‘That was a statement win.’ Timberline ends Central Kitsap’s undefeated season behind Campau’s six TDs
A week ago, Timberline High School needed a fourth quarter goal-line stand to win its Class 3A South Sound Conference opener against Gig Harbor.
Thursday night at South Sound Stadium, the Blazers’ offense came alive to score early and often as they cruised to a 41-13 victory over a Central Kitsap team that entered the game undefeated.
“It was getting tiring saying our defense carries us all the time,” said Timberline quarterback Hunter Campau, who rushed for 201 yards on 22 carries, and completed 14 of 18 passes including four for touchdowns. “It feels good our offense played really well tonight.”
Campau completed passes to six different receivers, including three for touchdowns to senior Izaiah Jerenz and another for a score to J.J. Graham. Sophomore running back Noah Cunningham rushed for 75 yards on 13 carries.
The defense stayed involved with senior linebacker Justin Kuhn winding up collecting two third quarter turnovers.
“That was a statement win. As a complete team, that’s the best we’ve played this season,” Blazers coach Nick Mullen said. “You could kind of feel it coming during the week. We had a really bad Tuesday practice. We had a really good talk the next day. The kids dialed in and they came in ready to go.”
As good a sign that Timberline (3-1) was focused came in the first quarter.
Twice the Blazers appeared to score, but had touchdowns called back by a penalty. But both times, Timberline completed the drive with a touchdown anyway.
On the game’s first possession, Campau rolled right and appeared to throw a 48-yard scoring pass to Max Aunese, only to see a holding penalty erase the play. Nonetheless, Timberline completed a 10-play, 59-yard drive with an 18-yard pass from Campau to Jerenz.
After forcing the Cougars (3-1) into a three-and-out, the Blazers got into the end zone four plays into a 73-yard touchdown drive on a 17-yard pass to Cunningham, but another hold pushed the ball back to the Central Kitsap 31-yard line. Four plays later, after a pair of rushes by Cunningham for 25 yards, Campau snuck into the end zone from 1 yard away.
With Campau alternately scrambling and finding receivers, Timberline marched 66 yards on six plays for its third touchdown midway through the second quarter. Campau rolled to his left and lobbed a pass into the corner of the end zone to Graham.
After a botched Cougars punt of just 16 yards gave them possession exactly at midfield, the Blazers went on the attack, scoring on the fourth play when Campau dashed 37 yards into the end zone.
Campau credited the coaches for Timberline’s early offensive outburst, while Mullen praised his increasingly versatile quarterback.
“We got some new plays and formations to throw at them,” Campau said.
“Everyone knows Hunter can run, but we’ve worked on some things and he’s starting to be really good in the passing game, too,” Mullen said
The Cougars kept from going into halftime scoreless when, set up by a 48-yard run by Elijah McGee, they scored on a 5-yard pass from McGee to Zachary Webb.
But in the second half, Kuhn twice interrupted drives with timely takeaways.
On Central Kitsap’s first drive of the second half, Cougars’ quarterback Elijah McGee passed over the middle for what appeared to be a completion, but the ball popped out of the receiver’s hands directly into Kuhn’s.
“My boy Stanton Hayes did his job, made a big hit, the ball popped out and I was right there,” Kuhn said.
On Central Kitsap’s next drive, Kuhn took the ball away again, this time taking from the Cougars’ star running back Alex Refilong in stride as he crossed midfield. The Blazers held Refilong to a season-low 137 yards rushing. The senior was coming off a pair of 200-plus yard games.
“Justin’s starting to become a student of the game and starting to feel the game,” Mullen said. “I’m really proud of him and the way he’s progressed.’
CENTRAL KITSAP 0 6 7 0_13
TIMBERLINE 14 13 14 0_41
T – Izaiah Jerenz 18 pass from Hunter Campau (Mason Joubert kick)
T – Campau 1 run (M. Joubert kick)
T – J.J. Graham 20 pass from Campau (kick blocked)
T – Campau 37 run (M. Joubert kick)
C – Zachary Webb 5 pass from Elijah McGee (kick blocked)
T – Jerenz 13 pass from Campau (M. Joubert kick)
T – Jerenz 8 pass from Campau (M. Joubert kick)
C – Alex Refilong 47 run (Tyler Cannon kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Passing: CK – McGee 9-21-1-76. T – Campau 14-18-0-149; Gerken 2-2-0-13.
Rushing: CK – Refilong 19-137; McGee 14-98; Samuel Guevara 1-(-3). T – Campau 22-201; Noah Cunningham 13-75; Stanton Hayes 5-14; Nephi Vimato 3-23; Wyatt Gerken 3-(-2).
Receiving: CK – Refilong 3-39; Z. Webb 4-26; Deven Keel 2-21. T – Trevor Joubert 2-22; Max Aunese 4-34; Cunningham 2-27; Jerenz 5-47; Graham 2-25.