TACOMA -- With momentum tilting toward its opponent, Waitsburg-Prescott needed a big play Saturday.
Zach Bartlow and Dalton Estes came through.
Bartlow connected with Estes on a 47-yard pass down the middle to set up a touchdown as the Cardinals rolled to their first state title, defeating Morton/White Pass 33-7 in the Class 2B championship game in the Tacoma Dome.
"We've run it a couple of times. It is a tough throw across my body and across the field," Bartlow said of the pass play, which he hadn't completed yet this season. "For some reason it clicked today. We executed everything today."
The completion came on second-and-10 from the 42. Bartlow rolled right, then threw off his backfoot. Estes circled two defenders and a referee and made the grab. The next play, Billy Brown scored from 11 yards out.
"That was the biggest play of the day," Waitsburg-Prescott coach Jeff Bartlow said. "After they scored, we got (the Cardinals) to the sidelines and told them we had to score. To throw a strike like that was big."
Bartlow showed off a cannon-like arm, easily one of the best at the state championships, throwing for 207 yards and two touchdowns.
His favorite target was Estes, who finished with six receptions for 136 yards and two touchdowns, including a 45-yard bomb with a minute left before halftime.
It was Estes' best game of the season. He also had two interceptions -- the first of his career.
"I just felt I needed to play wholeheartedly today because I hadn't all year," Estes said. "I felt like the seniors had it (earlier in the year) and I could just be another guy. I was giving 100 percent, but to win a title you have to give 110 percent."
The title is the first for Waitsburg and the first for the schools since they combined. Prescott won an eight-man title in 1975 and lost in the final in 2001. Jublilee Christian, which also contributes players to the team, reached the final in 2003, but also lost.
"This is huge. This is giant," Jeff Bartlow said. "This is for anyone who has ever played Waitsburg or played for me. It doesn't get any better for the seniors than to keep it perfect."
The Cardinals controlled the game throughout, giving the Timberwolves' pass defense fits from the start. While W-P didn't run the ball very well, it didn't matter with the way the defense was playing.
"I knew we needed to make them throw the ball," coach Bartlow said. "We kind of dictated what they were doing."
The victory caps off a dominant season, which saw the Cardinals only challenged once -- a 7-6 win over Dayton in Week 6. In the playoffs, Waitsburg-Prescott outscored the opposition 219-55.
Bartlow added 98 yards rushing with a touchdown, while Brown rushed for 46 yards and two touchdowns. Dalton Wooderchak had three receptions for 36 yards.
"It feels so good," Zach Bartlow said. "This has been my dream since I was a little kid, to win a state championship. It's an undescribable feeling. There was a lot of pressure and we came through."
Waitsburg-Prescott 33, Morton-White Pass 7
Waitsburg-Prescott 7 7 6 13 -- 33
Morton-White Pass 0 0 7 0 -- 7
First quarter
Wait--Bartlow 1 run (Barajas kick), 3:14.
Second quarter
Wait--Estes 45 pass from Bartlow (Barajas kick), 1:06.
Third quarter
WP--Reynolds 1 run (Park kick), 5:37.
Wait--Brown 11 run (kick failed), 2:25.
Fourth quarter
Wait--Estes 2 pass from Bartlow (run failed), 9:32.
Wait--Brown 3 run (Barajas kick), 2:27.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Waitsburg-Prescott, Bartlow 22-98, Brown 9-46, Eastman 1-(minus-4). Morton-White Pass, Reynolds 21-71, Bertucci 5-28, Crowder 4-18, Park 1-3, Kolb 4-(minus-10).
PASSING--Waitsburg-Prescott, Bartlow 14-21-0-207. Morton-White Pass, Kolb 6-14-2-53.
RECEIVING-- Waitsburg-Prescott, Estes 6-136, Wooderchak 3-36, Brown 2-14, Zuger 1-12, Acevedo 2-9. Morton-White Pass, Powell 1-25, Reynolds 3-17 Hanger 2-11.
