Preseason talk on the Tahoma football field centered around returning to tradition.<\/p>\n
Consider it done.<\/p>\n
Behind a dominating all-out performance, the Bears blasted Jefferson on last Friday night, 51-32, in their South Puget Sound League North Division opener.<\/p>\n
Offensively, Tahoma rushed for 385 yards and six touchdowns on 57 carries. But it was defense that got the Bears on the board first, when linebacker Jordan Rehwaldt returned a fumble 12 yards for a first-quarter touchdown. Tahoma\u2019s Tucker Murrey delivered the hit on Jefferson quarterback Kama Frank, jarring the ball loose and resulting in Rehwaldt\u2019s score.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ball bounced our way a couple times,\u201d Tahoma coach Tony Davis said. \u201cIt got out of hand pretty quick.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tahoma also got it done on special teams, when Kyle Phippen recovered Marc Ragan\u2019s blocked punt in the end zone late in the second quarter, helping the Bears go into halftime with a 42-0 advantage.<\/p>\n
Jefferson scored 26 of its 32 points during the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
Sophomore Niko Madison led all running backs with 105 yards on nine carries. Kurt LaFranchi added 72 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries while Chris Marangon chipped in 70 yards and a touchdown on six carries.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really clicked,\u201d LaFranchi said. \u201cIt was amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tahoma (1-0) will play host to Auburn Riverside (1-0) at Maxwell Stadium at 7 p.m. on Friday. Jefferson (0-1) travels to Kentridge on Saturday for a 7 p.m. showdown at French Field.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Kentlake fends off Kentridge, 7-2<\/b><\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t pretty.<\/p>\n
But after dropping four games by eight or fewer points last season, Kentlake football coach Mike Shepard couldn\u2019t help but be at least somewhat pleased by last Friday night\u2019s 7-2 South Puget Sound League North Division season-opening victory against rival Kentridge.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year, we found a way to lose games like this,\u201d said Shepard. \u201cWe found a way to win in a tough, hard-fought game.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the first time since 2003 that Kentlake has beaten Kentridge.<\/p>\n
Not surprisingly in a game that was an offensive struggle throughout, it was Kentlake\u2019s defense that came up with the biggest play of all.<\/p>\n
With less than four minutes remaining in the first quarter, Kentlake defensive back Taylor Angevine scooped up a Kentridge fumble and went 18 yards for what proved to be the game-winning score.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew they were going to be running a lot of screens. My coaches told me to watch for (running back Devin) Topps coming out of the backfield,\u201d said Angevine. \u201cI saw him drop it … and the ball basically fell into my hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
Added Shepard, \u201cWe had been (practicing) that all week long. Once he got it in gear, nobody was going to catch him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angevine also led the Kentlake backfield, rushing for 86 yards on 12 carries.<\/p>\n
Kentlake (1-0) will try and keep the momentum going when it plays host to Kent-Meridian (0-1) at 7 p.m. on Friday at French Field. Kentridge (0-1) hosts Jefferson (0-1) at 7 on Saturday night at French Field.<\/p>\n
AR outlasts K-M in double-OT<\/b><\/p>\n
The timing was there. And it couldn\u2019t have come at a better time for the Auburn Riverside football team.<\/p>\n
Stuck in a 7-7 double-overtime deadlock last Thursday night, Auburn Riverside quarterback John Hakala found Dalton Thomas on a 24-yard fade, lifting the Ravens past the Royals in the South Puget Sound League North Division opener for both teams, 14-7.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been working on the timing pattern on that for a while,\u201d Auburn Riverside coach Bob Morgan conceded. \u201cIt\u2019s something we felt pretty confident about throwing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re just lucky to get that one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maybe so. But there certainly wasn\u2019t a better way for the Ravens to return to the Class 4A SPSL North.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s big,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cBoth teams made a lot of mistakes, but we have to look at it in a positive light.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kent-Meridian\u2019s Artise Gauldin, a Kentwood transfer, gave the Royals an early lead with a 1-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. Gauldin went on to rush for 129 yards and the one touchdown on 13 carries. He also had a 60-yard touchdown run called back on a penalty.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a highlight reel,\u201d second-year K-M coach Trevor Roberts said. \u201cHe definitely carried the load. He actually would have had close to 200 yards. He had a 60-yard run called back and a 30-yarder called back.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s brutal when you make mistakes like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Auburn Riverside\u2019s Jake Pele, who rushed for 105 yards on 17 carries, tied the game 7-7 late in the first quarter with a 26-yard touchdown run.<\/p>\n
Thomas added four receptions for 95 yards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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