FOOTBALL: Issaquah throttles Kentwood 42-10, earns state berth

He hasn’t been healthy enough to take the football field for the majority of the season.

On a cold and rainy Friday night at French Field in Kent, Issaquah star Grant Gellatly was feeling plenty healthy – even rejuvenated.

The shifty and slippery 5-foot-10, 185-pound running back exploded for 149 yards and five touchdowns, leading Issaquah past Kentwood 42-10 in a state-qualifying game.

It’s the first game action Gellatly has seen since Oct. 9 against Redmond, when he carried the ball twice for eight yards.

“It was kind of a pre-game question,” he said. “I decided it felt good enough. It’s my senior season. You have to go out there. It’s win or go home.”

Gellatly and the Eagles (7-3) certainly won’t be going home. With the win, Issaquah advances to the state playoffs, where it will play host to the winner of the Lake Stevens/Bethel matchup, which is slated for Saturday, Nov.7.

Issaquah coach Chris Bennett couldn’t have been more pleased about Gellatly’s return.

“He’s a phenomenal player. I am just so happy for him,” Bennett said. “He has been through a lot. (The injury) happened the first day of practice and it has never been healthy … he’s played in about 12 plays all year.”

Issaquah, which lost last year in the state championship game to Skyline, will be making its third state playoff appearance in the last four years. Kentwood (7-3) entered the game having won six of its last seven. Issaquah eliminated Kentwood last year in the first round of the state playoffs, 31-28. Gellatly burned the Conks in that game as well, going off for a career-high 321 yards and three touchdowns.

Despite Gellatly’s injury woes, Kentwood was ready to face the standout running back.

“We prepared for him all week,” said Kentwood coach Rex Norris. “I tried to tell the kids what it was going to be like, but they didn’t believe me.”

Gellatly’s return combined with Issaquah’s potent passing attack, something Kentwood doesn’t see much of in the South Puget Sound League North Division, proved too much.

“That’s the best offensive team we’ve seen all year,” Norris said. “They had to find themselves at the beginning of the year without Gellatly. They have a great line, their quarterback was very heady and made a lot of plays, and (Evan Peterson) is a great receiver.”

Early on, it appeared the two teams would play a similar nail biter to last year. Kentwood opened the game by racking up six first downs on its first seven plays, culminating with a 30-yard field goal by Matt Bell, giving the Conquerors an immediate 3-0 lead.

Kentwood then forced Issaquah into a three-and-out, re-gained possession and marched down to the Eagles’ 15-yard line on four plays before being denied on a 4th-and-1.

Issaquah responded with a four-play, 84-yard drive that Gellatly capped with a 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Eagles a 7-3 lead.

Issaquah regained possession one play later, when Kentwood quarterback Tristan Askew fumbled the ball on a short run, a miscue that was recovered by Eagle defensive back Blake Miller. Eight plays later, Gellatly made the Conquerors pay for the fumble, scoring on a 2-yard run and pushing Issaquah’s lead to 14-3 at the end of the first quarter.

“He’s a good running back. That’s all I can say,” said Kentwood’s Askew, who also played the entire night at defensive back. “He got me a couple of times.”

The Conquerors remained close early in the second quarter, when Askew pump faked to his right, then hit wide receiver Mike Roy down the middle for a 47-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 14-10. The score capped a 9-play, 77-yard Kentwood drive.

Issaquah, however, proceeded to have its way offensively.

The Eagles capped an impressive first half with a 9-play, 73-yard drive that ended on Gellatly’s third score of the game, a 1-yard touchdown run that pushed Issaquah’s lead to 21-10. All nine plays came on the ground from a team that has been forced to the air much of the season without its star running back.

“I thought they were going to pass more, but they obviously ran more, got their yardage and got their touchdowns,” lamented Askew, who completed 7 of 13 passes for 140 yards.

With its rushing attack in full force, the Eagles turned to their passing game early in the third quarter to end any thought Kentwood had of a comeback.

On its first possession of the third quarter, Issaquah quarterback Ryan Bergman drilled Peterson across the middle on a 12-yard slant. Peterson pulled in the catch, then split the Kentwood secondary for a 77-yard touchdown.

Bergman completed 7 of 15 passes on the night for 157 yards and the one touchdown.

Down 28-10 in the third, Kentwood was unable to mount much offense in the final two quarters against a stingy Issaquah defense. Kentwood collected 224 yards of total offense in the first half, including 10 first downs. The Conquerors managed just 47 yards of total offense in the third and fourth quarters combined.

Meanwhile, Gellatly continued to appear as healthy as ever, rushing for 79 yards on eight carries and two more touchdowns in the third quarter, giving the Eagles a commanding 42-10 lead.

As for the tender hamstring …

“I didn’t feel it too much,” admitted Gellatly, who sat out the final 12 minutes. “I couldn’t get it in that extra gear like I usually can. But it held up well for me, so I can’t complain.”

The final result was difficult to swallow for Kentwood, which has been hampered by injuries all season. The Conquerors lost their top two running backs – Joseph Banks and Ronnie Flowers – to knee injuries before the season began. Meanwhile, running back Mikell Everette, who suffered a concussion two weeks ago against Kentridge, also was unavailable Friday night as was part-time quarterback Shane Green (flu).

“I thought this team overcame more than any other team I’ve had,” Norris said. “I am just really proud of them.”