A big, burly, run-first team from Pierce County handed Sequim’s Wolves their first loss of the season on Sept. 13.

Despite the 36-14 defeat in front of home fans, SHS’s first-year head coach Ian Henley said there are plenty of good take-aways.

“They say there are no moral victories, but we learned a lot in this game,” he said.

Junior quarterback Zeke Schmadeke had a 35-yard touchdown run and threw for another score as Sequim (1-1) twice cut into the Cardinal lead.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Malachi Hampton, right, gets good blocking downfield for a big gain in the Wolves’ Sept. 13 match-up with Franklin Pierce.

But Franklin Pierce (2-0), led by sophomore quarterback Jeremiah Orcutt and a big offensive line, used its Power-T rushing attack to dominate time of possession and the scoreboard.

The Cardinals racked up 286 rushing yards, led by Bryson Allen (nine carries, 89 yards), Junior Teregeyo (12 carries, 62 yards), Tyler Laloulu (five carries, 55 yards) and Orcutt (seven carries, 39 yards); each of their top four rushers found pay-dirt.

Franklin Pierce led 14-0 at halftime and 22-0 after three quarters, limiting the Wolves to just two first half drives — one ending in a punt, the other in a missed field goal.

“They’re a pretty physical bunch,” Henley said of Franklin Pierce. “We knew it was an uphill climb but I’m proud of the guys, really proud of the way the kids responded.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / The Sequim high School band, under the direction of George Rodes, entertains the crowd int he second half of the SHS football squad’s loss to Franklin Pierce.

“It was a good learning experience. There were plenty of times the could have rolled over and died. The kids really showed their mettle.”

With 2:30 left in the third quarter and down three scores, Sequim took advantage of a Cardinal roughing-the-passer penalty that negated an interception and drove 80 yards in 10 plays, highlighted by a Schmadeke fourth-down conversion and capped by his 35-yard scamper to close the gap to 22-6.

The Cardinals, as they had all game long, managed to drive deep into SHS territory behind a quartet of running backs before Orcutt slipped a pass to Junior Teregeyo for a 30-6 lead with 4:34 left.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Liam Wiker looks to evade would-be Franklin Pierce tacklers the Wolves’ 36-14 loss to Franklin Pierce on Sept. 13.

Sequim wasn’t done, however: Schmadeke found Malachi Hampton on a deep route that the transfer wide receiver from Olympic turned into a 73-yard touchdown score — aided significantly by a key downfield block from Charlie Grider.

“I was supposed to run straight [downfield] but No. 11 got a great block for me,” Hampton said.

Hampton finished with six catches for 99 yards, with a number coming from short jet sweep carries to pick up key first downs against a physical Franklin Pierce team.

“I love this team; it’s like a brotherhood,” said Hampton, a junior, following the second game with his new team.

“We fought hard.”

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Malachi Hampton, left, and teammate Liam Wiker talk after Hampton’s 73-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of SHS’ Sept. 13 game against Franklin Pierce.

Schmadeke finished with 18 caries for 67 yards, while running back Liam Wiker had 59 yards on 13 attempts.

The game was a relatively clean one — Sequim finished with just two penalties for 10 yards, the Cardinals five for 40 yards — but Franklin Pierce was able to convert nine of 10 third down situations to keep drives alive.

Coming up

Sequim goes on the road for the first time in 2024 to take on Elma on Sept. 20. The Eagles (2-0) are coming off a 26-7 at Stevenson.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Zeke Schmadeke vies for yardage as the Wolves take on Franklin Pierce on Sept. 13.

The Wolves celebrate their Homecoming the following week, with a Sept. 27 game against rival Port Angeles in the two schools’ annual Rainshadow Rumble.

“That’s going to be a big game,” Hampton said, noting the Wolves have been talking that game up in practice.

Port Angeles (0-2) fell to Forks 13-7 on Sept. 13.

Franklin Pierce 36, at Sequim 20

• Scoring

1st quarter

F — Allen 14 run (Irving run), 8:00

2nd quarter

F — Laloulo 11 run (pass failed), 7:29

3rd quarter

F — Teregeyo 1 run (Laloulo run), 2:32

4th quarter

S — Schmadeke 35 run (kick failed), 9:14

F — Teregeyo 13 pass from Orcutt (Orcutt run), 4:34

S — Hampton 73 pass from Schmadeke (Schmadeke run), 3:12

F — Orcutt 14 run (run failed), 1:32

• Statistics

Passing — S: Schmadke 6-8, 99 yards, TD; Miller 0-2. FP: Orcutt 5-8, 93 yards, TD

Rushing — S: Schmadeke 18-67, TD; Wiker 13-59; Taylor 1-4; Golbeck 1-3. FP: Allen 9-89, TD; Teregeyo 12-62, TD; Laloulu 5-55, TD; Orcutt 7-39, TD; Lomiga 3-23; Irving 3-12; Ford 1-6

Receiving — S: Hampton 6-99, TD. FP: Amadeo 1-39; Kioa 1-23; Teregeyo 2-19, TD; Irving 1-12

Third down — S 3-8, FP 9-10

4th down — S 2-2, FP 1-1

First downs — S 11, FP 17

Penalties — S 2-10, FP 5-40

In 2023, the Roughriders roughed up the Wolves 37-10.