Cleveland Jumps to Big Lead and Holds off Ingraham

Posted on September 21, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Friday	Sept. 20	2013	3A	Boys	Football
Memorial Stadium	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Ingraham	0	0	0	18	18
Cleveland	12	14	8	0	34

See game recap below

Cleveland Jumps to Big Lead and Holds off Ingraham
By Colin Caruso

Even an 18-0 splurge in the fourth quarter by the Ingraham Rams was not enough to upset the bigger Cleveland Eagles. In the first contest of the night at Memorial Stadium in Seattle, Cleveland jumped out to a comfortable 34-0 lead through three quarters and coasted to a 34-18 victory. The game began with an onside kick by Cleveland, recovered by the Eagles in Rams territory. The Rams forced a turnover on downs, but fumbled the ball two plays later on their own 3 yard line to give Rachaun McConico an easy rushing touchdown on the next play, his first of two on the day. Unfortunately for the Eagles, McConico had to leave the game after his second touchdown later in the first quarter due to a shoulder injury. But that didn’t stop the Cleveland, who continued to attempt onside kicks and put pressure on the Rams special teams. Rams turnovers didn’t help their cause in the first half either, with another fumble and an interception Cleveland was able to jump out to a 26-0 lead at half.

Another Ingraham fumble on their first possession of the second half allowed then Eagles QB Gartiez Darden to throw a touchdown to Dale Daniels, Daniels’ second score of the game. Ingraham was unable to put together a promising drive in the third quarter, and trailed 34-0 going into the fourth.

With Cleveland’s first string still on the field early in the fourth, Ingraham began their comeback. Senior Nate Han was able to punch in a rushing touchdown, and Ryan Kyle threw a touchdown pass to Louie Richardson to cut the lead to 34-12. Sophomore Emmery Porter added another rushing TD for Ingraham later in the fourth, but at this point the game was securely in the hands of Cleveland, who took the contest 34-18.

Top Performers:
Cleveland
Rachaun McConico – 2 rushing TD
Gartiez Darden – 1 rushing TD, 1 passing TD, INT
Dale Daniels – 2 receiving TD

Puyallup Fends off Kentlake

Posted on September 20, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Thursday	Sept. 19	2013	4A	Boys	Football
Sparks Stadium	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Kentlake	0	7	0	13	20
Puyallup	20	7	7	7	41

See game recap below

Puyallup Fends off Kentlake
By Steven Dion

A non-league matchup at Sparks Stadium between the Puyallup Vikings and Kentlake Falcons had a striking similarity to the many park rides next door at the Washington State Fair on Thursday night. Fortunately for Puyallup, their point production in one quarter secured their victory. The Vikings scored first on a red zone strike to Levi Jordan from Brendan Illies. The next Kentlake possession resulted in a fumble recovery score by Puyallup’s Quinn Rawson.

The Viks kept their foot on the pedal by turning an interception into another passing touchdown to DJ Winter as they gained a comfortable 20-0 lead after one frame. Kentlake got on the board with a 2-yard quarterback sneak by D’Marye’ Dedrick. Before the first half concluded, Puyallup’s Trent Nivala returned a fumble 78 yards for six more on a long, sustained drive by the Falcons. Both teams returned to their respective dressing rooms with the scoreboard reading 27-7.

The superior pass protection of Puyallup by the likes of Rawson, Nolan Myers, and Nivala allowed Illies to stand in the pocket and roll out when needed. The junior quarterback found the endzone in the third on a QB keeper to extend the lead to 27 points. But Kentlake’s offense woke up in the fourth as Danstan Kaunda broke through twice to bring Kentlake back within two scores. The third touchdown by Illies late in the fourth ended the Falcons attempt at a comeback. Both teams conducted an up-tempo read option offense, but both defensive units resisted nicely. The difference maker was Illies aerial attack to his many wideout options. Puyallup improves to 3-0 with the win as Kentlake falls to 0-3.

Top Performers:
Kentlake
Danstan Kaunda – RB 2TD

Puyallup
Brendan Illies – QB 3TD

Lake Roosevelt Shuts Out Seattle Lutheran

Posted on September 15, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Saturday	Sept. 14	2013	2B	Boys	Football
West Seattle Stadium	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Lake Roosevelt	7	26	7	0	40
Seattle Lutheran	0	0	0	0	0

See game recap below

Lake Roosevelt Shuts Out Seattle Lutheran
By Colin Caruso

With Seattle Lutheran Saints senior star Abijah Smith sidelined with a concussion from last week, the Lake Roosevelt Raiders capitalized on interior runs to trample the shorthanded Saints. Seattle Lutheran went into their bag of tricks on the first drive of the game and completed a halfback pass all the way to the 3 yard line. Everything went downhill from the Saints from there. Lake Roosevelt pushed them back to the 12 in the next three downs and blocked the Saints attempt at a field goal. The Saints would not see the redzone for the remainder of the day.

Lake Roosevelt dominated the line of scrimmage on both offense and defense. Only attempting one pass in the game, the Raiders marched down the field on multiple drives with handoffs and tosses, amassing 6 touchdowns on the ground. They dominated in the first half, scoring 33 of their 40 points prior to their locker room trip. With grueling defense and a stellar running game, the Raiders shut down Seattle Lutheran by a final score of 40-0.

Top Performers:
Lake Roosevelt
Josiah Desautel – 3 carries 136 yds, 3TD, 1 punt return TD
Josh Harris – 7 carries 57 yards, TD
Jesse Louie – 6 carries 93 yards, TD

Seattle Lutheran
Tyler Hammond – 9 carries 56 yds
Ben Sanders – 11 carries 57 yds

Lakeside Holds off Surging Granite Falls

Posted on September 14, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Friday	Sept. 13	2013	3A-2A	Boys	Football
Lakeside	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Granite Falls	6	7	20	0	33
Lakeside	14	7	20	7	48

See game recap below

Lakeside Holds off Surging Granite Falls
By Colin Caruso

With the Lakeside tailgate in the background, the Lakeside Lions fans hosted the Tigers from Granite Falls in a non-conference matchup at Lakeside High School. Granite Falls struck first on the third play from scrimmage with a 65 yard run from junior Matthew Hamilton, but a PAT miss kept the score at 6-0. Lakeside responded with three scores in a row, including a rushing and passing touchdown from quarterback Adam Hinthorne to take the lead 21-6, seemingly in control. But Granite Falls responded, needing to gather some momentum before the half, with a short touchdown scamper by quarterback Ben Nelson to cut the halftime lead to 21-13.

The third quarter saw an explosion of offense and special teams scoring, with both teams putting 20 points on the board. Back and forth these teams went, battling on every play with great sportsmanship and composure. Granite Falls struck first with another Matthew Hamilton TD run and a 2 point conversion to tie the game at 21. The Lions answered with a Hinthorne touchdown run, only to be outdone by a Michael Green kickoff return on the ensuing kickoff to cut the Lions lead to one, 28-27. Lakeside responded with another score, but again came Green, returning the ensuing kickoff for another special teams touchdown. Granite Falls failed on their 2 point try, and trailed 35-33. This is the closest the Tigers would come to stealing a win on the road.

Lakeside scored the last two touchdowns of the game, both catches by junior tight end Erik Rottsolk, to seal the 48-33 win.

Top Performers:
Granite Falls
Matthew Hamilton – 2 rushing TD
Michael Green – 2 Kick Return TD

Lakeside
Adam Hinthorne – 23/37 378 yds, 4TD. 2 rushing TD
Erik Rottsolk – 7 catches 81 yds, 2TD

Roller Coaster in Renton

Posted on September 14, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Friday	Sept. 13	2013	3A-2A	Boys	Football
Renton	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Decatur	0	12	6	14	32
Renton	0	0	21	7	28

See game recap below

Roller Coaster in Renton
By Steven Dion

A sunny September evening at Renton Memorial Stadium hosted a gridiron shootout between two non-conference teams in Decatur and Renton. This contest was a tale of two halves until a late momentum swing decided the victor. The first quarter got off to a slow start as the only scoring threat was thwarted immediately as a 60-yard pass to Decatur’s Isaiah Diggs was fumbled at the 5 yard line. Indians linebacker DaSsaun Sauls ripped the ball loose before the Gator speedster was able to bust into the end zone. But, Decatur could only keep Diggs off the scoreboard for so long as he recorded two scores in the second frame. Both extra points were blocked by Renton special teams, so the Gators took a 12-0 lead into the locker room.

Decatur picked up where they left off in the second half by feeding Diggs until he slashed his way into the end zone for the third time. The shifty runner recorded 24 carries for 145 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns in addition to 8 receptions for 213 yards with a receiving score. He picked up loads of yards after contact and the game appeared to be over when the Gators took an 18-0 lead in the third. But after failing to convert on a fake punt, Renton got on the scoreboard from an Ernie Davis touchdown. Then another. Then another. Then another. That’s right, four unanswered scores by Davis to give Renton a 28-18 lead late in the fourth quarter. Somehow, Decatur put together a touchdown drive to put them within 4 after a failed 2-point conversion. On the ensuing kickoff with 1:33 remaining, Diggs recovered the onside kick for Decatur. The first Gator play from scrimmage was a touchdown pass from near midfield to Diggs which deflated the Indians. An interception on a last-chance drive by Renton sealed the deal and finally ended this see-saw ride. Despite the loss, Ernie Davis shined in this contest scoring four touchdowns and nearly willing his team to an improbable comeback.

Top Performers:
Decatur
Isaiah Diggs – 24 carries 145 yards, 8 receptions 213 yards, 5TD
Isaiah Hatch – 12/18 274 yards TD

Renton
Ernie Davis – 4TD

Auburn Riverside Shuts Out Kentridge

Posted on September 13, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Thursday	Sept. 12	2013	4A	Boys	Football
French Field	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Auburn Riverside	6	20	0	0	26
Kentridge	0	0	0	0	0

See game recap below

Auburn Riverside Shuts Out Kentridge
By Colin Caruso

On a beautiful evening in Kent, Wa. the Kentridge Chargers hosted the Auburn Riverside Ravens on French Field in front of a great crowd. The Ravens, dominate all game, started offensively in the spread and moved the ball seamlessly down the field to score the first touchdown of the game. The Kentridge defense was no match for the Ravens’ offensive line, with quarterback Alex Riley having tons of time to pick apart the Charger secondary. However, the Charger defense benefited on penalties in the next two drives and held the Ravens to no points for the remainder of the first.

Auburn Riverside coach Bryant Thomas made a strong offensive adjustment after those two straight scoreless drives. Instead of the spread offense they moved to the “I” formation and the pistol to run the ball with more of a power feel. This worked spectacularly well, with two rushing touchdowns in the second quarter and a pick-six, the Ravens took a 26-0 lead into the locker room at half. The lead was made possible through sound offense and a stifling Raven defense.

The Ravens allowed just 27 total yards in the first half, only to be topped by allowing 17 yards in the second half. Kentridge moved into Raven territory twice, but once was on a kickoff return and the other was through multiple penalties. An amazing performance by the Ravens defense against the run in the second half led the Chargers to a -12 yard rushing total after halftime. The Charger defense stepped up as well, not allowing any points in the second half. The game had a blowout feel, but no scoring in the second half led to a 26-0 finish in favor of Auburn Riverside.

Top Performers:
Auburn Riverside
QB Alex Riley – 13-24 137 yds, 2 rushing TDs
RB Cole Huckaby – 11 carries, 88 yards
WR Gavin Hettinger – 4 catches, 64 yards

Bellevue Rolls Over Skyline

Posted on September 8, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Saturday	Sept. 7	2013	4A-3A	Boys	Kickoff Classic
Husky Stadium	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Skyline	0	0	0	7	7
Bellevue	14	21	3	7	45

See game recap below

Bellevue Rolls Over Skyline
By Colin Caruso

The Emerald City Kickoff Classic nightcap saw the Washington state 3A and 4A champions clash in Husky Stadium. Bellevue has won the past five 3A state championships, and Skyline has won four of the last five 4A state championships, a clear clash of the titans. Bellevue came to play early and seemingly caught the 4A state champs off guard, capitalizing on one costly turnover deep in Skyline’s territory and scoring on two rushing touchdowns in the first quarter.

Missed tackles for the Spartans capped off a tough second quarter for Skyline, who found themselves down 35-0 on two more Bellevue rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown from Timmy Haehl to Marek Spooner. The team speed discrepancy was very apparent from the onset of this game; it seemed as if Bellevue was in a different gear for the first 24 minutes of this contest.

Skyline began to move the football more in the third quarter, putting together a couple of good drives and moving into Bellevue territory. The Wolverine defense bent a little bit in the third but did not break, and Bellevue added a field goal in the quarter to go into the fourth up 38-0.

Both teams began using reserve players in the fourth, as the game was already well over by half. Skyline managed to get on the board late in the quarter, on a long run by Kilton Anderson. Bellevue also added a touchdown in the quarter, and sealed the victory 45-7.

Top Performers:
Bellevue
Sam Richmond – 7 carries 113 yds, 1TD
Budda Baker – 6 carries 69 yds, 2TD

Bothell Beats Idaho’s Finest in a Shootout

Posted on September 8, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Saturday	Sept. 7	2013	4A-3A	Boys	Kickoff Classic
Husky Stadium	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Coeur d'Alene	8	22	7	6	43
Bothell	7	7	16	14	44

See game recap and video below

Bothell Beats Idaho’s Finest in a Shootout
By Colin Caruso

Bothell kicked off their 2013 season about as well as you could, receiving the opening kick from the Coeur d’Alene Vikings and returning it 88 yards for a touchdown. Needless to say, Coeur d’Alene was caught a little off guard from their five plus hour bus ride to Western Washington earlier in the morning. But their woes ended quickly, with three drives leading to 24 unanswered points to take the lead 24-7 early in the second.

Bothell needed a response from their offense who had yet to put points on the board, and received it just two minutes later with a 70 yard drive and a passing touchdown from Ross Bowers to Dayzell Wilson to cut the lead to 10. But the Vikings again responded with a touchdown, to take the lead 30-14 into halftime.

The Cougars came out strong to start the third quarter, putting up an early touchdown and two point conversion to cut the lead to 30-22. Bothell forced a three and out on the Vikings next possession and put together another touchdown drive, capped off by another touchdown catch by Dayzell Wilson and a successful two point try to tie the game at 30. Coeur d’Alene answered with a touchdown catch from UW recruit Chase Blakley to close the third quarter with the lead, 37-30.

Coeur d’Alene scored first in the fourth as well; a TD run from Drew Berger and a failed two point try to take the lead 43-30. Down two scores with just ten minutes to play, Bothell seemed hard pressed to post another double digit comeback. But the Cougars responded with 2:39 to play, Damani St. John dove in the end zone after a 12 play drive to cut the lead to six, 43-37. Bothell forced a three and out and on their next offensive play, quarterback Ross Bowers launched a 39 yard pass to the corner of the end zone that was caught by Colton Sather. After the PAT, Bothell tasted their first lead of the game at 44-43 with 1:50 left. Coeur d’Alene still had plenty of time to put together a drive, but Dayzell Wilson forced a fumble on a deep reception and sealed the amazing comeback win for the Cougars.

Top Performers:
Bothell
Ross Bowers – 24-41 274 yds, 4TD, 1INT
Colton Sather – 4 catches 84 yds, 2TD

Coeur d’Alene
Gunnar Amos – 25-41 267 yds, 2TD, 2INT
Chase Blakley – 7 catches 98 yds, 2TD
Drew Berger – 8 carries 54 yds, 2TD

Varsity Football Live – Coeur d’Alene vs. Bothell – Husky Stadium

Lynden Avenges Only Loss from Last Season

Posted on September 7, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Saturday	Sept. 7	2013	4A-3A	Boys	Kickoff Classic
Husky Stadium	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
King's	0	0	0	6	6
Lynden	7	7	0	0	14

See game recap below

Lynden Avenges Only Loss from Last Season
By Colin Caruso

In the second contest at Husky Stadium for the Emerald City Kickoff Classic the King’s Knights took on the Lynden Lions. Lynden won the 2A state championship last season but suffered one loss on the year, to these Knights.

King’s received the kickoff and put together a long opening series drive, taking over 6 minutes off the clock, but fell inches short on a fourth down run to turn the ball over on downs. Lynden responded with a 4:30 drive of their own and an excellent touchdown pass from Lucas Petersen to Jalani Phelps to take the lead 7-0. Lynden continued to drive the football offensively, giving their kicker a field goal opportunity later in the second quarter, but it missed just left. The Lions kept up the defensive pressure as well, not allowing King’s to find any cohesiveness on offense in the first half.

Lynden forced a three and out late in the second quarter and capitalized at the end of their ensuing drive with a 2 yard touchdown run by junior Trent Postma to go ahead 14-0 at half.

The Knights began to move the ball with more efficiency in the second half, putting together longer drives and scoring opportunities. Their first legitimate scoring chance came early in the fourth, where they earned a first down inside the Lynden 20 yard line. But Lynden’s defense held tight again, and forced another turnover on downs. King’s found another opportunity in the waning moments of the contest and converted a ten yard touchdown pass from Corey Kispert to Jordan Turner, but it was too little too late, as the Lions avenged their loss from last season and won the opener 14-6.

Top Performers:
Lynden
Lucas Peterson – 11/21 1TD, 1INT passing and 13 carries for 50 yards

Roosevelt Shuts Out Seattle Prep to Begin Kickoff Classic

Posted on September 7, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Saturday	Sept. 7	2013	4A-3A	Boys	Kickoff Classic
Husky Stadium	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Seattle Prep	0	0	0	0	0
Roosevelt	0	7	0	0	7

See game recap below

Blanchet Rolls Over Ballard
By Colin Caruso

The first game of the Emerald City Kickoff Classic hosted the Seattle Prep Panthers and the Roosevelt Roughriders, a 3A-4A matchup. Neither team was able to exert themselves offensively in the first quarter, with neither team attempting a single pass.

Roosevelt, in strictly the Wing-T, was able to move the ball relatively well in the second quarter, but was unable to crack inside the Panther 25 until 6:10 remaining in the second. An inside handoff to Roughrider running back Bereket Anshebo turned into a touchdown after a few nifty moves and a broken tackle, to take the lead 7-0.

A blocked punt by Roosevelt with 3:02 left in the second gave the Roughriders the ball on the Seattle Prep 1 yard line, but two penalties pushed them back to the 18. Roosevelt had to settle for a field goal attempt that was missed right, a huge break for the Panthers, who were down just 7-0 at the half.

The second half spelled equal trouble for the Panthers offense, which couldn’t break through the Roughrider defense to put any points on the board. Roosevelt pitched a full game shutout to send the Panthers to 1-1 in their history at the Kickoff Classic. Coach Nelson for the Roughriders mentioned after the game that Prep came out with a different offense than they had initially expected, but credited his players for making the adjustment and shutting out the Panthers, 7-0.

Top Performers:
Roosevelt
Bereket Anshebo – 22 carries, 150 yards, TD

Blanchet Rolls Over Ballard

Posted on September 7, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Friday	September 6	2013	4A-3A	Boys	Non-Conference Game
Mickey Naish Field	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Ballard	0	0	0	0	0
Blanchet	14	6	23	0	43

See game recap below

Blanchet Rolls Over Ballard
By Colin Caruso

In both team’s opener, the Blanchet Braves dominated the Ballard Beavers by a final of 43-0. Blanchet started early and kept the pressure on Ballard for the entire game. The Braves’ first play from scrimmage was a halfback pass that went for 48 yards, followed by a 12 yard touchdown run by senior running back Chamroeun Pen. On the next Braves drive, quarterback Alex Freeman hooked up with senior wide receiver Greg Petschl for a 6 yard touchdown catch. The Braves took an early 14-0 lead, less than 5 minutes into the contest.

Both team’s defenses picked up the pressure for the remainder of the first quarter and the first ten minutes of the second quarter, until Blanchet found themselves on the right side of a few favorable plays. A Blanchet reception on the sideline followed by a clear tackle was missed by the official, and the Braves receiver got up from the tackle and ran for an additional 35 yards on the play. Two plays later, a fumble on the goal line that was picked up by Ballard was overturned and called down by contact. Blanchet running back Oshea Trujillo ran the ball in the next play, to send the score to 20-0 at the half.

Despite being down 20 points going into half, Ballard was competitive and the line of scrimmage battle was equal. Neither team showed great success moving the football, but mistakes by the Beavers put this game out of reach. The opening kickoff of the second half was fumbled by Ballard and returned for a touchdown. The next two offensive plays for the Beavers also resulted in fumbles, one of which again returned for a touchdown, and the other giving Blanchet great field position to capitalize on a field goal. Amazingly, Blanchet had 18 yards of offense in the third quarter, but scored 23 points, to seal the game at 43-0.

2013 Kickoff Classic Preview:
Seattle Prep vs. Roosevelt

Posted on September 3, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Kickoff Classic Preview: Seattle Prep vs. Roosevelt
By Colin Caruso

Kicking off the Emerald City Kickoff Classic will be a battle between the 3A Seattle Prep Panthers and the 4A Roosevelt Roughriders. Roosevelt is coming off a great 2012 season, making the state tournament in 4A and losing in the second round to the eventual champion, another team playing in the classic, the Skyline Spartans. Seattle Prep will face a tough match against a Roughrider team prepared to make another run to the state tournament in 2013.

This game will be the second official game in newly renovated Husky Stadium following the Husky opener last Saturday, Aug 31st, in the Dawg’s rout over Boise State. The Seattle Prep – Roosevelt game will kick off at 10am, Saturday Sept 7th. Tickets are $15 at the door and $10 for seniors and students. Good luck to both teams!