Deer Park Football Opens Against NEA League Champs

The Deer Park High School football team traveled north to Colville to open their campaign on Sept. 4 with a non-league matchup against the defending Northeast A League champion Crimson Hawks. Senior running back Carter Criss got the Stags on the board in the first quarter with a two-yard scoring run.

Their lead became 14-0 when the Stag senior scored again from 16 yards out. The Deer Park defense would notch their next score, as junior defensive back Caden Knudsvig stripped the ball from a Colville receiver and scampered 30 yards to put the Stags ahead 21-0 midway in the second quarter.

The rest of the scoring belonged to the home side as Colville would score the final 22 points, including a late touchdown and game winning two-point conversion. The Crimson Hawks came away as winners with a final score of 22-21. Criss, along with his two scoring runs, totaled 102 yards rushing on 17 carries and added six receptions for 35 yards.

Senior Cam Noel hauled in four passes for 22 yards. Kash Phillips was tops on the defensive unit with 15 tackles, followed by Carson Byrd with 11. Knudsvig, Eion Bogle, and Mateo Lightsey had nine tackles each. Deer Park welcomes Riverside for their home opener on Friday, Sept. 11, at 6 p.m. in the annual Battle of the Horns rivalry game.