Varsity football vs Marysville

The undefeated Marysville-Pilchuck Tomahawks came into Wildcat Memorial Stadium looking to lock up the WESCO North title. The Tommies were the highest-scoring team, averaging over 35 points per game and allowing an average of only 10, shutting out both Lake Stevens and Monroe along the way. Oak Harbor had the lowest point total of any WESCO North team, scoring only 113 points for an average of just over 14 points per game. The 'Cats were, however, the 2nd stingiest team in allowing points, behind only M-P. The Wildcats had allowed 153 points for a 19.1 average per game. Oak Harbor was itching to play the spoiler, and put that one blemish on Marysville's record, much as Lake Stevens did 2 years ago on our way to a state championship. Overall, the defense played excellent football - with 3 exceptions, all long runs by M-P. The offense, however, just couldn't get on track. The game started out with OH kicking off to MP. The Tommies started on their own 33, and it only took a single play for them to take a 7-0 lead. Their runner burst through our line and zipped down the sideline untouched. After the kickoff, OH had the ball on the 30, an on the first play, a reverse, the ball was fumbled and MP recovered. At this point the crowd was hushed and many in the stands were thinking that things were going badly early. Now, with the ball at the OH 28, the Tomahawks moved the ball down to the OH 5, but two back-to-back false start penalties made it 3rd & 13 at the OH 15. M-P attempted a rare pass, which was thrown high and short, allowing Derrick Clarit to step in front of the receiver and snag the ball at the OH 1 yard line. OH was only able to move the ball out to the 10 before being forced to punt on 4th & 1. Our defense kept Marysville's run game in check for the series, forcing MP into a 3-and-out. Taking the ball at the OH 29 with 4:29 left in the 1st quarter, the 'Cats used a series of runs out of the shotgun, including a 35-yard run by James Jordan to get the ball to the MP 13. There, a Jordan sack led to a Kevin Flavin field goal with just 13 seconds left in the 1st quarter to close the score to 7-3. After the kickoff, which resulted in a touchback, the Oak Harbor defense bent, letting MP move from their own 20 down to the OH 18, stopping the option pitch and forcing a field goal attempt by MP. The kick was blocked and was picked up by Clarit at the OH 1 and returned to the 10. On their next series, the OH offense again sputtered, with Jordan overthrowing Rashaad Smith, a fumble on a run play, and another run play that went for -4 yards. Stephen Lewis' punt from the OH 8 bounced at the OH 39 and rolled OOB at the MP 47. The OH defense again stepped up, stopping the MP quarterback on a 4th & 2 sneak at the OH 20. Again, the offense did nothing but lose 4 yards and punt. Marysville took over on the OH 43, but were backed up due to a holding penalty, and our defense was able to hold MP to short gains, forcing a 4th & 14 with just 21 seconds left in the half. After the punt, Jordan took a knee to end the half with MP still in the lead 7-3. Coming out of the half, MP attempted an onside kick, kicking the ball high into the air, but OH signaled a fair catch and was interfered with, so MP backed up to the 25 and kicked again, with Lewis getting the ball at the 44 and returning it to the MP 49. On the first play, the ball was stripped out of Lewis' hands, but Chris Neumiller was there to pick it up and continue the play, but the whole thing was brought back due to an illegal procedure penalty on OH. On the next play, MP jumped offside, and the nose guard gave our center a hard shove. It was hard enough that the officials called MP for a personal foul and gave OH a first down at the MP 39. Donovan Hunt ran the ball on the next play, and MP was flagged again for another personal foul, moving the ball to the MP 19. From there, the offense gained only 1 yard in 3 plays. Flavin attempted another field goal, but it was blocked, giving MP the ball at their own 26 with just over 10 minutes left in the 3rd. MP started to march towards the OH goal, moving the ball down to the OH 32. At that point, the defense, led by Brian Howard and Stephen Lewis sniffed out the option pitch, tackling the runner for a 7-yard loss, forcing the MP punt. The OH offense went 3-and-out again, gaining 6 yards on the series before punting. The next MP series lasted only 3 plays when Clarence LaMont recovered a fumble at the MP 39. A reception by Hunt moved the ball to the 27, and on a 3rd & 7 on the MP 24, Jordan got free and ran to the MP 8. Hunt moved to the 3, and Jordan to the 3 before time expired in the 3rd. The Wildcats started the final period looking at a 3rd & goal at the 3. Instead of using big Stephen Lewis or even bigger Brad Farnum to blow through the middle, Jordan kept the ball to get to the 2, but was stopped short of the goal line on the 4th down play. Marysville had the ball on the OH 2, then moved it to the 6 on a QB sneak, then their runner got through the OH line, evaded a tackler at the OH 20, and high-stepped to the TD. OH was able to block the PAT kick, leaving the score 13-3 with 10:21 left in the game. Josh Higbee caught the kickoff at the 5 and returned it out to the 17, but the offense gained 0 yards on 2 incomplete passes and a Jordan scramble, and to add to the OH woes, the Tomahawks were able to get a hand on the Lewis punt, and downed it at the OH 23. Again, the defense bent but didn't break, letting Marysville get down to the 10, then blocked another field goal attempt, taking over the ball at the 23. After an incomplete pass and a fumbled snap and sack, Jordan was able to complete a long pass to Clarit on a 3rd & 21, getting the ball out to the OH 48, then completed two more to Higbee and Lewis down to the 18 yard line. Then, with just 3:50 left in the game, Marysville intercepted Jordan's pass at the 18. Marysville broke their 3rd long run of the game, a 69-yard scamper that was stopped at the OH 13. Marysville then moved the ball to the 9, and with less than 40 seconds left, elected to not take a knee, but run for their 3rd TD of the night, scoring with only 31 seconds on the clock. The final score - M-P 20, OH 3. In other WESCO North games, all high-scoring affairs, Stanwood surprised Arlington to win the Stilly Cup 48-39; Mariner was all over Monroe 58-21, and Lake Stevens failed to convert a 2-point PAT attempt and lost to Snohomish 49-48. MP wins the WESCO North and will host a playoff game next week. Snohomish finished in 2nd and will play their first game at home, and Lake Stevens will go on the road for their playoff game. Oak Harbor finished the regular season with a 2-4 league record and an overall record of 3-6. The Wildcats will have one more football game, a North-South crossover game against a team to be determined. The game will be at Wildcat Memorial Stadium next weekend.