For the first time since their 2008 championship season, the Cashmere Bulldogs are headed back to the WIAA 1A State Championship game. The No. 2–seeded Bulldogs (11–1 record) powered past the No. 3–seeded Mt. Baker Mountaineers (10–2 record) on Saturday afternoon at the Wenatchee Apple Bowl, rolling to a convincing 41–14 semifinal victory and setting up a long-awaited rematch with top-seeded Royal.
Cashmere wasted no time seizing momentum. On Mt. Baker’s fourth play from scrimmage, sophomore defensive back Jackson Binger jumped the Mountaineers’ first pass attempt of the day and returned it 52 yards to the end zone, giving the Bulldogs an early 6–0 lead and igniting the home crowd.
The Bulldogs’ offense joined the party on its first possession with one of the most electrifying plays of the season. Senior quarterback Rylan Hatmaker hit senior Logan Spies on a short route before Spies lateraled to freshman running back Jayce McMahon, who raced 28 yards down the sideline for a perfectly executed hook-and-ladder touchdown, extending the lead to 13–0.
Mt. Baker’s star senior running back Brice Cooper briefly halted Cashmere’s surge late in the first quarter, bursting through the line and outrunning the secondary for a 66-yard score that trimmed the Bulldog lead to 13–7 at the end of the opening period.
Cashmere answered midway through the second quarter when Hatmaker found senior Isaac Zavala on a screen pass for a 45-yard touchdown, sending the Bulldogs into halftime with a 20–7 advantage.
The Bulldogs appeared to break the game wide open midway through the third when Hatmaker connected with Spies on a 36-yard touchdown bomb, pushing the lead to 27–7. But Cooper again responded instantly for Mt. Baker, exploding for an 80-yard rushing touchdown on the very next play from scrimmage to make it 27–14 and keep the Mountaineers within reach.
From there, Cashmere leaned on its physical ground game to wear down the Mountaineer defense. Senior running back Thomas Bergren powered into the end zone from two yards out late in the third quarter, and early in the fourth Hatmaker and Spies hooked up for their second touchdown of the day — this time a 22-yard scoring strike — to cap the Bulldogs’ offensive onslaught and seal the 41–14 win.
While Mt. Baker managed 277 rushing yards, Cashmere’s defense dominated situationally and limited the Mountaineers to just 2-of-10 passing for 11 yards. Notably, half of Mt. Baker’s rushing total came on Cooper’s two long touchdown runs.
Offensively, Cashmere delivered another balanced effort.
On the ground:
Jayce McMahon: 5 carries, 53 yards, 1 TD
Jacoby Tait: 6 carries, 44 yards
Thomas Bergren: 7 carries, 21 yards, 1 TD
Rylan Hatmaker: 5 carries, 17 yards
Ethan Bessonette: 2 carries, 15 yards
David Odenrider: 1 carry, 5 yards on a crucial 4th-down conversion
Through the air:
Hatmaker was superb, finishing 18-for-25 for 276 yards and three touchdowns.
Logan Spies: 7 receptions, 177 yards, 2 TDs
Isaac Zavala: 2 receptions, 58 yards, 1 TD
Levi Strutzel: 3 receptions, 27 yards
David Odenrider: 2 receptions, 43 yards
Ethan Bessonette: 2 receptions, 13 yards
Jacoby Tait: 2 receptions, 11 yards
Jayce McMahon: 1 reception, 7 yards
With the win, Cashmere advances to face the state’s most dominant dynasty: the Royal Knights, the No. 1 seed and winners of five straight state championships and eight of the last nine. Royal defeated Lynden Christian 61–35 in the other semifinal on Saturday and enters the title game riding a 47-game winning streak.
The matchup will also serve as a heated rematch. The Bulldogs and Knights met on October 3 at Royal, when Royal escaped with a 21–15 overtime victory — Cashmere’s only loss of the season.
Cashmere now gets another shot, this time on the biggest stage.
The 1A State Championship kicks off Friday, December 5 at 3:00 PM at Husky Stadium in Seattle, on the campus of the University of Washington.
