HS Football: Capital Advances To The Round Of 32 In Dramatic Style

11/3/24

Capital Cougars 15, Gig Harbor Tides 13

(Tacoma, WA) The Capital Cougars and Gig Harbor Tides were in a loser-out game, with the winner being one of six teams from the PSL who would advance to the Round of 32. Both teams had records of 4-4 heading into the game and were both 3-2 in PSL play. Gig Harbor was the third team out of the PSL-Narrows and Capital was the fourth team out of the PSL-Nisqually. The teams would battle it out at George Nordi Field at Mount Tahoma High School for their season to continue.

Capital got the ball first in the first quarter and wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Blake Ostrander took a handoff, bounced it outside, and ran up the sideline for a 66-yard touchdown on the second play from scrimmage to give Capital a 7-0 lead. Gig Harbor and Capital traded three-and-outs for the next four possessions before Gig Harbor had their most successful drive of the first half. The Tides moved the ball down the field to Capital’s 20-yard line, but a couple of penalties backed up Gig Harbor out of field goal range and forced another punt early in the second quarter.

Halfway through the second quarter, Gig Harbor had the ball at their own 42-yard line and attempted a screen, but Baron Allen read it perfectly for Capital and got the interception to set up the Cougars in good field position at the 40-yard line. Capital drove down the field and set up for a 39-yard field goal attempt, but Gig Harbor blocked the field goal and kept the game 7-0 with only 51 seconds remaining. Gig Harbor ran out the clock and the half ended with Capital leading 7-0.

In the third quarter, Capital’s defense continued their great play, forcing another three and out by Gig Harbor. On the ensuing drive, Gig Harbor’s defense made the stop, after three first downs by the Cougars, Gig Harbor forced a turnover on downs to give the Tides possession inside their own ten-yard line. Gig Harbor picked up a first down and was forced to punt, but the snap went high and rolled out of the end zone for a safety to make it 9-0 Capital in the lead with two minutes left in the third quarter. Capital would receive the kick and, in nine plays, drove down the field, as Lucas Redman tossed a pass to Hunter Sayre on third down to give Capital a 15-0 lead, early in the 4th quarter.

Gig Harbor got the ball back on their 30-yard line with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter and drove down the field on a ten-play drive, capped off with a three-yard touchdown run by freshman quarterback Sawyer Hayes to make it 15-7 game with four and a half minutes to go in regulation. Capital had the ball at the 49-yard line, but they were forced to punt, giving Gig Harbor a chance to drive down the field and attempt to tie the game.

Gig Harbor had the ball at their own ten-yard line, 90 yards, and a two-point conversion away from tying the game. With three and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter, Hayes led the Tides down the field, and with under a minute to go, Hayes threw a pass for DJ Darling, and Darling made a nice grab in the end zone to make it 15-13 and Gig Harbor needing to convert on the two-point conversion to tie the game. There was a flag after the touchdown, which was on Gig Harbor, and it backed the Tides up 15 yards, so the two-point conversion took play at the 18-yard line. Gig Harbor threw a pass towards the end zone but it fell incomplete and with only 50 seconds left, Gig Harbor would be forced to attempt an onside kick. The onside kick was a good kick but Blake Ostrander was there for Capital to recover the kick and secure the win for Capital. Capital would win 15-13 to advance to the Round of 32.

Our elisportsnetwork.com Game MVP was Capital’s Blake Ostrander. His 66-yard TD run on the second play of the game and the recovered onside kick to secure the win were just some of the plays he made to give Capital the win. Capital’s Baron Allen had a great ballgame, so did Lucas Redman, and Mack Wysocki was excellent at linebacker, helping Capital keep Gig Harbor to only 13 points. Gig Harbor had great performances from Sawyer Hayes, DJ Darling, and Peyton Howard.

Capital improves to 5-4 on the season and will play in the Round of 32. Gig Harbor’s season comes to a close at 4-5.

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Game Highlights

Blake Ostrander 66-Yard TD Run