A3
THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2021
SPORTS
PREP FOOTBALL ROUNDUP
Warrenton wins a wild one
Patrick Webb
Coach Jeff Eaton, center, was still giving positive encouragement to his Naselle team at the
WIAA state championship game, even when they were down 80-26 to eastern Washington
powerhouse Odessa in December 2019.
Naselle coach praised
for decades of service
led Naselle to the state championship game. A
rainy day and a pulverizing by mighty Odessa
couldn’t dampen Comet fans’ spirits as they
NASELLE, Wash. — The community said celebrated the rare achievement of reaching the
thanks to head football coach Jeff Eaton as he fi nal.
retired after an undefeated season, capping
“Those semi- and fi nal highlights were
three decades of guiding Comet athletes.
when we were getting into the groove with
Naselle topped Mossyrock 48-22 in last eight -man,” Eaton said. “We had a good solid
week’s season fi nale.
group of kids those years — they were big
“He is going to be missed,” said Brian moments.”
Macy, athletic director, who attended East-
Earlier, Eaton’s two sons, Robert and
ern Washington University with Eaton in the Dustin, went through the program, taking star-
1980s. “Just think of the positive impact he has ring roles.
had on our community.
“That was probably the biggest highlight,
“It’s just amazing — you don’t get people looking back,” their father said. “Both boys
who are willing to stick around in one place for were good football players. They played all
so long. ... He loved doing what he was doing sports, but football was their best sport.”
— it didn’t seem like work for him.”
The oldest, Robert, now an oysterman,
Eaton, 57, grew up in Naselle, learning his was an all-state football player selected for the
trade as an off ensive lineman in seventh grade. east-west all-star game in 2012. Dustin, a dep-
He played for Western Washington University uty with the Pacifi c County Sheriff ’s Offi ce,
for three years before completing his degree at received all-league recognition at quarterback,
Eastern. When he moved back home to take a all-state football honors and selection for the
job at the Naselle Youth Camp, he helped coach all-star game. Unsurprisingly, daughter Abbie
for one season at Ilwaco in 1988 before
was active in sports, too.
being off ered the Naselle position.
Eaton was mindful to allow his
“I have been thinking about it for a
assistant coaches more direct contact
couple of seasons,” said Eaton, who is
with his sons, especially when Dustin
eager to catch up on 30 years of missed
played quarterback. “I knew that I
elk and deer hunting. “This one has
could not be the off ensive coach,”
been pretty challenging year.”
Eaton laughed. “If I had been the
The announcement gave former
off ensive coach, we probably wouldn’t
players an opportunity to comment on
Jeff Eaton
have talked at dinner!”
what playing for Eaton meant to them.
Naselle stadium announcer Chris
Hayden Gudmundsen, who is married to Dorman added to the applause. “A calm, fair
Eaton’s niece, Taylor, cherishes his memo- man with an occasional ‘bite’ that garnered
ries. He played quarterback for Naselle in his the respect of players and led programs to big
2015 senior season, the year Naselle switched stages,” he said.
to playing eight -man football.
His son, Cole, captained the Comets to the
“For the past 30 years, Jeff Eaton has been state semi-fi nal in 2018. “Since he didn’t get
Naselle football,” Gudmundsen said. “Dedi- after us too much, we knew that when he did,
cating so much of his life to not only coach- we were doing something wrong which had to
ing but mentoring so many players has led to be fi xed,” he said.
an incredible impact on kids and the commu-
“Jeff will leave a huge hole to fi ll,” said
nity. Personally, Jeff made being a Comet foot- Naselle superintendent Lisa Nelson. “He has
ball player one of the most enjoyable times of been such a stalwart for our program and a
my life.”
great role model for our kids. We were really
Former lineman Carson Bergeson, a 2018 lucky to have a quality guy like Jeff at the helm
graduate, was full of praise for Eaton. “He is to run a classy program for so many years.
very passionate about the game of football,” He has had a great career and will be missed
he said. “He loves to work with kids and give dearly.”
them as much knowledge as he can about the
Eaton acknowledged his role was instilling
game — and always has a good attitude.”
values.
Eaton recalled many highlights.
“One of the biggest reasons for me is to be
In 2008, Naselle advanced to the state 2B out there with the kids and teach them some
semifi nal against powerful Napavine. “They things to help them along the way,” he said.
were supposed to beat us up,” said the coach, “Maybe in years to come, they will be saying,
remembering the 18-13 scoreline with pride, ‘Old Coach Eaton said that way back.’ There
even though it was a loss. “They went on to are life things — sticking to it, not quitting,
win a close fi nal against Asotin, which was showing up for jobs. Life lessons.”
highly favored that year.”
Among favorite achievements has been
More recently, his last two “normal” sea- guiding boys who were not immediate stars.
sons saw Naselle among the top four 1B
“It’s seeing those successes, especially kids
schools in Washington. Quarterback Cole Dor- that were not the great athletes, who found a
man and Eaton’s nephew, Jacob, spurred the niche,” Eaton said. “They were able to do good
Comets through a sparkling season into a state kinds of things. That was pretty rewarding,
semifi nal loss to Almira-Coulee-Hartline in especially when they learned things like when
2018; the following year saw Ethan Lindstrom not to quit.”
By PATRICK WEBB
Chinook Observer
The Battle of Undefeated 3A football
teams took place Friday night in Warrenton,
where the Warriors emerged as still unbeaten
over four games, with a wild 42-34 win over
visiting Yamhill-Carlton.
The Tigers nearly overcame defi cits of
22-6 and 34-20 entering the fourth quarter but
fell eight points short.
Warrenton held a 16-6 lead after a low-scor-
ing fi rst half, before a third quarter explosion in
which the Warriors outscored Yamhill 18-14.
Warrenton failed on all three two-point
conversions in the third quarter, leaving the
Tigers within striking distance. But Yamhill
could not overcome three turnovers and six
penalties for 60 yards, while Warrenton’s Josh
Earls locked up the victory with a 39-yard
interception return in the fourth quarter.
Warrenton quarterback Hordie Bodden
Bodden had 112 yards and four touchdowns
passing, and added 113 yards rushing with a
TD.
Knappa chops down Vernonia
The 2021 Logger Bowl went Knappa’s
way for the fi fth consecutive meeting, as the
Loggers of Knappa pounded the Loggers of
Vernonia, 40-8, in a Northwest League foot-
ball showdown Friday in Vernonia.
After getting shut out in its fi rst two games,
Knappa not only scored its fi rst points of the
season, but ran Vernonia ragged.
With two of its seven ball carriers topping
the 100-yard mark, Knappa ran the ball 52
times for 479 yards (9.2 yards per carry) to
completely wear down Vernonia, which had
just 13 players in uniform.
Knappa’s fi rst drive of the game ended
with an interception, but the visiting Loggers
drove 80 yards in 11 plays on their next drive,
resulting in a 3-yard touchdown run by sopho-
more Tucker Kinder.
Vernonia fumbled the ball away on its very
next play, and Knappa put the game away fi ve
plays later, with Kinder catching a 22-yard
scoring toss from junior Tanner Jackson,
Knappa’s only completed pass of the night.
Junior Mark Miller fi nished as Knappa’s
top rusher, with 154 yards on 24 carries. Jack-
son gained 146 yards on eight attempts, which
included a 70-yard TD run in the third quarter.
Estacada 36, Astoria 6
Two teams playing good football the previ-
ous two weeks met on the fi eld Friday night at
CMH Field, where the short-handed Estacada
Rangers continued their hot streak and won
their third straight, 36-6 over Astoria.
Less than seven minutes into the game,
the Rangers held a two touchdown lead. They
scored on their 10-play, 66-yard opening
drive, capped by a 22-yard scoring run from
Isaiah Schaff er.
Three players later, Cory James intercepted
an Astoria pass and returned it 40 yards for a
touchdown.
Astoria’s lone score — a 1-yard run by
Michael Moore on the opening drive of the
second half — was quickly erased when
James returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards
for a touchdown.
Tillamook 18, Seaside 14
Friday night’s upset special took place in
Tillamook, where the Cheesemakers held off
previously unbeaten Seaside, 18-14 in a Cow-
apa League football game.
Tillamook built a 12-0 lead in the sec-
ond quarter, before the Gulls answered with
a 12-yard touchdown pass from Tanner
Kraushaar to Jarred White before halftime,
and a 3-yard run by Aedyn Cook in the third
quarter that gave Seaside a 14-12 advantage.
Tillamook scored to retake the lead going
into the fourth quarter, and a late score by the
Gulls was disallowed because of a clipping
penalty.
Cook and Andrew Teubner combined for
145 yards rushing, while Teubner had 10 tack-
les defensively.
— The Astorian
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