The White River Hornets typically hold fast to a run-first mentality, but it was the team’s aerial attack that made the difference during Friday night’s 23-13 victory over the visiting Franklin Pierce Cardinals.

The homecoming triumph elevated White River’s overall record to 5-1 and left the Hornets sitting pretty at 4-0 in South Puget Sound League 2A standings. The Hornets have three league contests still to play: this Friday at Clover Park (1-3, 3-3) and Oct. 25 at home against Steilacoom (2-2, 2-4), prior to a season-ending tussle with the Sumner Spartans at Sunset Chev Stadium on the Spartans’ campus. The finale looms large as Sumner also sports an undefeated league record, not to mention a No. 3 ranking in the statewide 2A polls.

Friday’s homecoming victory over Franklin Pierce saw the Hornets hitting the scoreboard first. Keenan Fagan scored on a 32-yard pass from Sean Hayes and, after Hunter Hendricks caught a pass for a two-point conversion, White River enjoyed an 8-0 lead that it nursed until halftime.

The Hornets upped their lead when Hayes connected with Garrett Quiles for a 15-yard TD, but the Cardinals bounced back with a pair of touchdowns of their own. The difference-maker was a third TD pass by Hayes, the final one  being a 69-yarder to Hendricks. An extra-point kick by France capped the night’s scoring.

Hayes wound up with 169 yards through the air – a season high – and now has nine touchdown passes with just a single interception.

Fagan entered the game as the league’s leading rusher but was held to a season-low 53 yards on 13 carries. For the season, he has 717 yards on 91 carries, averaging 79 yards per attempt.