Washington crushes Wasco for D-IV football title

By Marek Warszawski

12/09/11 17:57:19

EASTON – The only thing that can stop Washington High now is the state bowl committee.

Wasco certainly couldn't.

Behind the right arm of Chris Cain and the hands and legs of Deontay Greenberry, Washington captured its second straight Central Section Division IV football championship 55-12 on Friday night.

View game stats and details

Cain passed for 370 yards and six touchdowns, four of them to Greenberry who finished with 13 receptions for 209 yards – much to the delight of an overflow crowd at John Ventura Stadium.

It wasn't just the numbers that Cain and Greenberry put up but how they did it. The Notre Dame-bound receiver faced double coverage all night and treated it like a mere pebble in his cleats.

"You just throw him the ball, and that's what he does," Cain said. "Usually, it's big things on the field."

Washington (13-0) now waits for Sunday, when the state's 10 section commissioners will vote on this year's CIF State Championship Bowl Games pairings.

Lompoc (14-0), the Panthers' main competition for the berth in the Division III state bowl, won the Southern Section's Northwest Division title game 21-0 over Cabrillo.

"We're the best team and I hope they give us an opportunity to represent the Central Valley," said Washington coach Jeff Freitas, whose team is riding a 21-game win streak dating to last season. "I think we'd represent real well."

Wasco (11-2) is in no position to argue. The Tigers trailed 14-0 early and weren't built to come from behind with their bunched-up, double-wing offense.

The Panthers never gave them the chance by scoring each time they touched the ball. DeMelvin Stell made sure Wasco couldn't key on Greenberry by catching six passes for 107 yards, and Donald Phelps supplemented the passing game with 104 rushing yards.

The aerial fireworks began on the game's second play when Cain lofted a ball downfield into tight coverage. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Greenberry simply outleapt Isaiah Sharp and Austin Tijerina for the football and a 36-yard gain.

After getting behind Tijerina for a 2-yard touchdown, Greenberry helped set up Dashown Fletcher's 29-yard scoring catch with a scintillating 41-yard reception against double coverage on third-and-23.

"I wouldn't say I felt unstoppable, I was just blessed," Greenberry said.

Coaches: Got a score to report? Call (559) 441-6379 or email sports@fresnobee.com.


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