Central feasts on Western’s miscues

SEATTLE – For the last three years, the Western Washington University football team has struggled hanging onto the football. This season marks the third in a row that the Vikings have been in the minus category of turnover/takeaway ratio after being on the positive side for 12-straight seasons.

That trend continued Saturday, as Western turned the ball over five times in the first half, once at the Central Washington 1-yard line, and fell to the Wildcats 37-17 in front of 11,312 fans in the third-annual Battle in Seattle at Qwest Field. The attendance figure was about 100 fewer than the game drew last season and about 500 fewer than the first game.

The victory gives Central (4-2) the upper hand in the series between the NCAA Division II rivals. The Wildcats have now won two of the three meetings between the teams in Seattle and hold a 58-33-4 all-time record in the rivalry that dates to 1922.

In all, Western turned the ball over seven times, and Central converted four into touchdowns four times.

“Nightmare, disaster, those comments apply,” Western head coach Rob Smith said. “Everything we talked about before the game, we didn’t do. I’m not sure in my 17 years did we do such a poor job of taking care of the football. Credit Central, but I’m not sure we’d be anyone with seven turnovers. It was a complete and total collapse.”

Four of Western’s (2-4) turnovers before halftime led to points that erased an early Viking lead. The toughest to take came when WWU quarterback James Monrean fumbled at the Central 1-yard line.

Monrean opened the drive with a 59-yard bomb to Andy Olson but three plays later Monrean fumbled the snap and the ball was recovered by CWU linebacker Chris Burch. The Wildcats then engineered an 11-play, 99-yard drive, running eight times for 78 yards, and scored on a 5-yard pass from Mike Reilly to Keith Schmidt for the tight end’s first career touchdown and a 21-10 Central lead.

Western running back Jake Carlyle fumbled the ball away again on the next WWU possession, leading to a 22-yard scoring run by Will Bennett that sent the Wildcats into halftime with a 17-point lead.

“You can’t beat anybody with seven turnovers,” said Olson, who had seven catches for 116 yards and tied the WWU school record with his 30th career touchdown catch. “You can’t beat a high school team with seven turnovers.”

The game started off well for WWU, as a 46-yard run by Carlyle set up a 12-yard scoring pass from Monrean to tight end Nick Yoney. The former Arlington High star was stopped at the 3-yard line but stretched his 6-foot-3 frame to its limit and reached across the goal line for a score. Then, the turnovers started.

Central ran for 220 yards but was outgained 475-467. Former Edmonds-Woodway standout Landon Hall led Central with 88 rushing yards. Monrean was 30-for-42 for 354 yards.

“We capitalized on their miscues,” Central coach John Zamberlin said. “They turned the ball over, we put points on the board. Plain and simple.”

The teams will play again Oct. 29 at Civic Stadium in Bellingham.

Western7307-17

Central141373-37

First Quarter

WW-Yoney 12 pass from Monrean (Younggren kick) 5:02.

CW-James fumble recovery (Sadler kick) 3:40.

CW-Potucek 4 pass from Reilly (Sadler kick) 1:16

Second Quarter

WW-FG Younggren 28, 14:05.

CW-Schmidt 5 pass from Reilly (Sadler kick) 3:42.

CW-Bennett 22 run (Sadler kick) 0:59.

Third Quarter

CW-Robertson 8 pass from Reilly (Sadler kick) 5:00.

Fourth Quarter

CW-FG Sadler 33, 13:04.

WW-Olson 5 pass from Monrean (Younggren kick) 4:00.

A-11,312.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-W. Washington: Carlyle 11-58, Monrean 7-48, Sherrard 7-18, Jackson 3-5, Corbin 1-(-8). C. Washington: Hall 18-88, Reilly 11-74, Bennett 9-63.

PASSING- W. Washington: Monrean 30-42 354-3. C. Washington: Reilly 22-34-247-1.

RECEIVING- W. Washington: Olson 7-116, Upchurch 7-77, Robinson 6-62, Carlyle 5-54, Wilson 3-31, Yoney 1-12, Logan 1-2. C. Washington: Potucek 6-87, Brookreson 6-86, Robertson 6-50, Boonstra 1-13, Hall 1-5, Schmidt 1-5, Dyer 1-1.