WS Saints manhandle Multnomah

Hitting the snooze bar too many times has yet to hurt the West Sound Saints.

For the second week in a row, the Saints awakened from a first-half slumber to roll over an NWFL opponent, blanking the Multnomah County Buccaneers 26-0 Saturday at Silverdale Stadium.

In two games, the Saints have outscored opponents just 14-9 in the first half while letting loose for a 54-0 advantage in the latter quarters.

On Saturday, neither offense could get anything going as the teams traded harmless possessions with stalls, fumbles and interceptions.

Enter the third quarter and voila! A rushing attack appeared for West Sound with Malachi Dewalt bowling over would-be Buc tacklers for 27- and 4-yard runs out of the gate before a pass interference call at the goal line set him up for a one-yard push and the game’s first score.

On the ensuing drive, Multnomah tried their second ill-advised fake punt of the game, setting up Marvin Bronson for a quarterback keeper, prancing, dancing and high-stepping his way into the end zone to add to the Saints’ advantage.

The Bucs tried to answer with a speedy and shifty running back always threatening but the Saints’ D proved too much.

“They were givin’ us a little problem at first but our defense stepped up,” said leading tackler Eddie Llamas. “Pressure, pressure, pressure. Their quarterback couldn’t make a pass at all.”

Llamas was nearly unstoppable, playing behind perhaps the league’s largest defensive line. The linebacker had praise for the effort of the Buccaneers, however, with a very short bench to draw from.

“It reminded me of us in Florida (in the national championship game), only we were on the other side of it,” he said.

Bronson kept the attack going offensively, connecting with Ramon Martinez for a 20-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to give the Saints insurance heading into the last stanza. He capped off the offensive fireworks with a 19-yard scramble down the left side midway through the fourth quarter to provide the final tally.

“We got a shutout on defense ... we’re happy whenever that happens,” said Saints coach Les Archer. “The D-line is emphasizing keying people up, making holes and havin’ a field day.”

Marvin Bronson took the vast majority of the snaps behind center, but Archer said there is no quarterback controversy.

“We knew we’d get two or three series out of Kyle Nelson. Marvin’s mobility hurts a lot of teams that blitz a lot,” he said. “You see a traditional set on defense, Kyle will be more the mainstay.”

The coach expected a slower start to the opening game as he awaited a handful of players’ arrival from a spring league game in Seattle but hopes to see the offense get off to a better start in the next game.

“There is concern,” Archer said. “Direction and togetherness will solve that.”

Bronson said the key to his performance was giving in and allowing himself to be just a little selfish.

“I have a tendency to want to get the ball to my receivers,” he said. “The O-line got on me, I listened to their advice and ran the football. I know I needed to settle down. I get a little amped up.”

The Saints can settle down and take it a little easier this holiday weekend before they return to action Saturday, July 8, facing the Pierce County Bengals at Silverdale Stadium.

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