9/24/16
Kentwood 44, Tahoma 3
(Kent, WA) The Kentwood Conks got off to a rough start dropping 2 non-league games but picked up their first win in dramatic fashion last week 41,-40 over Kennedy, more importantly it was a league win. In that game against the Lancers the Conks blew a 20-0 lead and held on for the win which literally came down to the final play.
On Saturday night KW was clearly ready to show how they can dominate start to finish and that’s exactly what they did at the expense of the Tahoma Bears. The Kentwood offense would bat 1000 on their 4 1st half possessions scoring on each drive.
The opening drive would take less than 2 minutes to go 64 yards on 6 plays. The big play of the drive was a 22-yard connection from QB Justin Seiber to Jacob Cronn. Dyson Johnson would finish it off with an up the middle run of 13-yards. Leo Tizoc would kick the PAT and it was quickly 7-0.
Tahoma would come back and look like they might tie it up on their opening possession driving down to the 31 of Kentwood but on a 2nd and less than 1 couldn’t pick up the 1st down and turned it over to KW. The next drive was a heavy dose of Chavez “Chevy” Kalua. He would get the ball 4 straight carries and cover all 69 yards himself including a big 54-yard run. The Bears jumped offside on the PAT and the Conks tried for 2 but failed but they led 13-0.
Tahoma would get a good kick-off return to their own 43 and then march down the field to inside the 5. QB Conner Lambro had a big run on this drive setting the Bears up with a great opportunity to cut the deficit in half. On 3rd and 1 from the 4, the Bears were pushed back by a stout Conks defense forcing a 4th and 2. The Bears decided to get on the board and kick the 22-yard field goal which Josh Smith did easily and it was 13-3.
On the next KW drive it appeared they stalled near midfield with a 4th and 7. The Conks lined up for a punt with Darius Lubom back to kick it away but instead he rolled to his right and took off for a 10-yard run giving KW the 1st down. This play would earn our ProActive Physical Therapy Play of the Game for snatching the momentum Tahoma built up on their last drive.
The Conks would finish off their 3rd possession with Mason Glover pounding it in from the 1 to go up 20-3. KW would add yet another TD after forcing a Tahoma punt. Seiber would hit LuBom with a 37-yard strike on a 3rd and 17. Glover would score his 2nd TD of the half from 4 yards out and would take a big 27-3 lead in at the half.
Tahoma would get the ball to start the 3rd quarter and it would turn bad quickly on an attempted screen pass the ball was slapped up in the air by an on-rushing defender and Alex McGeachy picked it off and returned it about 45-yards for the score making it 34-3.
After a 3 and out for the Bears, it was another Chevy Kalua drive only. This time it took only 3 plays to go 74 yards including a 23-yard shuffle pass and then a 47-yard sprint down the near sideline for a TD and a 41-3 lead.
The game would kick in to a running clock after KW’s next possession that stalled at the Tahoma 13. Senior McKenna Strong would come on to attempt a 30-yard field goal and she would not miss drilling it down the middle making 44-3 and the clock would not stop again until the Conks recorded their 2nd straight league win.
Kentwood rolled up 443 total yards, 325 on the ground. Kalua led the way with 171 on the ground and 23 receiving yards for a total of 194 yards and 2 TD’s. Glover had 50 yards and 2 scores while Dyson Johnson ran for 52 yards and a TD. Seiber was 4-8 passing for 96 and Burton 3-8 for 22.
Tahoma was limited to just 125 total yards and only 33 in the 2nd half. Lambro led the Bears throwing for 46 yards going 5-16 and running for 30. Josh Smith had 3 catches for 37, kicked the field goal preventing the shut out, punted and played defense.
Josh Smith won our Tommy Lowe of Greene Realty Player of the Game for Tahoma while Chevy Kalua certainly earned it for the Conks. Kentwood is now 2-2 overall and 2-0 in NPSL league play while the Bears dropped to 0-2 and 0-4.
Photo Gallery
www.elisportsnetwork.com
