The White River Hornets dominated the line of scrimmage and corralled five big turnovers on the way to a convincing 17-6, Friday night victory over Orting High.

The nonleague contest, played on Orting’s home turf, saw the Hornets control the game by keeping the ball on the ground. Senior running back Josh Miller ran the ball more than 20 times and gained 110 yards, while quarterback Zach McMillen threw only three passes.

Why so few aerial attempts? “We didn’t have to,” coach Joe Sprouse said, noting that his squad was simply the better team.

“We controlled the game physically,” he said, “both offensively and defensively.”

The Hornet scoring came on a pair of short touchdown blasts by Miller and a 30-yard field goal by Tyler Worthen. Orting’s only points came late in the game on a trick play.

Sprouse said his crew wasn’t as sharp as it was during the season opener a week earlier – a game that resulted in a heartbreaking, two-overtime loss to Bonney Lake – but the Hornet defense stepped up.

“We played well enough to get the job done,” he said. “The defense deserved a shutout.”

With a pair of nonleague battles under their belts, the Hornets this week open South Puget Sound League 2A play with a trip to Steilacoom.

“We’ve got a chip on our shoulder,” Sprouse said, recalling last year’s loss to the Sentinels. There will be no problem firing up a squad looking for revenge, he added.

Contact Enumclaw Courier Herald Senior Writer, Editor Kevin Hanson at editor@courierherald.com or 360-802-8205.

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