Hunter Bags His Limit Of Records
Gridiron Classic notebook
Nearly every State B-8 record that once read, “Tom Wolsborn, Odessa,” now reads, “Patrick Hunter, Pateros.”
Hunter passed for 465 yards and seven touchdowns at Saturday’s WIAA/U.S. Bank Gridiron Classic to eclipse the Tigers’ 1987-90 quarterback in three categories. Hunter’s most significant mark is for career TD passes. He finished his three-year career with 7,519 yards passing and 96 TDs two more than Wolsborn.
On Saturday in the Tacoma Dome, Hunter also broke Wolsborn’s records of 367 passing yards and 423 total yards in a B-8 championship. Wolsborn still holds the mark for most passing attempts in the title game (36).
Hunter’s seven TD passes in leading the Billygoats to a 76-20 win tied the record set by Rob McNelly of Napavine in ‘76. No quarterback in any Washington state classification has thrown for as many yards in a championship game. In fact, only Drew Bledsoe of Walla Walla in ‘89 and Pat Graham of DeSales in ‘91 (both with 487 yards) have thrown for more yards in a regular-season game.
“After the game someone said I might have some sort of record,” Hunter said in a humble moment during a postgame news conference.
“We were not interested in any records or what they were,” said Pateros coach Joe Worsham.
Nevertheless, Pateros set two other marks in winning its first crown following three championship-game appearances in the last four years. John Neuneker’s 88-yard kickoff return broke the mark of 86 set by Oakville’s Luke Soha in ‘77. The previous record for points in a title game was 74, by two teams.
Not this time
Neuneker and Shaun Moore of Pateros were injured and missed last year’s 38-24 loss to Touchet in the title game.
Could they have made a difference? On Saturday, both had a pair of TD receptions. Neuneker had five catches for 148 yards, Moore four for 133.
“Last year hurt so bad - to stay on the sidelines and have our team not play up to its potential,” said Moore, a senior. “This was the way to go out.”
The injury bug instead hit Touchet. Senior A.J. Trejo, who led the Indians with 1,500 all-purpose yards, hurt his ankle during the third quarter of a semifinal win over Inchelium and spent most of Saturday’s game kneeling on the sideline. Trejo had three carries for 13 yards.
Touchet receiver/defensive back Jake Bussell, nursing a hip pointer, was unable to squelch Hunter’s pinpoint passes.
Shutout kings
Entering the AA final, O’Dea had 11 shutouts in 12 games. The quest for a dozen shutouts lasted all of 1 minute, 11 seconds, as Prosser scored on the fourth play of the game.
O’Dea “settled” for a 35-14 win. The Irish are 15-1 in the playoffs since ‘91.
Teaming up
Davenport and Tacoma Baptist joined forces Friday to visit patients at the Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma.
Curtis and O’Dea were the other Gridiron Classic participants to take advantage of the opportunity.
, DataTimes