Todd Beamer wears down Kent-Meridian in win at Federal Way Memorial Stadium

The Todd Beamer Titans were the only show in town on Friday night as they downed the Kent-Meridian Royals 20-6 at Federal Way Memorial Stadium.

Things took awhile to open up for the Titans, but they are just fine with that. Their game plan is to keep pounding the ball on the ground until their opponent submits and that’s just what happened to the Royals.

“We’re not going to be a real explosive team until we wear the other team down,” Beamer head coach Darren McKay said. “We know that. Usually by the second half, even if you’re only getting two to three yards and not opening up as much, you’re wearing down the other team.”

The two teams were locked in a defensive battle in the first half. Beamer was able to move the ball more consistently, but could not quite get into the endzone.

Despite moving the ball at a decent rate, Beamer had problems with penalties. Many of the penalties had nothing to do with Kent-Meridian as false starts and other dead ball fouls like illegal motions plagued them.

“We’re still making way too many penalties,” McKay said. “We came in the most penalized team in the [South Puget Sound League] and had our fair share again tonight. They were mainly procedure penalties. It’s first and 10 and all of a sudden it’s first and 15 and we’re not built for that. We want it to be second and six. We’re not going to throw the ball all over the place.”

The Titans settled for 33 and 35-yard field goals from Sean Van Earwage to take a 6-0 lead into the half.

The second half was more of the same as Beamer continued to hand the ball to running backs Andrew Tofaeono, Isaiah Lard and Kingsten Sua. The gains grew over time as the Royals wore down from the constant rushing attack.

Beamer put up their first touchdown late in the third quarter on a nine-yard Tofaeono run, giving them a 13-0 lead.

Tofaeono later put the game away in the fourth quarter with a 33-yard run for his second touchdown, giving the Titans a 20-6 lead. He would finish with over 150 yards rushing on the night.

The Titans nearly scored again with under a minute to play, but a late Lard touchdown run was negated by a penalty and the Titans chose to run out the clock instead.

Kent-Meridian’s lone score came on a four-yard run by running back Tyshon Jones early in the fourth quarter. The extra point was blocked.

The Royals had a chance to tie the game at six with just under six minutes to play in the first half.

They drove down the field inside the Titans five-yard line. Daigbe Emmanuel, Kent-Meridian’s star player, was the target on a fade route, but it was Lard who came down with the ball in the back of the endzone for the interception.

Beamer will begin league play at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26 against Mount Rainier at Federal Way Memorial Stadium.

“It’s the first money game,” McKay said. “I feel better about how we’re playing defensively. [Kent-Meridian] can score points. Momentum wise, I feel good heading into division play.”