Late effort sends Yakima Valley past Arctic Predators

WASILLA — The Yakima Valley Warriors brought out the hatchet against the Arctic Predators on Saturday.

Yakima receiver Gabe Hatchett snagged three of his four touchdown catches in the fourth quarter to lead the Warriors to a 60-38 win over the Predators in Yakima, Wash.

Hatchett caught scoring passes of 4, 6 and 43 yards during the final frame to help Yakima score the come-from-behind victory.

The Predators used 20 third-quarter points to take a 32-28 lead into the fourth.

“If you’ve got them late in the game and you give them a chance, that’s what’s going to happen,” Predators coach Hans Deemer said.

The Predators (3-4) had won three straight to improve to .500, but Deemer said his squad ran into a Yakima team fighting for any hope of staying alive for one of the two American Indoor Football Association West Division playoff spots.

“When you’ve got one team on a roll and another scratching for survival, something’s got to give,” Deemer said. “Unfortunately, it was us.”

Hatchett finished with eight catches for 95 yards. Four of those grabs went for scores. Yakima quarterback Ben Running was 17-for-34 with 198 yards and seven touchdowns.

Predators quarterback Damion Ward finished 18-for-34 yards with a game-high 215 yards passing and four touchdowns, but threw five interceptions in the game. Yakima’s Jerome Williams returned one of those picks 50 yards for a late score. Deemer said he didn’t feel as if the turnovers were the reason why the Predators suffered the loss.

Ward was banged up throughout the game, and at one point was suffering from back spasms, Deemer said, but managed to play through. Ward tossed his fourth touchdown pass of the game, a 36-yarder to Solomon Jones, midway through the fourth. He connected with Andre Velazquez on scores in each of the first three quarters and scored on an 11-yard run in the third.

Jones and Velazquez each finished with a team-best eight catches.

Deemer said the Predators have a handful of players battling through minor injuries, and the key this week will be getting healthy as they prepare for a date with the division-leading Wyoming Cavalry Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla.

Predators invite fans to join booster club

The Arctic Predators are inviting fans to join their booster club. The club meets every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Glacier Canyon Grill inside the Grand View Inn and Suites.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Yakima Valley 60,

Arctic Predators 38

Saturday; Yakima, Wash.

Predators 6-6-20-6—38

Yakima Valley 14-14-2-30—60

First quarter:

Yakima Valley — Mayfield 2 pass from Running (Motley kick)

Predators — Velazquez 12 pass from Ward (pass failed)

Yakima Valley — Mayfield 10 pass from Running (Motley kick)

Second quarter:

Yakima Valley — Hatchett 11 pass from Running (Motley kick)

Yakima Valley — Harris 19 pass from Running (Motley kick)

Predators — Velazquez 4 pass from Ward (pass failed)

Third quarter:

Predators — Ward 11 run (Monte Purvis pass from Ward)

Predators — Velazquez 40 interception return

Yakima Valley — Williams fumble return on 2-point conversion

Predators — Velazquez 10 pass from Ward

Fourth quarter

Yakima Valley — Hall fumble return on 2-point conversion

Yakima Valley — Hatchett 4 pass from Running (kick failed)

Yakima Valley — Uno, Motley

Predators — Jones 36 pass from Ward (pass failed)

Yakima Valley — Hatchett 6 pass from Running (Motley kick)

Yakima Valley — Hatchett 43 pass from Running (Motley kick)

Yakima Valley — Williams 50 interception return (Motley kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Predators: Mobley 2-21, Frazier 2-3, Jones 1-3, Ward 6-0; Yakima Valley: Hall 4-27, Gottlieb 2-3, Running 1-(minus 3).

PASSING — Predators: Ward 18-34-5 215; Yakima Valley: Running 17-34-2 198.

RECEIVING — Predators: Jones 6-88, Velazquez 6-64, Purvis 5-58, Frazier 1-5; Yakima Valley: Hatchett 8-95, Mayfield 4-46, Harris 5-57.