Coach and quarterback have passed this way before.<\/p>\n
Big game, great results.<\/p>\n
Mike Bush didn’t hesitate to put the Kentwood offense in Jalin Church’s hands after the starter, Jackson Proctor, went down with a shoulder injury two weeks ago.<\/p>\n
Church responded, just as he did last year when he assumed the starting role three games into his sophomore season.<\/p>\n
On Friday night, the poised junior passed for two first-half touchdowns and directed a punishing ground attack that enabled Kentwood to wear down Glacier Peak of Snohomish for a 41-31, state-qualifying win at French Field.<\/p>\n
The Conquerors (8-2), the North Puget Sound League Mountain Division runners-up, advanced to the first round of the 4A state playoffs to face fifth-ranked Bothell (8-2). Kickoff is 7 p.m. this Friday at Pop Keeney Stadium.<\/p>\n
It is Kentwood’s second trip to state in three years.<\/p>\n
“Feels great. Amazing. Outstanding,” Church said afterward.<\/p>\n
Church struggled early but found his rhythm once he firmly planted his cleats while searching for open receivers from the pocket.<\/p>\n
“I just came back to my roots, and whatever coach told me to do last year and this year with my footwork I thought about when I was throwing,” he said.<\/p>\n
Church found Jaelin Green, a 6-foot-5 sophomore receiver, on touchdown tosses covering 27 and 39 yards for a 14-0 Kentwood cushion.<\/p>\n
“Jalin did a great job,” Bush said.<\/p>\n
But the Grizzlies pulled even at halftime after Jack Fullerton crashed in from the 5 and Ryan Black scored on an 8-yard run – a score set up by a Kentwood fumble – with 1:06 left in the half.<\/p>\n
Kentwood, however, took over in the second half. Gabriel Johnson and Akil Brown each ran for a pair of TDs. One of Johnson’s scores covered 66 yards.<\/p>\n
Fullerton’s 3-yard TD run tied the game at 28-28 with 27 seconds left in the third quarter. But Kentwood went ahead for good when Johnson scored from 4 yards out, capping a 9-play, 80-yard drive early in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
Glacier Peak drove to the Kentwood 27 on its ensuing drive, but the Conks held, and the Grizzlies settled for Brayden Corwin’s 44-yard field goal that closed the gap to 35-31 with 3:56 to play.<\/p>\n
Kentwood was able to hold onto the ball, with Church keeping the ball for runs of 11 and 29 yards on the drive. Brown finished it off, erupting for a 29-yard TD run with 2:17 remaining.<\/p>\n
Dyllon Daniels’ interception sealed the win with 1:11 to play.<\/p>\n
Bush was relieved afterward.<\/p>\n
“They’re a great football … big and physical,” the coach said. “Hats go off to them.”<\/p>\n
Glacier Peak couldn’t match Kentwood point for point.<\/p>\n
“We had to get a stop on defense and we weren’t able to do that,” said Grizzlies coach Shane Keck. “They’re more athletic than we are. … They have some running backs and receivers. We don’t see those types of athletes in our (Wesco) League.<\/p>\n
“Credit them. They ran the ball in the second half,” he said. “We take a lot of pride in our defense, but tonight we found someone with better athletes.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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