By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News
An overcast sky hung above the field Saturday, September 12, as a slight breeze rolled in off Tulalip Bay and lingered throughout the day. It was perfect football weather at the Don Hatch Youth Center, where the sound of whistles, shoulder pads, and roaring crowds filled the field as the Tulalip Marysville Hawks welcomed the Granite Falls Tigers for their second game of the season.
Three Hawks teams took the field, with each game telling a different story. The Pee Wee squad battled through a defensive 6-0 loss, the Midgets improved to 2-0 with a 39-19 victory, and the Juniors capped the afternoon with a commanding 40-0 shutout.
The Pee Wee game opened as a defensive struggle, with neither offense able to establish much rhythm. Both teams had trouble with snaps throughout the game, leaving defenses to control much of the action.
Granite Falls finally broke through in the third quarter, turning a long run into the game’s only touchdown and taking a 6-0 lead.
Tulalip’s defense kept the Hawks within striking distance and delivered one of its strongest stands late in the game. With about two minutes remaining, Granite Falls drove inside the Hawks’ 5-yard line with a chance to put the game away. Tulalip refused to give up another score, holding its ground near the goal line and giving the offense another opportunity.
The Hawks were unable to find the end zone before time expired, dropping their first game of the season and moving to 1-1.
The pace changed when the Midgets took the field. Tulalip’s offense found room to operate and began producing explosive plays on the ground and through the air, while the defense created opportunities of its own.
A 50-yard quarterback keeper helped ignite the Hawks, and a fumble recovery gave Tulalip another chance to build momentum. The Midgets continued attacking with long runs and passes as the game opened up.
Tulalip held a 13-7 advantage after the first quarter before stretching the lead to 25-7. Granite Falls responded and eventually pulled within 12, but the Hawks never surrendered control. Tulalip answered when it needed to and finished with a 39-19 victory to remain unbeaten at 2-0.
Midget coach Steven Morrison credited his players for responding when the Tigers challenged them. “The kids showed a lot of heart today. You know, we were adjusting some of the things that weren’t going on on both sides, but the kids adjusted really well, never gave up, and it showed out at the end.”
One play that stood out to Morrison was a long touchdown run by Anthony Martin, who fought his way through the defense and kept the play alive. “We’ve got to give it up on that long-running TD from Anthony Martin. Never gave up, never quit moving his feet. I mean, he carried a lot today.”
For Midget defensive end King Gray, the highlight of the afternoon was much simpler. When asked about his favorite part of the game, Gray smiled and said, “Probably chucking people.”
The Juniors closed out the day with the Hawks’ most dominant performance, controlling the game on both sides of the ball from beginning to end.
Tulalip established its running game early and carried a two-touchdown advantage toward halftime. Then came one of the biggest plays of the afternoon, a 60-yard touchdown pass to close the second quarter and send the Hawks into halftime firmly in control.
The defense quickly made its presence felt again at the start of the second half. A 25-yard interception return pushed the score to 26-0 early in the third quarter, and the Hawks continued to overwhelm the Tigers from there.
Tulalip added another touchdown to take a 33-0 advantage by the end of the third. The Hawks’ defense remained impenetrable, preventing Granite Falls from reaching the end zone, while the offense continued to find openings on the ground.
One final rushing touchdown completed the 40-0 shutout and moved the Juniors to 2-0.
Even after the Juniors walked off the field without allowing a point, head coach Cyrus “Bubba” Fryberg quickly turned his players’ attention toward what still needed improvement. “We got a lot of work to do, offensively and defensively. It takes a lot of work to get to the top.”
Fryberg praised the offense while pointing to penalties and mistakes that he wants corrected before the team returns to the field. “Offensively, it’s good. We need to clean it up. We got some work to do. A lot of work to do. We had some mishaps. We had some false starts. We had some blocking in the backs. As a group, we have to clean that up next week.”
On the other side of the ball, Fryberg was pleased with a defense that kept Granite Falls off the scoreboard. “Defensively, we buckle down. We know our assignment. We take care of business.”
Fryberg reminded the players that continuing their early-season success will require everyone involved. “This is a team effort here. I can’t do it without all of you and all the staff. I can’t. It doesn’t work that way. This is a team effort.”
Before breaking the postgame huddle, Fryberg left his players with a simple message: “Great job today.”
With two weeks of football complete, the Hawks leave Saturday with the Pee Wees at 1-1 and both the Midgets and Juniors undefeated at 2-0. They return to the Don Hatch Youth Center next week for their final home games before the season moves forward.