One of the keys to White River’s success this fall has been taking advantage of turnovers and that was the case during Friday’s 41-28 victory over Washington.

The Patriots fumbled on their first play from scrimmage and White River’s Xavier Russell pounced on the loose ball, giving the Hornets possession on the Pats’ 35-yard line. Three plays later, White River was celebrating when Garrett Quilles scooted into the end zone.

Tyler Worthen converted the first of his five extra-point kicks and the Hornets were up 7-0 38 seconds into the contest.

White River led the entire way, sticking primarily to the ground but also getting an efficient outing from Zach McMillen. The junior quarterback completed 7 of 10 passes. The Hornets piled up nearly 375 yards of total offense.

Following White River’s quick TD, Washington answered on its first possession to tie the game. But the Hornets dominated the remainder of the first half, scoring four more touchdowns to take a 34-14 lead into the locker room. Josh Miller scored the first of his three touchdowns near the end of the first quarter and Quilles again went to work. He turned a short pass completion into a 63-yard scoring burst and, less than three minutes later, tacked on a 52-yard TD run. Miller added the final touchdown of the first half on a 14-yard run.

The Hornets’ final touchdown came midway through the third period, following an interception by Eli Bickel. Miller ripped off a 40-yard run, taking the ball to the 2-yard line, then scored on a short blast up the middle.

Washington made things interesting by scoring early in the fourth quarter, recovering an onside kick, then scoring to make it 41-28 with five minutes remaining. White River recovered a second onside attempt to prevent any further Pat fireworks.

The win improves White River to 3-1, 2-0 in SPSL 2A play. The Hornets host Eatonville at 7 p.m. Friday. The Cruisers are 2-2 overall and 1-1 in league with wins against Orting and Washington, teams that were also defeated by White River.