Varsity Football 2011-09-09 at Glacier Peak

The Wildcat varsity football team traveled to Veteran's Stadium in Snohomish for their first road game of the year, against Glacier Peak.

After the first quarter ended 0-0, the 'Cats got on the board first with a 30-yard field goal by Peter Franssen to open the 2nd quarter. Glacier Peak answered with a 10-play drive capped by a 34-yard pass touchdown. Glacier Peak was now on top 7-3 with 9:07 to go in 2nd quarter. Glacier Peak's next drive was stopped by a leaping interception by Dakota Sinchak on the Oak Harbor 1 yard line. Oak Harbor then drove into Grizzly territory but time ran out in the half. Halftime score: 7-3 in favor of GP.

The Wildcats opened the second half with a 69-yard drive ending with a 3-yard Brent Ryan push into the end zone to put OH back up 10-7 with the 6:19 mark in the 3rd. GP regained the lead with a 75-yard catch and run touchdown with 5:21 remaining to make it 14-10, a score that would stand to the end of the quarter.

The fourth quarter is when the game really got exciting. Oak Harbor went 3-out to start, then GP scored on a 5-play drive to make it 21-10 at the 8:35 mark. On their next possession, the Wildcats fumbled on the first play, giving the Grizzlies the ball at the OH 19 yard line and 2 plays later scored from 14 yard out. The kick failed, leaving GP ahead 27-10 with 7:09 left in the game.

Down but not out, the Wildcat roared back with an 8-play, 60-yard drive ending the Ryan diving across the goal line from a half-yard out. With 5:01 left in the game it was 27-17. The Wildcats held GP to just 4 plays, then Ian Kolste connected with Peter Franssen from 41 yard out with 2:48 left to cut the GP lead to 4 points, 27-23 after the OH PAT attempt failed. After the OH onside kickoff attempt, recovered by GP, the Grizzlies started on the OH 49. 4 plays later they fumbled and the ball was recovered by the 'Cats with 1:12 left in the game. Five plays later it was Ryan again to put OH up 30-27 with just 18 second left. Glacier Peak drove down into OH territory and with just 9 seconds left got off their final play. It was a pass to the far sideline, caught with about 4 seconds on the clock. Instead of stepping out of bounds, the receiver elected to try and run, and would up going backwards and scrambling around at about the OH 35. Stopped, he tossed the ball backwards to the GP quarterback. The Wildcats ganged up on the GP QB and stripped the ball from him and jumped on it to end the game with a 30-27 OH victory.

26 photos from the 2nd quarter are posted HERE.

Video highlights clips are posted HERE.