The public address announcer was busy Friday at Washington.
"Flag on the play," the gentleman on the microphone would say after each penalty. And there were many.
Repeated infractions on Washington and Wyandotte could have spoiled an otherwise entertaining game. But it didn't.
Early in the first quarter of Washington's homecoming and senior night game against Wyandotte, the crowd let it known the visiting Bulldogs were in hostile territory.
"Whose house?" one section of the stadium would yell in unison.
"Wash house," others answered. Late in the fourth quarter, the chant began once more.
"Whose house?
"Wash house."
Thanks to game officials, the call and response was fitting.
Laundry may still be on the field.
Miscues and penalties were the name of the game in this back and forth contest. In the end, Washington came out on top with a thrilling 48-24 win over Wyandotte in Friday's DiPasquale Moore/Preps KC Metro Game of the Week.
The Wildcats, 4-2 overall and 3-1 in the Meadowlark League, made more plays and way fewer errors than its crosstown counterparts.
"It was just a fun Wash House versus Wyandotte game," Washington head coach Camron Smith said.
Early in the third quarter, Wyandotte led 24-20. The Bulldogs trailed by six points most of the first half and were down 20-18 at halftime. Wyandotte scored their first two touchdowns on kickoff returns.
"We had 'em reeling but they had resilience, man," Smith, a former assistant coach at Wyandotte, said. "Two big kickoff return touchdowns. I'm really proud of them, man."
With the loss, Wyandotte dropped to 1-5 on the season and 1-4 in Meadowlark League play.
Late in the second quarter, the Bulldogs were down by 8 points. The deficit was cut to 2 points before the break. Early in the third, the visitors were up by 4. And then the bottom fell off.
Washington used its depth to outscore Wyandotte 28-0 over the last 20 minutes of the game.
"We don't have a lot of players," Wyandotte head coach Marcus Vaughn said. "Our guys got tired going both ways."
Washington scored first on a pick-6 by Antione Williams. Wyandotte's CJ Anderson evened up things with an 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
On the next score, the Wildcats' Xavier Powell walked into the end zone from 4 yards out to make the score 12-6.
Wyandotte's Shaun Carter returned another Washington kickoff 80 yards for a score. Carter's deke move threw off the coverage team and he zipped the other way to pay dirt to make it 12-12.
Cartee would leave the game with an injury late in the third quarter.
Both teams struggled on their extra point conversion attempts.
Washington took a 20-12 lead late in the second quarter thanks to a short TD run from Savion Stone and his follow-up two-point conversion run.
But Wyandotte answered with less than one minute remaining before halftime. Quarterback Josiah Evans was masterful running the two-minute offense.
Evans tossed two long pass completions to Bulldog receivers, including a scoring strike to wide receiver Andrew Burton.
A failed two-point conversion left the visitors behind at half 20-18.
Behind the power running of tailbacks Jaleel Black and Derrick Majors, Wyandotte took its first lead of the game on the first drive of the third quarter.
Majors' score put Wyandotte ahead 24-20.
Washington countered. Then ran away from the Bulldogs.
Quarterback Ja'Quarey Williams slithered his way out of trouble and found wide out Camron Fields for a score. A failed two-point conversion attempt left the host with a 26-24 third quarter lead.
Stone scored again on a short rushing TD and his two-point conversion run put Washington up 34-24 in the fourth.
The Wildcats were stoked to play the Bulldogs, Stone said. Knocking them off was even better, he said.
"It was great," Stone said.
In the fourth, Williams scored on a TD run from 5 yards out. Another two-point run made the score 42-24. Roman Couch's 9-yard TD run capped the scoring for Washington.
"It was a fun Bulldog versus Wildcat game," Smith said. "It was a good game."
Sure was. Penalties and all.
