White River rolled up more than 450 yards in total offense Friday during a 36-6 rout of Steilacoom.
The road win marked the debut of the South Puget Sound League 2A season and pushed the Hornets’ overall mark to 2-1.
“It was just a well played game offensively,” White River coach Joe Sprouse said. “Everything we threw at them was working.”
Highlights included a pair of long touchdown passes by Zach McMillen, more than 100 rushing yards by Josh Miller, more than 100 receiving yards from Mark Monteiro.
Going hand-in-hand with the offensive performance was a defensive effort that again came very close to registering a shutout.
“We honestly believe we should be 3-0,” Sprouse said, referencing a heart-breaking, season-opening, double-overtime loss to Bonney Lake. And a huge reason for the team’s success, he said, can be found in the turnover ratio. White River has been guilty of just one turnover in three games while forcing a dozen.
Friday’s victory over the Sentinels featured a fast start by the Hornets. McMillen hooked up with Garrett Quiles for a 52-yard touchdown and Miller ran 12 yards for another and, with a Tyler Worthen extra-point kick, White River was up 13-0 by the end of the first quarter.
The second period featured a Worthen field goal and a 69-yard TD toss from McMillen to Monteiro, giving the Hornets a 22-6 halftime advantage.
Second-half touchdowns came on the ground, the first by Miller and the second by Nate Lenhart.
SPSL 2A play continues Friday when White River travels to Washington. The Patriots, considered a challenger for the league title, were upended, losing to Eatonville 49-34.