Naselle football took its record to 5-1 Friday after defeating Muckleshoot Tribal 72-36.

But Coach Kevin McNulty wasn’t happy with the first-half performance.

“Neither team could really stop each other in the first half,” he said. “It was up and down the field. We exhibited some poor tackling skills during the first half. We were trying to make too many big hits — rather than being under control and breaking down and wrapping our arms.”

In the second half, the Naselle defense caused some turnovers thanks to interceptions by sophomore Jack Strange, senior Luke Johnson and sophomore William Anderson, along with a fumble recovery by senior captain Kolten Lindstrom.

“We were able to make them pay for the turnovers by scoring offensively after each mishap,” the coach said. “Muckleshoot was unable to stop our offense and we did a nice job running the ball and mixing in an occasional pass.”

A big third quarter followed with unanswered Comet touchdowns. Each team added a score in the fourth quarter, making the final score 72-36.

Next for McNulty’s squad is a home tussle with Mossyrock 7 p.m. this Friday, at which the seniors, Lindstrom, Johnson and Elmer Toftemark, will be honored. The Vikings are 6-0 after defeating Evergreen Lutheran 82-26 Saturday.

“This should be a dandy!” McNulty predicted.

Naselle volleyball is in a good place as the season is almost halfway into its second month and the “sharp end” is beginning to loom.

Coach Rebekah Wirkkala was pleased with the team’s growth at the Sun Dome tourney in Yakima a while ago and has seen solid wins at home and away. Only Adna, which is a bigger school, and league rivals Mossyrock, have posed problems.

Last week Naselle traveled to Longview to play Three Rivers Christian. The Comets eclipsed the Eagles 25-20, 25-19 and 25-15.

Two games early this week will be followed by a second clash with Mossyrock Oct. 13. The Sept. 20 home game went to five sets, with Naselle edged out 3-2. This time, the undefeated Vikings have home court advantage. After that, the Comets will compete at a weekend tournament in Adna.

Ilwaco soccer had a couple of losses, but senior goalkeeper Zoey Zuern sought to keep the scoreline respectable. In the 8-2 loss to Ocosta, she made 17 saves. Classmate Ione Sheldon had scored the first goal in the sixth minute before the Wildcats replied with three scores. Junior Abbiegail Williams scored in the 35th minute, but Ocosta added another to make the halftime tally 4-2 and four more in the second half.

Against Adna two days later, Ilwaco went behind 2-0 at the half and the Pirates added three more in the second half. Williams stepped up with the Fisherman’s only score in the 63rd minute to make the score 5-1. Zuern was again in the action, making 11 saves.

Next are two more road games, at Napavine Wednesday and Kalama Saturday.

Ilwaco football is still in search of its first victory after a painful trip to play the combined Pe Ell/Willapa Valley squad Friday.

The home team opened the game with a 28-point first quarter and then added two more scores to lead Ilwaco 42-0 at the half. Both teams scored once in the second half to make the final tally 48-8.

Next for new coach Ron Rood’s players is a trip to Napavine Oct. 14. The Tigers have a 6-0 record having just walloped Morton-White Pass 45-0. Their points record in six games is 333-19; four of their opponents have failed to score.

Ilwaco volleyball was set to host Forks Thursday before traveling to the Adna tournament Saturday. The team earned a 25-21, 14-25, 25-23, 27-25 win at South Bend last week. The victory avenged a three-set loss Sept. 13 and secured the “county seat,” the traditional informal trophy that reflects the good-natured rivalry between the south and north of Pacific County dating back to at least the 1890s. It was the third win for the Fishermen; earlier, they defeated Taholah and Chief Leschi.