Prairie running back Davante Clayton kept running over Evergreen Plainsmen all night long. He also scored two touchdowns for the Falcons.
A.J. Dixson runs through a gap created by Brody Schlaefli (56) to score a touchdown for Prairie.
Quarterback A.J. Dixson runs free for the Prairie Falcons Friday at McKenzie Stadium. He rushed for two touchdowns to help Prairie beat Evergreen 34-7 and get to the playoffs for the first time in seven years.
Devante Clayton and A.J. Dixson rushed for two touchdowns and the Prairie High School football team beat Evergreen 34-7 Friday at McKenzie Stadium to finish third in the 3A Greater St. Helens League and advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
“I’m extremely happy for the kids and the program and the community. They have been waiting a long time to experience success like this,” said head coach Mike Peck. “First time with a winning record in seven years, first time going to playoffs in seven years and only the second time in the last 20 years for both those. So, a lot of history made tonight and a big step in the right direction for the program.”
Prairie set the tone on defense. Donovan Benko recovered two fumbles and the Falcons forced the Plainsmen to turn the ball over on downs a handful of times in the first half.
Clayton bowled into the end zone on a 14-yard run to get the Falcons on the board with nine minutes left in the second quarter. Benko got the ball right back by scooping up his second fumble. A 29-yard run by senior Bret McGuire got Prairie into scoring position. After completing passes to seniors Taylor Lawhead and Nolan Mickenham, Dixson dashed into the end zone to give the Falcons a 13-0 advantage.
Evergreen drove to the 6-yard line in the final minute of the second quarter, before the Prairie defense made one more massive stop. Senior lineman Trajveion Douglas led a group tackle on the opposing quarterback and time expired.
It was all Falcons in the third quarter, as they increased their lead to 34-0. McGuire delivered a 4-yard touchdown run, Dixson broke loose for a 41-yard touchdown run and Clayton added a 15-yard touchdown run.
Prairie (5-4) travels to Seattle Friday, Oct. 2, to face Lincoln (7-2) in the first round. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Peck said the Falcons asked if they could practice Saturday, but he wanted to give them a few days to enjoy this historical victory.
“A lot of hard work over a long period of time went into this, so I’m going to let them enjoy this win with their friends and family,” he said. “This is something that the community has been wanting for a long time and they did it. Let them enjoy it.”
Peck thanks seniors Bryce Cordon, Jake Clark, Max Velarde, Zack Wright, Simon Strickland, Moses Merez, Conor Rogers, Sam Salzman, Benko, Mickenham, Douglas, McGuire and Lawhead for their dedication.
“It’s hard to stick with it when you’re not successful, but they kept persevering,” Peck said. “This is something they’ll remember the rest of their life; the year they got Prairie to the playoffs. It’s really their team and they’re the ones that started this turnaround.”
