HS Football: Cascade Christian Wins Home Opener

(9/14/2024)

Cascade Christian 37 King’s School 18 (Sumner, WA)

The Cascade Christian Cougars hosted the King’s School Knights Saturday night, with both teams in search of their first win of the season.

The first quarter saw the defense on full display. King’s recovered a fumble on their opening possession on a strip sack of Cascade Christian quarterback Grant Johnson, and the steady defensive play would only continue with the next three drives ending in turnovers on downs.

It was only fitting the defense would score the first points of the game. Josiah Laurence intercepted a pass from King’s quarterback Diego Gonzalaz and raced in for a 44-yard pick six with 1:25 left in the first quarter. The Cougars’ Tayven Collins ran in the two-point conversion to give Cascade Christian an 8-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Collins’s run would be a sign of things to come. Midway through the second quarter, Collins dove across the plane of the goal line for a two-yard score, Cascade Christian led 15-0.

Collins would be at it again with an interception on defense. A 74-yard completion from Grant Johnson to Josiah Laurence set up Collins who punched in a three-yard score and the two point conversion to put the Cougars in front 23-0 with 1:20 left in the half.

King’s would answer seventeen seconds later with a 75 yard kickoff return from Jarron Austin to cut the deficit at halftime to 23-6.

The second half turned into the Maddox Miller show for Cascade Christian. Miller caught two passes in the game, both touchdowns, the first from 26 yards out on fourth and sixteen and the second from 34 yards away.

King’s offense with Diego Gonzalaz found the end zone twice in the second half. The first on a 13-yard scramble from Gonzalaz, the second on a nine-yard throw from Gonzalaz to Jack Fuller.

The Cougars won 37-18 for the first victory of the season for Cascade Christian.

King’s School will face Nooksack Valley next week, while Cascade Christian will be on the road against East Jefferson.

Cougar quarterback Grant Johnson finished with unofficially 189 yards and two touchdowns, while Knights passer Diego Gonzalaz finished the night with 93 yards through the air and two all purpose touchdowns.

The Cole Health MVP was Tayven Collins. Playing in his first game of the season, Collins had 93 all purpose yards including two touchdowns, a pair of two point conversions, and an interception.

Below is our Postgame Show with highlights of the game and photos that follow. To catch the full ESN broadcast Click Here: (Subscription Required)

ESN Postgame Show