FB 2011-10-14 Varsity at Shorecrest

With the regular season starting to wind down the Wildcat varsity football team traveled to Shoreline Stadium to play the Shorecrest Highlanders last Friday night looking to keep their perfect record intact.

Oak Harbor got on the board first on a 1-yard run up the gut by big Brent Ryan to finish an 8-play, 59-yard drive halfway through the first quarter. Shorecrest responded early in the second with a 45-yard pass play to tie the scored at 7. The Scots then took a 13-7 lead on another TD pass, this one from 17 yards out and 5:27 left until halftime.

The Wildcats started their next drive at their own 25 yard line and drove down to the Scot 32, but a 4th and short conversion attempt failed and Shorecrest took over. For one play. The Scots fumbled the ball back to OH and the Wildcat offense was back in business at the Shorecrest 32. Seven plays later it was 14-13 in favor of the Wildcats with 44 seconds left in the half.

After an inspiring halftime speech by head coach Jay Turner, the Wildcats came out of the locker room and took 2:03 off the clock before Ryan went in again from a yard out, putting OH up 21-13. The "D" held Shorecrest to 3-and-out, then Josiah Miller made it 27-13, capping a 68-yard, 10-play drive with a 7-yard sweep around the right side.

On the next Scot possession, the defense stepped up even more, recording 3 sacks, one by Casey Ferguson and two by Jon Lanningham. The second Lanningham sack was on a 4th and 23 pass attempt by Shorecrest, giving OH the ball at their own 39. Another time consuming drive by the Wildcats gave Ryan yet another score, boosting OH to a 33-13 lead.

The Shorecrest offense continued to sputter, and things went from bad to worse when an errant snap on a punt sailed over the punter's head and into the Shorecrest end zone. Ferguson was right there to tackle the punter in the end zone for a safety. Now with 9:26 left in the game, OH was pulling away 35-13.

The Wildcat offense still wasn't done scoring. On the free kick after the safety, it appeared as if Miller would have yet another return TD, but is 75-yard run was called back by a holding penalty. No matter, as 5 plays later he was in from 23 yards out to make it 42-13.

Shorecrest got the final score of the night, completing a pass from 22 yards out into the end zone.

Final score - OH 42, Shorecrest 21.

The next game for the Wildcats is a combination of homecoming and senior night this Friday against winless Marysville-Getchell.

59 photos from the game are posted HERE.

Video highlights are HERE.