Defense dominates trenches
The underdog La Conner Braves needed neither smoke nor mirrors to torch Entiat 16-6 in the non-conference football season opener for both teams in Chelan Saturday night.
Still, there was plenty of smoke in the air due to Eastern Washington wildfires, so much so that the eight-man grid contest was moved from Entiat to Chelan where air quality was slightly better last weekend.
In the end, though, it was La Conner sophomore running back Yandel Rosales-Rojas who provided the evening’s firepower. He rushed for two touchdowns, one on a sweep and the other on an inside blast, as the Braves dominated play more than the final score indicates.
Freshman Kasen Williams capped La Conner’s scoring by adding a pair of two-point conversions.
Entiat, coming off a 9-1 campaign and post-season appearance a year ago, only averted a shutout with a touchdown in the final seconds.
PULLQUOTE: “It was super fun. We played really well on both sides of the ball.” Head Coach Kirk Melton
The Braves, meanwhile, had another score wiped out by penalty. The victors, who posted a 3–4-mark last season, never had to punt in their 2025 season debut.
“It was super fun. We played really well on both sides of the ball,” said La Conner head coach Kirk Melton.
Entiat, the reigning Central Washington 1B League champion and ranked in the Top Ten among the state’s eight-man grid programs, fielded a veteran team with just four freshmen on its roster.
“Our guys didn’t know what to make of them when they got off their bus,” Melton chuckled. “Some of their players had beards.”
But when the game started, the Braves and sophomore quarterback Keaton Bailey executed their game plan with razor sharpness. Especially up front, where the Braves controlled the line of scrimmage on both offense and defense.
“We’re very happy with how the game went,” Melton said. “We ran the ball well and we were able to stop their run game. They didn’t really stop us, other than the one fumble.”
Melton and his assistant coaches substituted liberally on a smoky, muggy night, developing lineup depth going forward. That should prove valuable as the Braves progress through a 10-game schedule that resumes this Saturday at Tulalip Heritage.
The Sept. 13 kickoff is set for 7 p.m. against the host Hawks, who, like Entiat, were playoff qualifiers last year.
Tulalip Heritage opened its 2025 season by taking a forfeit loss to Concrete.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter who covers Town government, schools, and spot news.
