11/4/16
The 3A Crossover’s began last night with winner’s moving on to the State Tournament and losers having their season’s come to an end. Below you will find our coverage of games we broadcast and scores and links to other coverage for many more.
Link to Crossover Bracket
Link to State Tournament Bracket
Peninsula 44, Stadium 21 Game Story in the News Tribune by TJ Cotterill
Lakes 21, Edmonds-Woodway 14 Game Re-Cap in the News Tribune
Lincoln 54, West Seattle 24 Game Re-Cap in the News Tribune
Squalicum 35, Rainier Beach 7 Game Re-Cap in the Seattle Times
Lynnwood 63, Garfield 45 Game Re-Cap in the Seattle Times
Featured Story
Timberline 41, Oak Harbor 38
Timberline Blazers fans must be wondering if beating Peninsula was a good idea in their final league game of the season. Sure it gave them a share of the inaugural SSC Championship and the #1 seed into the crossovers and with a win a #1 seed into state. This makes you wonder how Timberline had to face Oak Harbor a touch 7-2 team from the Wesco and with a win get the winner of the Mt Spokane vs Eastside Catholic game played on Sunday. EC is the 2-time defending 3A State Champs having defeated Bellevue the past 2 years.
Fans may be wondering this but the players know whoever is next is who they play and you have to find a way to get the job done. Timberline did just that, players stepped and coaches believed throwing in some magic to pull out this hard fought win over the Wildcats.
The scoring frenzy began on Oak Harbor’s 1st possession where they went 97 yards. This is where Princeton Lollar introduced himself to South Sound area fans. The 6’1 240 pound fullback would finish the night with 225 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. The big play on this drive a 55 yard run from midfield down to the 2 where he would punch it in. The Wildcats did not have a place kicker available or they don’t believe in kicking extra points as they always went for 2 after each of their 6 touchdowns, this time the attempt failed and it was 6-0.
Timberline answered the challenge with 2 straight scores. On their 2nd possession of the night starting QB Jacob Henning found Tariq Romain on an underneath pattern about the 30 of Oak Harbor, side stepped a defender and was gone for a 47-yard TD catch and run. Madison Douglas came on for the PAT and it was 7-6 Blazers. On the ensuing kick-off the Wildcats would fumble on their own 30 and Timberline recovered. A few plays later Romain swept in on an end around to the right side for a 7-yard TD run but the kick failed and Timberline led 13-6.
Oak Harbor answered the challenge with 3 scoring drives to extend their lead to 26-13. First after a short punt the Wildcats took over on the 38 of Timberline and 2 plays later Lollar dashed in from the 31, the PAT failed and it was 13-12. After an interception by Mac Carr, the Cats were back in business on the Timberline 44 where TJ Passmore broke free for a 32-yard run, again a failed PAT made it 18-13. The 3rd straight touchdown was after a 7-yard punt b y Timberline’s Michael Barnes, it just went straight up and down and in fact Barnes downed it himself on the Blazer side of the 50. Lollar would bang in from the 11 and this time Harbor’s QB Jordan Bell would play-action the extra point play and find a wide open Mackenzie Nuanez for the conversion doubling up Timberline 26-13 with 3:19 to play in the half.
That 3:19 would be enough for Timberline to gain some momentum back before the break. Timberline’s Coach Mike Spears would make a big decision on this drive and inserted back-up QB Trenton Horn. Horn a 6’2 225 pound Ben Rothlisberger look alike has a cannon for an arm. The speedy Timberline receivers were getting deep on the 1 on 1 coverage Oak Harbor had been throwing at them in their attempt to shut down the Blazers Anthony Hathway’s running game. They were successful in slowing down the highly productive back who finished with 19 carries and 34 yards. But there was a price to stop Hathaway that paid off in the passing game.
Horn stepped in and just missed a streaking Romain for what would have been a TD but the tone was set. He would connect with Noah Himes on a 27-yard completion then get Hathaway in the flat for 18 more on a 4th and 17. With 22-seconds left to go and 3rd and goal from the 1, the Blazers had called their final timeout. Coach Spears decided to go for a QB sneak with Horn but told them if Horn did not make to quickly get back to the line and do it again.
The Wildcats did hold on 3rd down forcing a 4th and goal from the 1 with time ticking away. The Blazers showed tremendous discipline and got back in formation where Horn would surge into the endzone with no time left on the clock. Douglas added the PAT and Timberline had pulled within 26-20 at the break.
Oak Harbor would start with the ball in the 2nd half and despite the short kick-off and great starting position on their own 43 were unable to move the ball and it was 3 and out. The next question for everyone, including Oak Harbor was would Coach Spears stick with Horn or go back to Henning. Both QB’s have strengths and weaknesses, Henning can run and fake the ball but doesn’t have the arm strength of Horn. Horn did show off he could run finishing with 31 yards on the ground but its a Bo Jackson style of run over and through people rather than the elusive Henning.
Spears stayed with Horn. The running game has belonged to Hathaway all season and to break him free they would need the deeper passes to open up some running lanes that Oak Harbor was simply overwhelming. The pay-off with sticking with Horn would not come quickly as both teams traded possessions until the Blazers drove down to the 10 where Barnes would fumble and the Cats recovered denying Timberline. The Blazers defense held and on 4th down a high snap forced Oak Harbor’s punter Jordan Washington to try and run but he would be tackled short of the 1st down and Timberline was deep in Cats territory at the 21.
Horn would connect with Isaac Thompson on a 21-yard strike with the PAT, Timberline re-took the lead 27-26. We were just getting warmed up. Oak Harbor would answer with a beautiful pass from Bell to Brycin McIntyre on a 50-yard TD strikes, the 2-point conversion failed but the Cats were back in front 32-27.
After trading possessions and still more than 8-minutes to play in the game a 4th and 12 for Timberline from the their own 40 seemed safe to think that Barnes would punt the ball away. Instead Coach Spears reached into his bag of tricks and rolled Barnes out to his right. It was probably a pass/punt option where he could boot it if he felt there was no where to run or throw but he could not miss a wide open Isaac Thompson who caught the ball about the 30 of Oak Harbor and scampered in for the go-ahead touchdown on a 60-yard fake punt connection.
Editorial Sidebar: Many times we don’t identify the names of players on the wrong end of negative plays, preferring to give credit to those coming up with the good side. That’s our style, that’s what we focus on. But sometimes you mention the negative plays such as the ones Michael Barnes had in this game early to show the huge pay-off of redemption. Michael did not allow those negative plays to take away the rest of his game and came through with what we named as our ProActive Physical Therapy Play of the Game. Michael and Isaac easily earned that honor with this game changing play.
The Blazers were now up 34-32. This did not deter Oak Harbor and they had their own answer once again relying on the running game with Lollar chewing up yardage a literal bulldozer at times. As they approached the endzone, Bell would hand off to Nuanez on an end around and hit the corner of the endzone on a 4-yard run. The PAT again failed and Timberline trailed 38-34 with 3:59 to play.
Oak Harbor would kick it off into the endzone and the Blazers had 80 yards to cover. They would work their way to their own 40 but the drive was stalling. On a 4th and long it looked like Oak Harbor was going to pull this one out but Horn laid up a huge downfield pass to Romain who again had gotten deep on the Cats secondary and pulled in a 41-yard bomb down to the Cat’s 19 with about a minute to play. On the next play Horn hit Hunter Campau on a crossing route that would take him near the visitor’s sideline where he cut back and went all the way across the field scoring the go-ahead touchdown just inside the pylon on the home side of the field. The PAT was good and Timberline took a 41-38 lead with 54-seconds to play.
Of course nothing was easy in this game for either side and the final seconds would not be either. The Cats began on their own 36 and Bell was moving the team effectively and worked the ball down to the Blazer 30. Bell then fired one near the goal line where Isaac Thompson stepped up and picked off the pass. Still not ready to make this easy though as the officials ruled Thompson did not intercept the ball in the endzone and marked at the 2. Harbor still had 2 time-outs with 17-seconds on the clock so the Blazers could not take the easy victory formation knee. Horn would get up under center 3 times and surge forward to avoid a safety. Even though a safety would mean only 2 points it would give the ball back to the Wildcats for a last chance hope. Horn snuffed any thought of that hope securing the ball 3 times to finally kill the clock and post the win.
Timberline now 9-2 overall await the winner of today’s Eastside Catholic/Mt Spokane game. The Blazers will host the winner next weekend. Oak Harbor had their season come to a heartbreaking end finishing with a 7-3 record.
Stats for Timberline include Horn’s 9-22 for 169 yards and 2 TD’s and 31 yards rushing with 1 TD which would earn him our Tommy Lowe of Greene Realty Player of the Game. Princeton Lollar’s 29 carries for 225 and 3 TD’s won it for Oak Harbor.
Other numbers included Henning was 3-11 with 1 TD and Michael Barnes’ 1-1 for 60 and a TD and the Blazer passing game as a whole was 13-34 for 292 and 4 touchdowns. Tariq Romain had 2 catches for 88 yards and 1 score, Isaac Thompson caught 2 for 81 and 2 TD’s and Hunter Campau had 4 catches and 1 score. The Blazers finished with 364 yards of total offense.
Oak Harbor actually outgained the Blazers with 417 yards as Bell went 6-12 for 97 and a TD. Lollar had the 225 on the ground and caught 1 pass for 5. TJ Passmore finished with 55 yards and a TD while Mackenzie Nuanez ran for 34 with a score and caught a 2-point conversion pass.Brycin McIntyre finished with 2 catches for 68 and a touchdown.
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