Sat 30 Aug 2008
ETNA – After a tight first half, the Etna Lions blew open their game against the Weed Cougars in both teams season opener on Friday night. Etna score 27 second half points—20 in the third quarter.
Etna kicked off to start the contest. Weed was unable to move the ball and punted from its own 29. There was no return on the punt, and Etna took over on its own 41. One play, and fifty-nine yards later, Lion running back Travis Whittaker was celebrating in the end zone. The PAT hit the left upright, and 
the Lions led 6-0, with
Early in the second quarter, the cougars took possession on their 45, following an Etna punt. Weed converted two fourth-and-short plays and moved to the Etna 13. It appeared that the Lions had stopped the Cougars drive, when Jordan Pehle-Munson picked off a pass in the end zone. However, a roughing the passer call on the Lions gave the ball back to the Cougars on the Etna 8-yard-line. Three plays later, Weed’s Travis Andrews punched into the end zone, tying the score 6-6. Omar Fernandez’ PAT hit the crossbar, and bounced through. The Cougars led 7-6, at the half.
The second half began in strange fashion. Weed’s first attempt at a kick off went out of bounds. The Etna coaching staff chose to have the Cougars re-kick, after a five-yard penalty. An offside penalty on the next try moved the Cougars back another five. The next kick also went out of bounds, costing Weed five more yards—a total of 15 yards, before a single second had ticked off the clock.
Once the Cougars did get a kick off, Etna’s Devin Franco had a good return, but fumbled the ball, which traveled several yards forward, where Seth Jordan recovered for Etna, on the Weed 43.
The Lions moved the ball to the 30, where Jordan Pehle-Munson connected with Andrew Peluso for a 30 yard TD pass. Munson ran in a two-point conversion, giving Etna a 14-7 lead.
After the Etna kick off, Weed started at its 20-yard-line. Faced with a fourth-and-one at its own 29, Weed elected to go for it. The Lions held, and took over on downs at the 29.
Moments later, Whittaker sprinted for his second TD of the night—this time for 24 yards. Taylor Pehle-Munson’s PAT was good, and the Lions led 21-7, with
On Weed’s next series, they elected to punt from their own 30, on fourth–and-ten. Etna’s Whittaker broke through the line and blocked the punt, which was recovered by Weed on its 14, giving possession to Etna.
After Etna lost two yards back to the Weed 16, Jordan Pehle-Munson connected with Peluso for a second TD strike. The PAT was no good. Etna led 27-7.
Lion Alex Case stripped the ball from Weed’s quarterback on the Cougars next possession giving the ball to the Lions on the Weed 40.
At the end of the third quarter, the Lions had a first-and-goal at the Weed 7-yard-line. Jordan Pehle-Munson scored on a quarterback keeper from the two to cap the drive. Twin brother Taylor added the PAT to complete the scoring for the game, with Etna leading 34-7.
Weed was able to move the ball as deep as the Etna 20 on its next possession, but the drive stalled and Etna took over on downs. Etna fumble on its next series, but Weed was unable to move the ball, and turned it over on downs, again. Etna took a knee to end the game, 34-7
