HS Football: Emerald Ridge Uses Great Defense To Get The Home Win Over Curtis

10/12/24

Emerald Ridge Jaguars 7, Curtis Vikings 0

(Puyallup, WA) Last year, there were 84 points combined between the two teams, including 50 points scored by the Curtis Vikings, who won that game. This year’s game was the antithesis of that, with the defenses being the stars of the ballgame. Emerald Ridge was celebrating their senior night, homecoming court, and inducting their first class into their hall of fame. This game had major SPSL North implications, as Sumner is 3-0 in SPSL North play with their win last night. Curtis and Emerald Ridge enter the contest with 2-0 SPSL North records.

In the first quarter, Curtis forced a three-and-out on Emerald Ridge’s first possession, but the Jaguars defense came up with an interception as Amosa Masaniai caused the game’s first turnover. Emerald Ridge drove down the field after taking over at the 41-yard line, and Malcolm Akuffo punched it in from six yards out to give Emerald Ridge a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Curtis would go on a 13-play drive that went into the second quarter, where the Vikings attempted a 40-yard field goal. The Vikings called a timeout before the kick, and that’s when Dominique Pace came around the end and blocked the field goal to keep it a 7-0 Emerald Ridge lead.

The Jaguars would go on a ten-play drive that took six minutes off the clock, but the Curtis defense stopped Emerald Ridge on fourth down and would take over at the 35-yard line. On that drive, Dominique Pace made another big-impact play. Pace read the deep ball perfectly, jumped up to get the interception, and gave Emerald Ridge the ball right back. Emerald Ridge went for it on fourth down again and the Curtis defense once again came up with a turnover on downs. Curtis drove down the field and tried a 41-yard field goal with under half a minute left in the first half but couldn’t convert and Emerald Ridge took a 7-0 lead into the halftime break.

Curtis would get the ball to begin the second half but the Emerald Ridge defense came up with a turnover on downs. The Jaguars went on the longest drive of the game, a 17-play drive but their 28-yard field goal was no good, and the game remained at 7-0 with Emerald Ridge still in the lead. The Emerald Ridge drive took almost eight minutes and Curtis took over just a few seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Vikings picked up a pair of first downs before being forced to punt. Emerald Ridge would be forced to punt on their next drive, still maintaining their 7-0 lead with four minutes left in the fourth quarter. Curtis decided to go for it on fourth down and the Jaguars defense forced an incomplete pass to get another turnover on downs. On Emerald Ridge’s possession, they had third and three, but a bad snap forced Emerald Ridge to be backed up out of field goal range and they weren’t able to convert. Curtis had one last chance with 2:40 left in the fourth quarter and the ball on their own 28-yard line.

Curtis picked up two first downs on penalties, then got a 27-yard catch from Parker Mady, who bobbled the ball to himself to bring it in. This set up Curtis at the 16-yard line. A penalty put Curtis at third and 15, where they used a hook and ladder play to get 13 yards but faced fourth and two. Curtis tried a run up the middle, but the Emerald Ridge defense made the stop, as Robert Lutz made the initial tackle to keep Curtis short by about a foot with 36 seconds left. Curtis had no timeouts left and all Emerald Ridge had to do was run one kneel down and get the 7-0 victory.

Our elisportsnetwork.com Game MVP went to Dominique Pace, as on his senior night, the senior played a phenomenal game, getting a blocked field goal and an interception on back-to-back drives, while also having a key pass breakup on Curtis’s final drive to lead the Emerald Ridge Jaguars to a 7-0 win.

Emerald Ridge is now 4-2 on the year and 3-0 in SPSL North action. The Jaguars will take on South Kitsap next week before taking on Sumner who is also 3-0 in the SPSL North. Curtis drops to 4-2 on the season and 2-1 in SPSL North play as the Vikings take on Sumner next week.

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ESN Talks With Game MVP Dominique Pace