The Plateau pair keep adding to the victory column, with Enumclaw High and White River each sitting at 4-0 heading into Week 5 of the prep football season.

Results were vastly different last week, when White River rolled to another lopsided victory and the Enumclaw squad – which had put 145 points on the board in its two prior outings – scored late to keep its slate clean.

The weekly challenge is to keep the ball rolling.

Enumclaw will play yet another Thursday night game (Oct. 2) hosting Thomas Jefferson High on the Expo Center turf. On paper, EHS is clear favorite as the visitors from Federal Way have been outscored 139-58 this season and enter with an 0-4 record.

White River plays its annual Homecoming contest this week, hosting the Kentlake Falcons at Arrow Lumber Stadium. Kentlake enters the Friday game with a 1-3 mark, the lone victory being a league matchup against winless Todd Beamer.

Here’s a look at how each squad improved to 4-0 last week.

WHITE RIVER

White River’s offense has steamrolled overmatched opponents all season and the same was true last week. Playing at Federal Way Memorial Field the Hornets put 55 points on the board in a shutout victory over the Todd Beamer Titans.

Third-year coach Wyatt Evenson came to Buckley with a background as an offensive coordinator and, so far, this season has been a rousing success. The first four games have seen White River score 192 points.

The Hornets took control early against the Titans, rolling to a 48-0 halftime lead before easing off the throttle and letting the running-clock rule do the rest.

Once again, the Hornet outing featured a superb performance by quarterback Chaz Strickland. The junior competed 19 of his 22 passing attempts, good for 301 yards, and threw six touchdown tosses (all in the first half). Kovi Poulin and Parker Fry were each on the end of two passing TDs and other scoring tosses went to Mason Locke and Chaz Blackie. Rushing touchdowns were provided by Blake Bargelt and Brendan Fonda.

Strickland has, thus far, posted passing numbers that most quarterbacks only dream about. Through four games he has completed almost 86 percent of his throws (78 of 91), good for 1,108 yards. He has 16 touchdown passes and just two interceptions.

ENUMCLAW

For the first time this season the Hornets found themselves trailing at halftime, down 7-0 to a Federal Way team that had already posted two NPSL 3A victories and scored 102 points in the process.

But coach Mark Gunderson’s crew rallied for the win by scoring touchdowns in both the third and fourth quarters and using a defense that kept the Eagles off the scoreboard the entire second half.

The game featured plenty of drama down the stretch, with EHS finally securing the victory with just 32 seconds remaining on the game clock. After forcing the Eagles to punt for the final time, Enumclaw took over near midfield and turned to its ground game for the win. Paxton Patterson carried the ball three times, eventually breaking loose for a 27-yard scoring sprint.

When Brodix John tacked on his second extra-point kick of the night Enumclaw’s final margin of victory was sealed.

The Hornets first score of the game came in the third period when Cole Chiechi crashed in from two yards out. Perhaps appropriately, Enumclaw had the ball thanks to a Chiechi interception.

The Hornets used their ground game effectively, posting 275 rushing yards on 46 carries, averaging nearly six yards per attempt.