Morton-White Pass makes second straight trip to state finals

Two undefeated teams will go head to head on Friday during the WIAA 2B State Football Championships at the Tacoma Dome. The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague team is taking on the Morton-White Pass Timberwolves, the champions from the 2B Central League.

Last year, the Timberwolves finished second in the 2B state division, losing the final game to Waitsburg-Prescott, 7-33. The Timberwolves are under the coaching direction of Aaron Poquette, who is in his second year as head coach for the team.

The Morton team first competed in the state championship game in 1977, when they lost to Colton with a score of 22-36. They returned to the championship game to play Ritzville in 1988, when the Timberwolves received their first state title with a 13-6 win over the Broncos.

A consistent running team, the Timberwolves had to go to the air in the semifinal game against LaConner in the Tacoma Dome on Friday, Nov. 23. The game ended 12-0 in favor of Morton-White Pass, but the team only had 56 yards on the night. The Timberwolves have averaged 242 rushing yards per game, over the course of the season.

The first score in the semifinal game came late in the second quarter, with the second touchdown being scored in the third. For the Timberwolves, holding their opponents scoreless has not been uncommon this season, and the team has only given up an average of four points per game. The team averages around 41 points a game.

During the course of the Timberwolves’ season, a single team has not scored more than one touchdown against the defense. Only six teams have scored against the team, with two touchdowns being earned by Mossyrock, who faced the Timberwolves in the regular season and again in the quarterfinal game. Mossyrock lost to Morton-White Pass, 35-6, in the quarterfinal game on Nov. 17.

The Timberwolves have had a strong season both offensively and defensively. Over the course of the season, the team has recovered 18 fumbles, intercepted 18 passes to earn 148 yards, and blocked four punts and one field goal.

The team has also recorded 16 sacks, 249 solo tackles, and 665 assisted tackles, for a total of 914 tackles during the season.

On the offensive side, the Timberwolves have racked up a total of 1,124 receiving yards on the season, averaging 19 yards a carry. On rushing yards, the team has carried the ball 398 times for a total of 2,914 yards.

The Friday night-lights will be bright and spotlight two teams who have fought hard to reach this point. The final showdown in the Tacoma Dome begins at 4 p.m.