It was a perfect setting for a Halloween night football game. Darkness fell, the temperature dropped, and the steam rose in waves off the football players’ sweaty bodies. The fog rolled in off the treeline, settling low over the Pirates’ home field, and Vashon rolled over the Chimacum Cowboys, scoring a season-high seven touchdowns, and winning the contest, 54-20.

The Pirates scored on their first possession of the game with their usual formula of running the ball with Bryce Hoisington and Nate Lawson gaining most of the yardage.  A Chester Pruett pass to Lawson was the first score for the Pirates. Chimacum scored on their next possession, but failed to convert any extra points. Lawson quickly got the Pirates on the board again with his second touchdown of the night and the two-point conversion.

The Cowboys returned the subsequent kickoff almost the entire length of the field and punched in a score shortly before the end of the first quarter. After the first 12 minutes, the game was a tight 16-14 in favor of the Pirates. From there on out, the game was all Vashon.

Bryce Hoisington ran the Cowboys ragged on the next series, scoring in a touchdown early in the second quarter.  Lawson got the call on the two-point conversion, and the score was 24-14.

Quarterback Pruett had the next two scores, both rushing touchdowns, and one two-point conversion.  The score was 38-14  with 9:29 to go in the third quarter.

And then things got weird.  Vashon’s ugly kickoff took a fortuitous bounce off a Cowboy and was quickly recovered by the Pirates. Vashon worked the ball down to third and goal and then fumbled, turning the ball over to the Cowboys. After two unsuccessful Chimacum snaps, the Pirates forced a fumble that was recovered in the endzone by defensive lineman Jason Kruly for the Pirates sixth score of the night. Lawson scored the two-point extra, and the Pirates were up 46-14.

The Pirate defense smothered Chimacum on their next series.  Massive hits by Ron Krieger and Jason Kruly drove their kickoff returner deep. Kruly and Pruett combined to break up three successive pass plays, taking the ball back for another Vashon possession.

At the start of the fourth quarter, freshman quarterback Andrew McCammant took the helm for the first time this season. After a series to nowhere, the Pirates were forced to punt, the resulting Cowboy return put them deep in the red-zone, and they scored two plays later.

McCammant continued to guide the Pirates through the end of the game using the running of freshman Connor Hoisington and sophomore Kellan Riley. Vashon’s last score was run in by junior Arthur Moore, and McCammant scored the two-point conversion.

Defensively, Vashon had great plays from Kruly, Krieger and Logan Nelson. The Hoisington brothers had multiple tag-team tackles. Kruly had an impressive play, grasping the ball carrier, and as he flicked the ball to another Cowboy, Kruly brought him down as well. Moore saved a sure Chimacum score with a last-gasp shoelace snag stop, and Bryce Hoisington saved another probable score with an impressive com- from-behind open field pantsing.

The Pirates’ last game of the season will be against the same Chimacum team this Friday in Port Townsend.

— Cheryl Pruett is the mother of two Pirate football players.