By Bill Reynolds
La Conner Community News
The La Conner Braves football team kicked off the Labor Day weekend with a workmanlike 57-22 triumph over Quilcene in the season opener for both teams at Whittaker Field on Friday night.
The Braves, who amassed 381 yards total offense — all but 60 of those coming on the ground — employed a physical, blue-collar game plan throughout their matchup with an outmanned Quilcene squad.
Yandel Rosales-Rojas, La Conner’s stellar junior running back, rushed for 122 yards and two
TDs to pace a multifaceted Braves attack.
Junior signal caller Keaton Bailey, who alternated at quarterback with sophomore Benny Allen, recorded a rushing touchdown, a two-point conversion run, a 76-yard pass interception return for a touchdown, and reeled in a 28-yard scoring strike from Allen.
Versatile Maxwell Page, La Conner’s lone senior starter, kicked three extra points and also scored from five yards out.
Junior Duran Clark ran 23 yards for a TD and added a two-point run in the final period to cap the Braves’ onslaught.
Among the night’s many highlights was a one-yard touchdown plunge by junior Xavier Keo at the 3:02 mark of the third period.
Rosales-Rojas got La Conner on the board early with a 26-yard scoring jaunt just over a minute into the contest. The first of Page’s conversion kicks pushed the Braves’ lead to 7-0.
La Conner doubled its edge to 14-0 four minutes later on Page’s TD run and subsequent extra point kick.That touchdown was set up courtesy a long punt return by Braves junior defensive back Vireo Angell.
Clark’s touchdown run and an Allen conversion run pushed La Conner’s lead to 22-0. The Braves then went in front 29-0 early in the second quarter on Bailey’s 55-yard scamper and another Page conversion kick.
A 70-yard Rosales-Rojas TD sprint gave La Conner a 37-0 margin with 4:29 remaining before halftime.
Quilcene didn’t quit, though. Sophomore scatback Tristan Naputi, who reeled off several shifty runs, got the visiting Rangers on the board via a 38-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion with 2:28 left in the opening half.
The visitors scored first after intermission on a five-yard toss sweep run by junior running back Isaac Figueroa. With a successful deuce on the point-after-touchdown snap, the Rangers pulled within 37-16.
La Conner answered quickly, though. Allen fired a perfect 28-yard strike on play-action to Bailey for a 43-16 advantage. The hosts’ lead swelled to 49-16 going into the final stanza on Keo’s TD run.
The two teams traded scores in the fourth frame. Bailey’s long pick-six and Clark’s ensuing two-point blast gave La Conner its largest lead of the night at 57-16 with 11:39 left.
Naputi tacked on a six-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter, providing what would be the game’s final score. Naputi was sidelined moments later, however, by a big hit from Angell on Quilcene’s two-point conversion attempt.
Angell was one of a dozen La Conner defenders to record tackles. Bailey, Rosales-Rojas, Page, Allen, Clark, Landon Stevens, Drew Loranger, Josiah Herring, Desmond Miller, Conner Ritchie , and Evan Magill were also in on stops for the Braves.
Next up for La Conner is a key Sept. 12 (2 p.m.) road pairing at Neah Bay. A 1B playoff team last season, Neah Bay fell 48-26 to Darrington in its ‘26 debut.
Also in Sept. 4 La Conner High sports action, the Braves’ girls soccer team was upended 5-1 at home by a deep and talented Liberty Bell lineup. Aisley Zimmerman scored La Conner’s lone goal on a line drive, cross-field shot early in the second half. Braves goalkeeper Kelli Cayou-Lockrem notched several saves as La Conner was forced to play defense much of the match. With the win, Liberty Bell squared its season slate at 1-1. The Braves (0-1) resume play Sept. 12 (1 p.m.) at 1A Granite Falls before returning home Sept. 14 (4 p.m.) to face NW2B rival Friday Harbor.
The La Conner boys soccer team opens its season Sept. 10 at Concordia Christian in Tacoma with a 3:30 p.m. match. The Braves visit league foe Coupeville Sept. 15 in a 6 p.m. start. La Conner then entertains Evangel Classical School Sept. 17 at 4 p.m.
La Conner’s volleyball team, which debuted Sept. 8 at 1A Granite Falls, is scheduled to compete in the annual SunDome Volleyball Festival in Yakima on Sept. 11 and 12. The high-powered Yakima tournament features top 1B, 2B, and 1A varsity programs.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
