNulty sought to assuage disappointment. There were some sad faces on senior George Wilson, whose poise at center had guided the Comet line all season, and junior Elmer Toftemark, who led the team with 10 tackles.

“Nobody quit. You battled, you showed heart and spirit,” McNulty said. “They were just the better football team today.”

Later, he reflected on how the Warriors’ speed had been one key.

“It’s been a great season,” the coach said. “It is not how we wanted it to end. But they had great speed, great execution and they disrupted us on defense. It’s the fastest team we have played all year.”

It was the third consecutive semifinal for Naselle, which was ranked No. 5 by the WIAA heading into the playoffs. In 2018, the Comets lost to ACH with Dane and Reese’s older cousin, Maguire Isaak, running in five touchdowns. In 2019, they beat ACH and advanced to the championship game, falling to Odessa. There was no December state final in 2020 because of covid. (In a season delayed from the fall to early spring 2021, teams played a shortened schedule against regional opponents.)

In the other semifinal, No. 3-ranked Quilcene beat No. 2 Odessa 36-12 to advance to the championship game noon Dec. 4. It will be played at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.

ACH was 10-0 going in to the clash, having dispatched Wilbur-Creston-Keller 46-16 in the quarterfinal. Earlier in the season, the Warriors defeated Odessa 50-20, a win that helped them earn the No. 1 ranking ahead of the Tigers.