This past Friday night the Goats of Chelan made the trip south to Cle Elum for a rematch with the Warriors. In a week 3 non-league matchup, Cle Elum handled Chelan on the Goats home field by a comfortable margin of 49-14.

I would have written about it sooner, but my fingers are just beginning to thaw. This time around the Goats squad that pulled into Cle Elum for the opening round of the Washington state playoffs was not the same team that Cle Elum had dismantled earlier.

Sure, they looked similar. They were again dressed in green, red, and white. They were led by the same coaching staff. They were cheered by the same crowd of fans.

But there were differences, unmistakable differences.

When we pulled in to the football parking lot in Cle Elum five minutes before kickoff, the ground was dry and the air was clear. By the time we settled in to our seats about three minutes later the snow began to fall. First it fell slowly, but steadily. Soon the dime-sized flakes grew to quarter-sized flakes, and then to a continual blanket of white.

Somewhere in the background a football game was underway. I came to the game thinking I would be able to evaluate the talent of two of the top juniors in the entire state; Chelan quarterback Michael Amsel Jr. and Cle Elum running back Jake Gall, but it ended up being more an evaluation of my ability to endure some nasty weather.

The most obvious difference on this night was the presence of Chelan quarterback Michael Amsel Jr. His absence was glaringly obvious the first time around.

Amidst controversy and rumor, Amsel Jr. was deemed ineligible for the first four games of the Goats’ schedule. Of those four games, two resulted in blowout losses, including the aforementioned contest with Cle Elum and an equally lopsided loss to the Connell Eagles in week 2.

Upon his return to the lineup, the Goats’ outlook brightened immediately as Amsel Jr. led them to a 6-1 record in the “second chapter” of their season.

Their lone loss was an epic battle with the eventual Caribou Trail League Champion Cashmere Bulldogs. Even that game was in Chelan’s grasp late in the game before it slipped away.

In a rematch scenario, some differences are more subtle. You have to know what you are looking for, but if you do, they become easy to recognize.

Sometimes it can be seen in the eyes, other times it can be recognized by the cadence at which they march onto the field, or their body language just before battle ensues.

In this case the difference was confidence, and the Goats were flush with it on this night.

I don’t know if the Cle Elum coaches and players would admit it, but I have a feeling that deep down they didn’t think that the addition of one player could have such a significant impact in this rematch.

They were soon forced to change their thinking. Chelan jumped out to an early 9-0 lead after Amsel Jr.’s first touchdown run of 20 yards and a debatable safety. (I think the Cle Elum quarterback may have had his knee on the turf as he fielded an awkward snap; he wasn’t ruled down, the play continued, and he was eventually brought down in his own end zone.)

In the second quarter the Warriors surged back into the game and even took a 12-9 lead into the halftime break. The second of two Warrior touchdowns was the result of a Chelan lapse.

With 20 seconds left in the half, from their own 35 yardline, the Goats decided to hand the ball off on the final play. The results of that decision proved disastrous. The ball went to the ground on a mishandled snap that was scooped up by Cle Elum linebacker Jake Gall, and was returned for a touchdown as the first half expired.

By the time the first half came to a close the field was white with a 2″ layer of snow. Hot chocolate sales in Cle Elum were at an all-time high, as it became the key to survival.

At the start of the halftime break a lone shovel-wielding man made his way onto the field and began to shovel clear the buried field markings. Then another brave volunteer joined him with shovel in hand.

Then another….. By the time the game was ready to resume about eight dedicated souls had cleared all of the goal lines, side lines, and yard lines.

The weather actually seemed to clear up as the 3rd quarter got underway. You could actually see the players like they were in high-definition instead of feeling like you were watching the game on a TV that was receiving a signal through “rabbit ears”.

Both teams were finally able to open their offenses a bit and even put the ball in the air a few times, but neither was able to add any points on the scoreboard in the 3rd quarter.

It was in the 4th quarter that Amsel Jr. really got things revved up for the Goats even though the weather began to turn once again. He scored three straight touchdowns to take the lead, extend it, and put it out of reach on runs of 20, 7, and 33 yards.

The Goats converted on several long 3rd down plays to keep drives alive and finish them in the end zone. Amsel Jr.’s third touchdown mid-way through the final period gave Chelan a 29-12 lead and prompted our exodus.

As we were exiting, Goat workhorse Cole Schwartz took the ball around left end for a 47 yard touchdown run for the final blow.

Cle Elum was able to muster one final score to close the game for a final score of 35-19.
Cle Elum has a bevy of talented juniors on its roster, so they will be back strong next year and should be the favorite to again win the SCAC-West and make another playoff run.

They return their quarterback and two top rushers.

Chelan moves on to face the Royal Knights in the quarterfinals. The two squads have faced-off twice in the playoffs in recent years and this one will be the tie-breaker.

This truly is the most wonderful time of the year, and not because of the winter wonderland we just survived.