Touchet Dominates Inchelium, 40-0

The Touchet Indians scored six touchdowns in Saturday afternoon’s WIAA/U.S. Bank B-8 football semifinal game, but in the last minute of the contest, all their attention was on defense.

The occasion was the opportunity for a rare B-8 shutout, and the Indians moments later had reason to celebrate their 40-0 victory over Inchelium and an opportunity to defend their 1994 state championship next Saturday in the Tacoma Dome.

They’ll face a familiar opponent, the Pateros Billy Goats, who lost to Touchet in last season’s title game. Pateros has been in the B-8 semifinals six of the last seven years, but has never won a state championship.

The Indians’ strong performance on the defensive side of the ball was a confidence builder for coach Wayne Dickey who was concerned about his team’s performance in that category.

“I hope that’s the beginning of a pattern,” Dickey said. “It’ll need to be against Pateros. They’re a great offensive football team.” The Goats (11-0) have averaged nearly 57 points a game this season, and have scored 128 in their two playoff victories.

Touchet (11-0) registered a nearly flawless performance both ways Saturday, scoring on four of their five first-half possessions for a 26-0 halftime lead.

The Indians held Inchelium (8-2) to only one first down and 15 net yards in the first two periods. And after recovering a surprise onside kick to open the second half, the Hornets moved backwards in the third quarter. They entered the final quarter with 2 net yards and the single first down after eight possessions.

Touchet was also penalty-free for the first three quarters, and was flagged only once during the game.

Offensively, Touchet was were led by senior running back Tom Ewing, who scored three touchdowns, two of them on 74- and 21-yard passes from quarterback Michael Adams, who added one of his own on a 46-yard punt return at the end of the third quarter. A.J. Trejo and Lorenzo Michel scored Touchet’s other two TDs.

Touchet 40, Inchelium 0

Inchelium 0 0 0 0 - 0

Touchet 14 12 14 0 - 40

T-Trejo 4 run (Espinoza kick)

T-Ewing 3 run (Espinoza kick)

T-Ewing 74 pass from Adams (run failed)

T-Ewing 21 pass from Adams (run failed)

T-Michel 9 run (run failed)

T-Adams 46 punt return (Trejo run)