Kentridge coach Brett Ogata walks off the field after his team’s win against Auburn on Friday night at French Field. MARK KLAAS, Kent Reporter

Kentridge coach Brett Ogata walks off the field after his team’s win against Auburn on Friday night at French Field. MARK KLAAS, Kent Reporter

Chargers roll past Trojans for sixth straight victory

Woods, Gonzalez and others power runaway win

Kentridge continued its power surge Friday night.

Behind a dominant front line, the Chargers cranked up the run-and-pass show, scoring early and often to put away Auburn 54-13 in a North Puget Sound League interdivisional game in front of a jammed homecoming crowd at French Field.

Playoff-bound Kentridge, riding a six-game winning streak and with the third-tier Sound Division title already in hand, moved to 6-1 on the season. Auburn, out of the second-tier Valley Division, dropped to 2-5.

Natano Woods ran 118 yards for four touchdowns and threw for 130 yards and another score, and running back Jaron Gonzalez ran for 168 yards and two more TDs in the rout.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

“One game at a time, one week at a time. I know it sounds very cliché, but it’s really what we’re trying to do,” said Kentridge coach Brett Ogata. “The kids continue to keep working to get better every day, every game.

“Offensively, we’re doing some good things. Natano’s a big key for that. He’s done a great job running this offense. He’s really the head coach on the field,” Ogata said. “The receivers are really playing well, but really tonight it was the offensive line.”

The Chargers jumped out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter and maintained command the rest of the way.

Woods, on the game’s seventh play from scrimmage, found slot receiver Louie Albrecht, all alone, on a 31-yard scoring strike.

“It was amazing. We had a nice crossing route post from our wideout, Ben Victoria, and it just left me wide open,” Albrecht said afterward. “Natano threw me a great ball.”

Gonzalez capped another scoring drive with a 15-yard run more than three minutes later, then scooted 45 yards up the middle on the Chargers’ third possession of the opening quarter, setting up Woods’ 2-yard TD run and a 21-0 lead.

After Auburn got on the board with a touchdown, Kentridge quickly responded, with Woods weaving and busting tackles on a 14-yard scoring smash to restore the lead to 27-6 with 8:15 to play in the half.

Jeremy Banks’ interception led to Woods’ 9-yard TD run midway in the third quarter. Jayden Haynes stripped the ball out of a running back’s hands and raced 32 yards for a touchdown moments later, extending the lead to 40-6.

Woods’ 62-yard dash, after escaping the pocket, pushed the margin to 47-6 late in the third quarter. Gonzalez’s second TD, from 5 yards out, capped the scoring blitz with 8:53 left in the game.

Again, Woods proved difficult to contain – on the run or with the pass.

“I know the work he put in during the offseason, which, as you can tell, shows on the field,” Albrecht said of the senior quarterback.

Kentridge ends the regular season at Decatur (0-7) in a Sound Division game this Friday. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Federal Way Stadium.

The Chargers, who have clinched their first winning season since 2009, will play the No. 4 qualifier out of the first-tier Mountain Division in the NPSL playoffs on Oct. 26-27.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in Sports

Graphic provided by Kent School District.
Kent Reporter Athletes of the Week: Kentlake

Leone Suamtaia (Sr. Fastpitch) and Jacob Lawrence (So. Baseball) are this weeks winners.

Riley Lambarena pitched four innings against Kennedy. Ben Ray / The Reporter
Kentridge baseball outlasts Kennedy with 4-2 win

Owen Finlayson’s second inning three-run double was the difference.

t
Everett eliminates Kent-based T-Birds from WHL playoffs

Silvertips grab 1-0 win in double overtime in game six

Genesis Miller pitches the ball for the Chargers. Ben Ray / The Reporter
Kentridge softball off to best start since 2014 after shutout vs. Auburn

It’s been more than 20 years since the Chargers have made it to state.

Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone announced Renton will host a national soccer team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Seattle. COURTESY PHOTO, City of Renton
Renton to host national soccer team for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Mayor: ‘This is an opportunity for Renton to showcase ourselves on the world stage next year.’

The Seattle Thunderbirds celebrate a 6-3 win over Everett on April 1 at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent. COURTESY PHOTO, Brian Liesse, Seattle Thunderbirds
Kent-based T-Birds rally to defeat Everett 6-3 in WHL playoffs

Trailed 3-1 in second period before scoring five consecutive goals to take 2-1 series lead

Courtesy Photo
Kent Reporter Athletes of the Week: Kentwood

Logan Luu (Sr. Soccer) and Joe Francis-Rodrigues (Sr. Fastpitch) are this weeks winners.

Matthew Ledbetter on the mound for Kentlake. Ben Ray / The Reporter
Enumclaw no-hits Kentlake: Cooper Markham strikes out 19

Kentlake’s Ledbetter punches out 11 in the loss.

Kentlake sprinter takes first place in the first heat of the 100 meter dash. Ben Ray / The Reporter
Track: Kentlake boys and girls beat Thomas Jefferson

Falcon boys move to 1-1 in duals while the girls move to 2-0 on the season.

Mason St. Louis eyes down the defense against Arlington. Ben Ray / The Reporter
Arlington shocks Kentwood with fourth quarter comeback

Kentwood’s season ends before the Tacoma Dome in opening round loss.

Adonai (left), Jerry and Luke (right) take a photo after the state tournament. Photo provided by Jerry Garza
Garza family takes it to the Tacoma Dome

Kent-Meridian sibling duo both finish top six at state, coached by dad.

Auburn Mountainview senior Sebastian Arius backs down a Federal Way player. Ben Ray / The Reporter
Why play the games? WIAA tournament seeding is a head-scratcher | Commentary

Due to recent decisions by seeding committees, do district tournaments serve any purpose?