Football 2011-10-07 vs Mt. Vernon

The Josiah Miller show visited Oak Harbor last Friday night at the Wildcats took on the Mt. Vernon Bulldogs. MV came in with a 4-1 record, their only loss to 4A Mariner, 28-24.

The game started badly for the Wildcats at the opening kickoff was fumbled at the OH 27 and MV recovered. One play later the Bulldogs were in the end zone, just 16 seconds into the game.

Oak Harbor responded with a Miller 67-yard TD run on a 4-play drive that started at the OH 20. Peter Franssen kicked the PAT to tie the game 7-7 not quite 2 minutes into the game.

Mt. Vernon coughed up the ball on the first play of their next drive, Oak Harbor recovering at the MV 37. A couple of miscues later, the Wildcats were looking at a 4th & 26 at the Bulldog 35. Miller went back to punt, but instead of kicking, ran down the near sideline and into the end zone to put OH up 14-7.

The Bulldogs came right back and threw a 65-yard pass completion for a score, but the kick failed leaving OH up by one point, 14-13. That score would stand until the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter started with MV on the OH 21 yard line and they scored on the first play with a pass into the end zone. It was then 20-14 for the Dogs.

The Wildcats failed to convert a 4th down attempt at midfield, then Mt. Vernon drove for another score, taking a 27-14 lead with 7:51 left in the half.

On Oak Harbor's next drive, Miller again made the big play, catching a pass from OH QB Ian Kolste and running 70-yards to close the score to 27-21. After the OH kickoff, the defense stepped up and forced MV to punt, but the Bulldog defense was also stiff, forcing a turnover on downs.

With under a minute left in the half and the ball at their own 38, Mt. Vernon went to the air, which was a mistake. Under extreme pressure by the Wildcat line, the Bulldog quarterback threw the ball up for grabs. The grabee was Miller, who caught the ball at the OH 43 and returned it 32 yard to the MV 25. Four plays later it was 1st and goal at the Bulldog 7 yard line. Kolste went back to pass and found 6-3 Mike Washington in the end zone with 3 seconds left in the half. Franssen's PAT let OH go into the locker room at the half with a one point lead, 28-27.

Mt. Vernon received the 2nd half kickoff, returned it to the 50, then ran in from 3 yards out to regain the lead 33-28 after the PAT run failed.

Again, Miller was there for the 'Cats. He finished a 5 play drive that started at the MV 36 with a 27-yard reception. The normally solid Franssen missed the PAT, but OH was back on top 34-33.

Both teams punted on their next drives, but Mt. Vernon fumbled on their first play and the ball was recovered by Dakota Sinchak at the MV 25 yard line. Two plays later it was Miller into the end zone from 3 yards out to boost the OH score to 40-33.

Now the Bulldogs, who has used their size to great advantage in the first half, were starting to tire. The Wildcat defense again forced a punt and Miller broke free up the middle for a 66-yard TD run to make it 46-33.

A 4th and 18 MV pass fell incomplete in the end zone, giving the Wildcats the ball at the OH 29 yard line with 7:38 left in the game. With the big Bulldog line panting, the OH offense went to work. Brent Ryan, who had been shut down up the middle for most of the game and took advantage of the Mt. Vernon fatigue and was able to get gains and more importantly, first downs. The 11-play, 71-yard, 5-minute drive was capped by an 11-yard run by Miller with 2:37 left in the game. OH now led 53-33.

Mt. Vernon, with a first down at their own 34, fumbled the ball on the first play and it was recovered by Dayne Herron to seal the victory for Oak Harbor and boost their record to 6-0.

Miller, who broke a school record last week with his 5 touchdowns, broke his own record Friday with 6 scores.

The 9th-ranked Wildcats travel to Shoreline Stadium next Friday to take on the 4-2 Shorecrest Scots

77 photos from the game are posted HERE.

Video clips are all of Miller this week, with one exception - Dayne Herron's fumble recovery at the end of the game. Click HERE to watch the video.

Varsity Football 2011-09-16 vs Shorewood

The scoreboard operator was busy Friday night putting up a total of 13 touchdowns during the Wildcats' game against the Shorewood Thunderbirds.

Shorewood got on the board first with a nice-looking 61-yard drive in 6 plays. The kick failed giving the T-birds a 6-0 lead.

Oak Harbor struck back quickly, starting with Isaiah Trower's 42-yard kickoff return. 7 plays later Brent Ryan powered in from a yard out to make it 7-6.

The Wildcat defense adjusted quickly, forcing a Shorewood punt after only 3 plays and 4 plays later Peter Franssen ran 13 yards to put OH up 14-6.

Franssen played a big role during the next Shorewood possession, intercepting the ball at the OH 26, then just 2 plays later Trower scampered for 61 yards to make it 21-6.

Shorewood was forced to punt again. OH started on their own 18 yards line but a 45-yard run up Ryan set up a Ian Kolste to Trower pass from 20 yards out. With 7:39 left in the first half, Oak Harbor led 28-6.

Shorewood returned the OK kickoff 58 yards but 3 plays later fumbled with OH recovering. The next drive was the first time OH was not able to score. They went for it on 4th and 9 but came up less than a yard short of a first down. Shorewood took over at their own 34 yard line and took 12 plays to get to the Wildcat 7 yard line before scoring on a 7-yard pass with 19 seconds left in the half. The 2-point run conversion failed, leaving the score 28-12 at the half.

The Wildcats struck first in the second half, receiving the opening kickoff then scoring just over a minute later when Josiah Miller ran 28 yards to up the OH lead to 23 points, 35-12.

The Wildcats forced a T-bird punt on their first possession of the half, but OH fumbled the ball back and Shorewood completed a 21-yard TD pass to cut the OH lead to 35-20. Shorewood then got another turnover, this one an interception of a tipped ball at the OH 29 then scored from 2 yards out to cut the OH lead to just 9 points, 35-26 with 9:01 left in the game.

Oak Harbor wasn't about to let the recent Shorewood success continue. After the T-bird kickoff, the Wildcats used just 40 seconds and 2 plays to put Franssen back into the end zone after a 43-yard run and 10 seconds later Miller intercepted a Shorewood pass at the 30 yard line and ran it in for another score. The two TDs put OH back up by 23 points, 49-26.

Late in the game, Jack Richter scored on a 1-yard run with 4:29 left and Shorewood responded with a 3 yard run with 28 seconds left.

Final score: OH 56, Shorewood 33.

45 photos are posted HERE.

Video highlights are posted HERE.

Varsity football 11-5 at Edmonds

It wasn't pretty. Let's just leave it at that.

On to winter sports!

Varsity football 10-30 at Marysville

It was another wet, windy night of football, and like every other team in WESCO this year, the Wildcats were unable to stop the Tomahawk running game.

Oak Harbor got the ball first, and facing into the wind from their own 20, ran the ball out to midfield on runs by Donovan Hunt and Zack Ayer and a catch by Josh Sayre, but with the ball at the MP 45, just couldn't get any further. The 'Cats wound up punting into the wind, resulting in a net 8-yard kick.

MP's first play started at their own 38 yard line and ended at the Wildcat 38, and five plays later it was 7-0 in favor of Marysville.

Again starting at their own 20, the Wildcats fumbled on the first play, giving MP the ball at the OH 31. The 'Cat defense stiffened, leaving MP with a 4th and goal from the OH 14. The Tomahawks elected to try a field goal, but it was wide left.

For the 3rd time in the game OH started on the 20, this time with 2:58 left in the 1st quarter. A Brad Farnum reception brought the ball to the 28, then a Hunt run gave Oak Harbor a first down. The officials tacked on another 15 yards as a Marysville player grabbed Donovan's face mask. Hunt then ran the ball down to the MP 45, then caught a pass at the 12 yard line. A flag was thrown on the play as Donovan was thrown to the ground well out of bounds, so it was 1st and goal at the 6 for Oak Harbor when the first quarter expired.

OH QB Luke Felkner had a pair of passes batted away, so the Wildcats settled for a field goal, closing the score to 7-3 with 11:14 to go until halftime.

Marysville started their next drive at their own 28 and although Oak Harbor was able to get a sack, the MP line broke the runner free on 2nd and 13 at the MP 35 and OH wasn't able to tackle him until he was at the OH 18. On the next play Marysville ran it in for their 2nd score of the night, but the kick failed. 8:45 left in the 2nd, MP 13, OH 3

Oak Harbor recovered the MP squib kick at their own 31 yard line, then Brad Farnum caught a pass at the MP 46. Again, Felkner had two passes batted by MP defenders, then a Hunt run was unable to gain any yards so the Wildcats punted from the 46.

This Marysville drive lasted 7 plays but the result was the same - 6 points for the Tomahawks. Now with 4:37 left it was 21-3 in favor of MP after the 2-point conversion.

The Wildcats punted on their next possession, after a pass to Farnum that appeared to be a catch was knocked loose by a really hard hit by the MP defender. Brad was very slow to get up, but just had the wind knocked out of him and returned later in the game.

MP took over on their own 28 and drove into OH territory, but a team tackle by Rashaad Smith and Jason Curles slowed them down. Later, Nick Rouser was able to get a hand up and deflect a Tomahawk pass and it was intercepted by Judd Ford who returned it to the OH 33.

With just 59 seconds left in the half, Felkner threw passes to Mike Washington, Jr., Josh Sayre and Josh Higbee, bringing the ball to the MP 17 with 12 seconds left. The first down play was an incomplete pass and on 2nd down Felkner couldn't find an open receiver and ate the sack.

At the end of the play, the scoreboard read 0:00 and Marysville was headed to the locker room, but OH was able to call a timeout before time expired, and the Tomahawks had to come back on the field with 1 second on the clock. Felkner's pass looked on target in the end zone, but the MP defender was able to get good position in front of the OH receiver and intercepted the ball, ending the half. MP went to the locker room leading 21-3.

Marysville started the 2nd half with the ball on the MP 38, and their drive lasted only 19 seconds. Unfortunately, it was another Austin Denton run that ended in the OH end zone.

OH started their next possession on their own 34, but a Felkner to Farnum pass moved it to the MP 35. A Hunt reception then brought the ball to the MP 10. After an incompletion, short run and sack, it was 4th and goal from the MP 20. On the 4th down play Felkner scrambled right, then left before finding Farnum wide open at the back of the end zone for Oak Harbor's first touchdown of the night. It wasn't what anyone would call a pretty play, but it was a score. Ryan Fakkema's kick was good to make the score 28-10 with 9:25 to go in the 3rd quarter.

The Tomahawks punted on their next possession after running just 3 plays and the OH offense was at work again with 7:06 to go on the OH 32. The Wildcats marched down to the MP 32 after a long catch and run by Josh Higbee but the drive stalled and the 4th down attempt resulted in a sack after a bad snap.

It was another score for MP after the OH kickoff, after only 3 plays. The first was a run to the OH 31, the second a pass to the OH 7 the third a scoring run. 3:46 left in the 3rd, OH 10, MP 35.

Another interception ended the next Wildcat drive at the MP 49, and the Tomahawks took advantage of it with their second 1-play scoring drive of the game, a 51-yard run.

Down 42-10, but not out, the Wildcats scored on their next drive, aided by a key MP penalty. OH started on their own 45 and a Washington catch made it 2nd and 6 at the 49. Felkner's pass was incomplete, but a 15-yard flag was tossed on the Tomahawk defense, moving the ball to the MP 38. There, Josh Higbee got open and eluded his pursuers to reach the end zone. A flag was dropped on Oak Harbor during the play, but was ruled to be after the score. The flag was for unsportsmanlike conduct and resulted in OH kicking off from their own 25 yard line.

MP ran two plays and the 3rd quarter ended with MP in the lead 42-16.

Starting the final period, MP fumbled the ball and it was recovered by OH at the MP 43, MP got yet another interception, this one at the MP 32.

This Tomahawk drive lasted 10 plays, but at the end of it the score was now 49-16 for MP with 6:14 left in the game.

After a nice return by the Wildcats kick return team, the offense got the ball at the MP 40. Another personal foul flag on MP put the ball on the MP 23 and a Josh Higbee catch put it at the 9. Two plays later Zack Ayer took the ball in from the 2 yard line. Fakkema's PAT kick into the wind bounced off the upright leaving the score at 49-22.

MP punted again after 3 plays. The kick was fielded at the 24 by Josiah Miller and he didn't go down until he was across midfield and down to the MP 42. Now with just 43 seconds left in the game Felkner tossed the ball to Higbee who darted and dodged his way to the end zone. Again the PAT kick missed.

Marysville took a knee after getting the kickoff with only 28 seconds left to end the game with a 49-22 win.

Several highlight videos are now posted HERE.

The Wildcat varsity team has one final game, a Thursday night crossover game against Edmonds-Woodway at Edmonds Stadium.

Monday's JV game vs MP was canceled as is Wednesday's freshman game.

Football 10-23 vs Lake Stevens

When the Oak Harbor Wildcats went into last Friday’s varsity football game, they knew that although slim, there was still hope for a WESCO north playoff spot. Standing in the way were the Lake Stevens Vikings.

While it was a dry night, it was very windy, and Ryan Fakkema’s opening kickoff landed not on the goal line, but on the end line, and very nearly went through the uprights.

Lake Stevens ran the ball twice for little gain, then threw an incompletion. The Vikings lined up to punt from their own 25 yard line, with the punter standing on his own 12. The snap was high, but the punter was able to pull it down and kicked the ball from the 10 yard line. The ball landed on the 36 and rolled back to the 33, a net punt of only 8 yards.

While they started with the ball deep in Lake Stevens territory, the Wildcats were flagged for illegal substitution then gave up a sack on 3^rd down. With the wind at their backs, head coach Jay Turner made the call to try for a field goal. What was surprising about the decision is that it was to be a 58-yard attempt. The snap was good, the placement good, the kick got off and looked like it would be good, but fell just a few yards short. It was a great effort by kicker Ryan Fakkema.

Lake Stevens went 3-and-out again, this time punting from their own 20. This punt was even worse than the last. The ball landed on the 15 but took a short bounce to the 17 where it was downed by Lake Stevens.

Oak Harbor’s first play was a pass to Josh Sayre, which he appeared to catch at the LS 6 yard line, but the official ruled him out of bounds. In reviewing the tape, it appears that Josh had control of the ball and one foot inbounds, but it’s the ref’s call that counts, so it was 2^nd and 10 for the Wildcats. Felkner tried a couple more passes, but still hadn’t quite adjusted for the wind, although one pass was in and out of the hands of the receiver in the end zone. In the end, the ‘Cats again lined up for a field goal, this one from the LS 32. A Viking player may have gotten finger on the ball and it fell short on the end line.

Again on their own 20, Lake Stevens’ first play was a run that was stopped for a 1-yard loss by the Wildcat line, then on the 2^nd play Derrick Clarit was able to get his hand on the ball and strip it away at the LS 25, and it was covered by Dillon Peterson at the 30.

Again, the Wildcats couldn’t move the ball, and again, attempted a field goal. On this attempt a Lake Stevens player clearly got a hand on the ball. The kicked ball landed on the LS 8 yard line then rolled into the end zone for a touchback.

Once more with the ball deep in their own territory, the Vikings ran the ball. The first was a run up the gut for 9 yards, then another for four more. On their 3^rd straight run, the ball was knocked loose by a Wildcat linebacker at the LS 37 and recovered by another Wildcat at the bottom of the pile at the 38.

Looking at a 3^rd and 9 at the Viking 35, Luke Felkner dropped off a screen pass to Brent Ryan who rumbled down to the 29, less than a yard short of a first down. This time instead of trying a field goal, the coaches decided to go for it. Donovan Hunt got the ball, cut to his left, and found his way down to the LS 22. There, the drive stalled. Felkner’s first two passes were tipped by Viking defenders, and on 3^rd down Luke had to eat a sack. On fourth down he couldn’t find an open receiver and took off with the ball. He needed to get down to the Lake Stevens 12 but only got to the 17. Lake Stevens got only one play off before the quarter ended, with the two teams in a 0-0 tie.

Lake Stevens needed two plays to get the ball out to the 38 yard line, but that’s as far as they got. They were flagged twice in a row, for a delay of game, then for holding after a nice gain and apparent 1^st down at the 41. The 2^nd and 17 pass attempt was incomplete. On 3^rd down, Javon Payne slipped through the LS line like a hot knife through butter and sacked the QB for a 16-yard loss. The Vikings punted from their own 15 yard line, and with 9:41 left in the 2^nd quarter, the ball had still in Viking territory, this time at the 42 yard line.

After a false start penalty on the 1^st play, the Wildcats lined up on the LS 47 with a 1^st and 15. Hunt took the handoff from Felkner and looked like he was wrapped up at the line of scrimmage, but he broke loose and for a second it looked like he was headed for the end zone. He wasn’t, because the (expletive deleted) officials blew the play dead. The refs conferred, proclaimed an ‘inadvertent whistle”, and called for a do-over. After a couple of runs by Hunt and a short reception by Mike Washington, Jr., it was 4^th and 4 at the LS 36 yard line. Felkner got the ball to Washington, who made a great fingertip catch, and fought his way to the 30 for an Oak Harbor first down. The officials called Lake Stevens for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play, putting the ball at the LS 15. On 3^rd down, Ryan ran the ball to the left and looked like he stretched and got the ball to break the plane before Ryan’s knee touched the ground, but the refs spotted the ball at the 1 yard line. On the next play, Felkner tried the QB sneak, and after hitting the line twice, finally got it in for the OH score. Fakkema’s kick was good to give OH the lead, 7-0 with 5:31 left in the first half.

Lake Stevens returned the kickoff to their own 40, but the Wildcat defense sacked the QB again. He dropped the ball on his way down but it was recovered by the Vikings at the 29 yard line. Later, on 3^rd and 17 at the LS 33, the Viking QB launched the ball downfield. The throw was overplayed by the defenders and was caught at the OH 32. Maybe. To everyone in the stands, it was dropped before the receiver had control, but the official on the scene, after looking around for some help, ruled it a catch. It was a costly catch as the player, Tyler Reside, was knocked unconscious. He was worked on while on the field for 10 minutes, then put in a stretcher and taken to the Coupeville hospital. Reports from Lake Stevens are that he will be fine, but did get a concussion and can’t remember anything about the game or the pass.

Back to the game. With the ball on the OH 26, the Vikings used 3 running plays to put the ball across the goal line. The snap for the PAT kick attempt was high, and the holder tried to run with the ball, but was gang tackled at the 10 yard line. With 2:57 left in the half it was OH 7, LS 6.

Josh Higbee returned the kickoff to the Oak Harbor 38 yard line, and the offense went to work with 2:47 left until halftime. A couple of runs by Hunt, and a run up the middle by Brad Farnum made it first down for Oak Harbor at the LS 44 and 1:23 left. A Ryan carry brought the ball to the LS 30, but with 23 seconds left, Felkner wound up getting sacked and time expired in the half, with Oak Harbor leading 7-6.

The Wildcats took the 2^nd half kickoff and mounted a nice-looking drive. The kickoff went to the 25 and was returned to the 35. After shorts runs by Hunt and a nice catch by Josh Sayre, the Wildcats were in Viking territory. On 2^nd down, Hunt ran left, found a hole in the line, and ran untouched for a 39-yard touchdown. Fakkema’s kick was good to put the ‘Cats ahead 14-6 with 10:05 remaining. After the touchdown the Wildcats were called for a personal foul and kicked off from their own 25 yard line.

The special teams boys were able to stuff the kick return, but Lake Stevens had the ball on their own 37. The Vikings ran the ball out of the “I” formation 7 times in a row, moving the ball to the Oak Harbor 4 yard line. There, on 3^rd and 2, Lake Stevens changed it up and tried two passes. One was incomplete; the other was completed, but was a yard short of the first down. Oak Harbor ball on the OH 3 yard line, 6:35 to go in the 3^rd quarter.

The first Wildcat play was a short run, then an incomplete pass. On 3^rd down, Felkner was under a lot of pressure from two LS linemen, but got the ball off. Higbee caught it at the OH 2 yard line, then without being touched by any defender, ran 98 yards for the score. Officially it was a 96-yard TD catch and run and put the Wildcats ahead 21-6.

The two teams traded a punt on their next two possessions and the third quarter ended with the score still 21-6 in favor of Oak Harbor.

Starting the 4^th quarter, Lake Stevens had the ball, 2^nd and 5 on the LS 25. They moved the ball down to the OH 35. There, the Vikings fumbled the handoff and it was recovered by Alec Castillo at the OH 36. The Wildcats wound up punting after going backwards, thanks to a flag and a sack. Unlike the two Viking punts that were kicked into the wind, the OH punt went 27 yards.

Lake Stevens’ first play was a run good for a first down, the second a pass play that looked to be complete, but Josiah Miller was there, and timing his hit just right, broke up the play. Unfortunately, the Vikings were able to score, running it in from 14 yards out. The PAT pass attempt was good, bringing Lake Stevens to within 7, 21-14, and 6:56 left in the game.

OH got the kickoff at the 8 yard line and returned it to the 21, but could only get to midfield before the drive stalled and the team punted.

Lake Stevens took over on their own 22 with 3:46 left and used 3 plays to move the ball out to the 37. On 2^nd and 10, two Wildcats, Aaron Boesch and Nick Rouser, broke through the line and attacked the Viking QB. They forced a fumble at the 23 that was recovered by Alec Castillo. Hunt and Ryan took turns running the ball, ending with a Ryan 5-yard TD run. Again the kick was good, giving the Wildcats a little breathing room, 28-14 and just 1:38 left in the game.

The squib kickoff was mishandled by Lake Stevens and almost recovered by Oak Harbor, but the Vikings got it at the 29 yard line. The first play was a pass attempt, but the ‘Cat line was all over the QB, forcing yet another sack. Lake was able to move the ball out to the 45, but time expired, leaving Oak Harbor with a 28-14 win.

With the win, the ‘Cats still have a chance at the WESCO #3 playoff spot. Two things need to happen, though. First, we need to win this Friday. The game is at #1 seed and undefeated Marysville. Also, Lake Stevens has to lose to the 1-4 Snohomish Panthers.

Against us is that the Snohomish-Lake Stevens game is at Lake Stevens and it’s senior night for the Vikings. All Lake Stevens has to do is win the game to give them a playoff spot, so they will be playing hard.

OH does have a couple things going for them at Friday’s game. Since Marysville has a lock on the #1 seed, they may not play with as much heart, and the MP coaches may make decisions that lean more towards protecting their players for the playoffs rather than winning a (for them) meaningless game.

We’ll find out Friday. Come down to Marysville and cheer on the Oak Harbor Wildcats this Friday!

73 photos from the pre-game senior recognition and halftime activities are posted HERE. These photos available for download at no cost. Enjoy.

Some video clips are posted HERE.

Football 10-16 @ Arlington

It wasn’t cold, it wasn’t windy, but it sure was wet as the Oak Harbor Wildcat varsity football team traveled to Arlington to play the Eagles. The game was at Larsen Stadium, but it looked like Larsen Lake as there were several areas of standing water on the playing surface as the rain came down for the entire game. It was Arlington’s homecoming - the 3^rd homecoming opponent for the ‘Cats this year. The Wildcat were missing several key players for a variety of reasons, and lost more as the game progressed.

Oak Harbor received the opening kickoff, but punted 3 plays later. Arlington started on their own 40 yard line. Their first play was a long pass complete down to the OH 27 on a halfback pass and eventually wound up with a first and goal at the OH 4 yard line. Oak Harbor didn’t give up easily, making Arlington take 4 plays before finally punching it in with 7:00 to go in the first quarter. Arlington 7, OH 0.

After a false start penalty on Oak Harbor’s first play of their second series, the Wildcats found themselves backed up deep, the ball on the OH 7 yard line. The first play was a pass to Brad Farnum, then Brent Ryan pounded it up the middle for the Oak Harbor first down at the OH 28. On the 2^nd and 6 play from the OH 32, QB Luke Felkner found a hole and wasn’t downed until he got across midfield and down to the Arlington 43. On 2^nd and 4 at the 37, Felkner found Josh Higbee open for a first down at the 26, but the refs added another 15 yards after a late, out of bound, helmet first hit by an Arlington defender. The penalty placed the ball just inside the Arlington 13 yard line, and 3 plays later Ryan took it up the middle again to tie the game with 3:14 left in the first. That score would stand through the end of the first quarter.

On their first possession of the 2^nd quarter, Arlington was able to march down the field, finally scoring on an 8-yard pass play with 5:29 left in the half. Arlington 14, OH 7.

Higbee got the ball on the kickoff at the 3 yard line, but slipped and went down at the 13. He was hit by an Arlington player while down, but the refs chose not to flag that contact. Oak Harbor was forced to punt, with Arlington signaling for a fair catch at the OH 40. Arlington tried the halfback pass again, but this time the Wildcat defense was ready, and Derrick Clarit snagged the pass at the OH 22. The Wildcat celebration was short-lived, as a bad snap on the Wildcat’s first play took the ball back to the OH 10, and again Oak Harbor punted away.

The Wildcat defense held the Eagles, and the Arlington punt was picked up by Higbee at the OH 4 and returned to the 19 yard line. A nice run made it 2^nd and 4, but on the next play the ball carrier was hit hard and the ball jarred loose. It was recovered by Arlington at the OH 23 with only 1:20 left on the clock.

Arlington’s QB scrambled around on the first play and appeared to fumble the ball at the OH 9 yard line, but the officials ruled him down and gave Arlington a first down at the OH 13. Two plays later and with only 29 seconds left in the half, Arlington took a 21-7 lead.

After bringing the kickoff out to the 30, the Wildcats opted to take a knee to end the first half, down 21-7.

To open the 2^nd half, Oak Harbor tried an onside kick. The ball skidded across the large puddles and through the hands of the first Arlington player, but a 2^nd Arlington man fell on the ball to retain possession for the Eagles.

Arlington moved the ball down to the OH 30, and it looked like the defense would hold, as Arlington was looking at a 4^th and 5. However, during the pass, the Wildcat defender was well blocked, then slipped when he turned towards the receiver, and Arlington was able to score again, taking a 28-7 lead with 10:02 left in the 3^rd.

Now looking at 3^rd and almost 10 from their own 35 yard line, Felkner tossed a pass high towards Peter Franssen. The Arlington defender slipped and fell, but was able to put a hand out and snag Franssen’s foot just after he caught the ball, preventing a sure OH touchdown. Two nice runs by Ryan later, Oak Harbor had the ball with a first down on the Arlington 18 yard line and two plays after that it was Felkner to Franssen again to close the score to 28-14 with 6:57 left in the 3rd.

Arlington’s next drive got down to the Wildcat 32, where the defense had put the Eagles into a 4^th and 13 situation. Arlington threw deep, and had a receiver open at the OH 3, but Andy Haag came seemingly from nowhere, and made a smart play by batting the ball away rather than attempting an interception, so instead of a first down at the OH 3, it was first down Wildcats at the OH 32.

The third quarter ended with the Wildcats trailing 28-14, but with the ball and driving, looking at a 3^rd and 3 on the Arlington 45. The 3^rd down run was stopped, but the 4^th down pass was complete to Franssen for a first down at the Arlington 38. However, after a tackle for a loss on a run attempt by Felkner and a sack, the Wildcats punted from the Arlington 47. The Eagles were able to return the ball into Oak Harbor territory, at the 45 yard line. Felkner made the tackle on the Eagle return man, but injured himself and he didn’t return for the remainder of the game.

The Wildcats were able to stop Arlington in 3, but the Eagle punt splashed down at the OH 1 yard line. The first play of this drive was an incomplete pass by new QB Gabe Dye, the 2^nd a short run setting up 3^rd and 8 from the 3. There, Dye found Mike Washington, Jr. open for a 34 yard gain to the 37 yard line. Ryan plowed across midfield to give OH a first down at the Arlington 47. Dye then ran the ball himself up the middle, used an official as a screen, and made it down to the Eagle 32. The next play was nearly disastrous for the ‘Cats, as the Dye pass to Farnum was a little short and looked like a sure interception, but two Eagle defenders both went for the ball and it bounced off both, falling incomplete. On 3^rd and 8, Dye found Ryan open at the Eagle 20 with forward progress to the 17. Franssen caught a pass at the 5, then a pass intended for Washington was nearly intercepted again, but was ruled incomplete. 2^nd down was incomplete, in and out of the hands of Washington at the goal line. On 3^rd down, Dye was sacked at the 17 yard line. Now with a 4^th and goal to go, Dye tossed the ball to Sayre, who caught it at the 1 yard line, fell across the goal line and into the end zone to close the gap to just a single TD, 28-21, with 4:44 left in the game.

Again the Wildcats attempted the onside kick, and again the Eagles were able to cover, this time at the Eagle 45. Their 2^nd play was a handoff around the left side that went down to the Oak Harbor 3 yard line before Higbee could make the tackle. On the next play Arlington ran through the middle to give themselves a two-TD lead again, 35-21, with 3:33 left.

Josiah Miller returned the kickoff to the OH 39, but sacks on both 3^rd and 4^th downs ended the Wildcat drive and gave Arlington the ball at the OH 25 yard line. The second Eagle play of the series was an end around that went into the end zone. The Wildcats blocked the PAT kick, but it was still 41-21 with only 2:07 left in the game.

The Wildcats couldn’t do anything with their final possession and punted the ball away, then Arlington took a couple of knees to end the game, winning their homecoming 41-21.

5 video highlight clips are posted HERE.

Varsity football 10-9 vs Stanwood

The Wildcats lit up the scoreboard last Friday night, throwing up 39 points, 29 of them in the 2^nd half, but in the end Stanwood was able to score more, and held off a last-second drive by Oak Harbor to win the game 47-39.

Stanwood got the ball first and on the very first play from scrimmage, Judd Ford snagged the runner for a 2-yard loss. Stanwood went on to lose another 3 yards and punted after 3 plays.

Oak Harbor’s first play was a pass to Josh Sayre, good for 7 yards, the second play was an incomplete pass, and the 3^rd and 3 play was a short toss to Mike Washington, Jr., who found room and went up the middle and 71 yards later was in the end zone. Ryan Fakkema added the kick and less than 3 minutes into the game it was OH 7, Stanwood 0.

Stanwood was again held to a 3-and-out, but Oak Harbor’s next possession ended on the 2^nd play with an interception at the 40 and return to the OH 14. It took 5 plays, but Stanwood found the end zone with 5:01 left in the first to tie the game at 7.

The two teams then traded punts, but Stanwood’s punt was returned to the Stanwood 47, and a leaping Josh Higbee reception brought the ball down to the 9 yard line. Washington caught a pass down to the 4 yard line where the first quarter ended.

Starting the 2^nd quarter with 2^nd and goal at the 4, the Wildcats were not able to punch it in and called in Fakkema to put 3 more on the board. His kick was good with 10:33 remaining in the half, giving the lead back to Oak Harbor 10-7.

The first Spartan possession of the 2^nd quarter ended in a touchdown when a pass play from the OH 27 was tipped and caught by a Stanwood receiver who made it into the end zone, giving the lead back to Stanwood with 8:51 remaining, 14-10.

The Wildcats punted on their next three possessions while Stanwood scored on their next two, running the ball right at the Wildcat defensive line. When the clock ran out on the first half the score stood at Stanwood 28, Oak Harbor 10.

Whatever Coach Turner said to the guys in the locker room at halftime seemed to work, as the ‘Cats took the 2^nd half kickoff and marched 65 yards in 10 plays, with Donovan Hunt scoring on a 7-yard pass reception.

The Wildcats held Stanwood on their next series, with Nick Rouser and Jon Witalis teaming up for a 5-yard sack on a Spartan 3^rd down play, forcing the punt.

This time it only took 6 plays for the Wildcats to score, driving 77 yards. Donovan Hunt scored on a 2-yard run with 4:53 left and Josh Higbee caught a 2-point conversion pass, leaving OH down by only 3 points, 28-25.

Both teams punted their next possessions, and the 3^rd quarter ended with Stanwood holding on to a 28-25 lead and a first down at their own 45 yard line.

The first play of the final quarter was an incomplete pass, and the next, a run, saw Nick Rouser getting his hand on the ball carrier’s arm and strip the ball away, recovered by Oak Harbor. The refs added insult to injury by tacking on a 15-yard personal foul penalty against Stanwood, giving the Wildcats the ball at the Spartan 29. Oak Harbor scored on a 30 yard Hunt reception on 4^th and 11. Donovan had to stretch to get the ball across the goal line before being tackled, but the refs said he made it. Oak Harbor was now back in the lead, 32-28, with 10:04 left in the game.

Oak Harbor’s celebration didn’t last long, as Stanwood needed only 2 plays to cover 68 yards, using only 30 seconds.

Stung, but not giving up, OH drove the ball down to the Stanwood 21. On 3^rd and 10 from the 21, quarterback Luke Felkner was forced to scramble and went out of bounds at the 19, but was hit hard by a Stanwood defender. Flags flew and it was first and goal for the ‘Cats at the Stanwood 8 yard line. Two runs by Hunt moved the ball to the 1 yard line, where Washington caught a pass for his second score of the game. Oak Harbor led again, 39-35 with 6:11 remaining.

Stanwood went back to their successful ‘run it up the middle’ strategy, and it worked as the Spartans re-took the lead, 41-39 with 2:50 left.

After the Stanwood kickoff, Oak Harbor had the ball at their own 36 yard line. A bad snap ended with Felkner getting sacked at the 17, and on the next play Stanwood put extra pressure on Felkner, sending him back near the goal line. He tried to throw the ball away, but the toss was caught by a Stanwood player at the 5 for an easy touchdown. The kick failed, leaving Oak Harbor down by 8 points, 47-39 and 2:05 remaining in the game.

Starting at their own 48, Felkner completed a pass to Hunt at the 29, but on the next play Felkner tripped after getting the snap, then was intercepted at the 6 yard line and only 1:04 left.

Although some in the crowd started to leave, the game was not over, as Oak Harbor still had all 3 timeouts. They used them on defense, and the boys forced the Spartans to punt with 36 seconds left

After the punt, the ball was placed at the Stanwood 42 and 28 seconds were on the clock. The first play was a pass to Hunt, complete to the Stanwood 10 yard line. The clock was stopped with 17 seconds left to reset the chains, but Felkner was sacked and could not get the ball snapped and grounded before time expired.

It was a close one, but Stanwood held on to win 47-39.

Next for the varsity team is a trip to 2-4 Arlington on October 16^th. The Eagles score an average of over 37 points per game but give up over 31 points per game. Arlington has won only 1 league game so far, a 60-9 blowout of Monroe last Friday night.

61 photos from pregame warmups are posted HERE.

3 video clips from the game are posted HERE.

Varsity football at Snohomish, 10-2-2009

The Wildcats got a big win Friday at Snohomish, beating the Panthers soundly, 34-14.

It didn’t look good at the start, as Oak Harbor went 3-and-out on their first possession and didn’t get into Snohomish territory until nearly the end of the first quarter. They also allowed Snohomish to score a rushing TD in the quarter.

The 2^nd quarter belonged to the Wildcats as they lit up the Panther defense by scoring 3 touchdowns.

It started with a break. Snohomish was lined up to punt and the punter took a low snap and touched his knee to the turf on his own 5 yard line. Oak Harbor’s first play was an incomplete pass, but the second was a toss from Luke Felkner to Mike Washington, Jr. for the touchdown. The kick failed, so it was Snohomish 7, Oak Harbor 6 with 10:04 to go in the first half.

Snohomish returned the Wildcat kickoff to the OH 47, but that’s as far as they got as the Wildcat defense pushed them back and they wound up punting from the 50 yard line.

Oak Harbor had the ball at their own 38 yard line. On the first play, Felkner dropped back, heaved the ball downfield to the Panther 35 where it was nearly intercepted by Snohomish. It wasn’t and the ball bounced off the hands of the defender and right into the hands of receiver Josh Higbee who ran untouched into the end zone. A 2-point PAT attempt failed so with7:59 left until halftime it was OH 12, Snohomish 7. It then got even worse for Snohomish.

The Wildcat kickoff went to the 8 yard line and was returned to the 29, where the Panthers fumbled the ball away to OH on their first play from scrimmage.

This Wildcat drive lasted a little longer than just one or two plays. Felkner ran for 7 yards on the first play, Hunt ran down to the 20, but short of the first down. A Delay of Game flag backed the ‘Cats up 5 yards, but it was no big deal as Hunt caught a pass to bring the ball to the Snohomish 7 yard line. It was Hunt again to the 3, then Washington caught the TD pass with 5:27 left in the half. The snap on the kick attempt was mishandled, but holder Josh Higbee was able to pick up the ball and dance into the end zone for a 2-point conversion. The score now stood at Oak Harbor 20, Snohomish 7.

Snohomish drove into Wildcat territory on their next possession but were forced to punt from the OH 44. The punt rolled down to the 1 yard line, and the ‘Cats could only get it out to the 34 yard line before time expired in the first half.

The Panthers got the ball first in the second half, but Snohomish’s offense continued to sputter as they could only gain 16 yards during their first possession and only 6 on their second. The Wildcats also punted on their first possession of the 2^nd half, but Felkner tossed his 4^th touchdown of the night, this one to Higbee, with 1:11 left in the 3^rd quarter. The Fakkema kick was good to increase the OH lead to 27-7.

Disaster hit the Panthers yet again as Josh Higbee snatched the ball out of the air on the Panther’s first play giving Oak Harbor the ball at the Snohomish 42 with just over a minute to go. Felkner threw the ball to Brad Farnum who snuck between a pair of Panther defenders and into the end zone, but it was called back on a Wildcat holding call. The quarter ended with the Wildcats on the Snohomish 33 yard line and a 27-7 lead.

The OH drive continued to start the 4^th quarter, ending with Josh Higbee’s 3^rd TD reception of the game at the 10:04 mark, pushing the Wildcat lead to 34-7.

With their backs against the wall, Snohomish could no longer afford to punt the ball away, but the result was the same – Oak Harbor ball. The Panthers failed to convert on 4^th and 4, but two plays later a bad snap turned the ball over to Snohomish at the Panther 41 and 7:19 left in the game.

The Panthers were able to get only to the OH 44 before fumbling it back to the Wildcats, but the cheering didn’t last long, as two plays later a bad Oak Harbor snap was fumbled and recovered by Snohomish near midfield. This drive was successful, as the Panthers covered 49 yards in 7 plays to score their 2^nd TD of the game and close the score to 34-14.

Snohomish tried an onside kick, but Higbee picked the ball up and returned it to the Snohomish 37. Oak Harbor punted after 3 plays, but left Snohomish with only 51 seconds to try and make the score respectable. The Panthers first play was called back due to offensive pass interference, and on the final play of the game the Wildcats teamed up to sack the Panther quarterback and leave Snohomish with the 34-14 victory.

5 video clips from the game are posted HERE.

Varsity football 9-25 at Mt. Vernon

Turnovers were the name of the game Friday night in Mt. Vernon as the Wildcats took on the Bulldogs.

The defense held MV to a 3-and-out their first possession, but Oak Harbor fumbled the ball on their 2nd play from scrimmage at the Bulldog 39. Again, the defense held, forcing another punt, but the ball was touched by a Wildcat player and recovered by Mt. Vernon, resulting in a first down at the Wildcat 20. Five plays later the Bulldog QB ran in for the score. The conversion failed so the score was 6-0 at the 6:28 mark in the first quarter.

Oak Harbor’s next possession resulted in a punt, and Mt. Vernon started on their own 37. They drove the ball down to the OH 27, where a 4th and 1 pass attempt fell incomplete. The Wildcats moved the ball out to the 47, but 3 straight incomplete passes forced a Wildcat punt. Mt. Vernon ran three plays, losing 4 yards, before the 1st quarter ended with Mt. Vernon leading 6-0.

Mount Vernon punted on the first play of the second quarter and the Wildcats took over on their own 25 yard line. Three plays brought the ball to the OH 48, where Donovan Hunt burst free up the middle and down to the Bulldog 3 yard line. On the next play QB Clarence LaMont danced in for the Wildcat score. Ryan Fakkema’s kick was good to give OH a 7-6 lead with 10:36 left until halftime.

The OH kickoff was returned to the 36 yard line, but on the 2nd play, Javon Payne put a hard hit on the ball carrier, knocking the ball loose, and Payne was on the spot to make the recovery. First down for Oak Harbor on the Mt. Vernon 37. Two runs by Hunt set up another LaMont TD run from 3 yards out. Fakkema’s kick was good again and the ‘Cats took a 14-6 lead with 8:26 left.

The Bulldogs went 3-and-out after the kickoff, but then an Oak Harbor pitch was fumbled and recovered by MV at the Wildcat 17. Mt. Vernon scored on a run TD, but the pass conversion was batted down, leaving Oak Harbor with a 14-12 lead and 7:20 left

With lots of time still in the first half, Oak Harbor mounted another long drive. Starting at their own 31 yard line, the ‘Cats used 13 plays to get to the MV 21, but on a 4th and 1 play, LaMont could not get that extra yard and the ball went over to the Bulldogs with 1:20 left. Mt. Vernon couldn’t get the ball moved and the half ended with Oak Harbor still leading 14-12.

The 2nd half kickoff went deep, was picked up by Oak Harbor, but the return man touched the sideline with his foot, killing any return. The Wildcats punted after 3 plays to the OH 42 yard line. Mt. Vernon completed a long pass play, but our bend-but-don’t-break defense forced the Bulldogs to try a field goal with the ball at the 10 yard line. The kick was good with 8:34 left in the 3rd quarter putting Mt. Vernon back in the lead, 15-14.

On their next possession, the turnover bug bit the Wildcats again as a LaMont pass was intercepted at the OH 45, and the Bulldogs used only three plays to score again and increase their lead to 22-14 with 5:05 left in the 3rd.

The Mount Vernon kickoff went out of bounds, so Oak Harbor started their next possession at the OH 35. A holding penalty back the boys up to their own 20, but a 3rd and 11 pass reception by Mike Washington, Jr. gave OH a first down at midfield. The drive continued to the MV 10 yard line but stalled, and Fakkema kicked a 28-yard field goal to close the gap to 22-17 with 1:31 to go in the 3rd.

The Bulldogs mounted another quick drive, going from their own 45 down to the Oak Harbor 3 yard line, when time expired in the 3rd quarter.

The first play of the final period was a MV touchdown run, boosting the Bulldog lead to 29-17. The MV kickoff again went OOB, giving OH the ball on the 35 yard line.

The Wildcats again got the ball moving. Josh Higbee got it to the 46 and LaMont ran it (with some help from a late hit penalty on the Bulldogs) to the MV 34. Runs by Hunt and LaMont moved the ball to the 27, then, facing a 4th and 9 at the MV 29, Hunt had a big catch and run down to the 7 yard line. A false start penalty on OH made it 1st and goal at the 12. The first down pass attempt fell incomplete in the end zone and the second pass attempt was intercepted in the corner of the end zone.

Wildcat defenders held MV to just a 6-yard gain before forcing a punt. Oak Harbor took over on their own 24 and 6:15 left in the game and drove out to the Mt. Vernon 40 where again, the pass was intercepted at the Bulldog 17 and returned to the 44. From there, Mt. Vernon was able to run the clock out to end the game with a 29-17 win.

A few video clips from the game are posted HERE.

Varsity football 9-25 at Mt. Vernon

The Wildcats fell 29-17 to the Mount Vernon Bulldogs after leading 14-12 at the half.

Turnovers played a big role in the reversal.

More details to follow later this weekend.

Varsity football - 9-19 - Everett

It was the first win of the season for the Oak Harbor varsity football team last Friday against the Everett Seagulls at Wildcat Memorial Stadium.

Oak Harbor received the opening kickoff but went 3-and-out after a bad snap on a 4^th-and-1 attempt.

The play gave Everett a short field with the ball at the Wildcat 25, but after 5 plays the Seagulls only gained 2 yards and attempted a 40-yard field goal that was good with 8:18 left in the first quarter.

The next offensive possession was better than the first, but resulted in a punt. The first play was a 6-yard run by Pat Higbee, and then an offsides penalty on Everett gave OH a first down on their own 31. A Josh Higbee run brought the ball out to the 38, but that was it. The punt was downed at the Everett 40.

Everett got down to the Oak Harbor 27, but a tackle for an 8 yard loss by Jason Curles got the ball back to the OH 35, and gave Everett a 3^rd down with 22 yards to go. The Everett QB scrambled to the 29, but it was still 4^th down, and Everett settled for another field goal to increase their lead to 6-0 with 1:44 left in the first quarter.

Oak Harbor’s 3^rd possession stalled after only 9 yards, and a 4^th and 1 attempt (the first play of the 2^nd quarter) failed to convert.

Everett now had the ball at the Oak Harbor 39, and things were not looking good for the ‘Cats. Everett drove down and had a first down at the OH 14. As they have before, the defense stiffened, and on a 4^th and 1 at the OH 5, Everett elected to go for it rather than kick a field goal, and after a measurement, the ball was awarded to Oak Harbor with 8:39 left in the half.

Clarence Lamont was now the QB, as reports say that Luke Felkner sustained a concussion earlier in the game and was not allowed to play. On the first play from scrimmage, Clarence rolled to his right and found Josh Sayre open. Sayre caught the ball and ran it into Everett territory at the 48 yard line. A short run coupled with a face mask penalty brought the ball down to the Everett 35, and a Mike Washington, Jr. reception got it to the 27. Facing a 4^th and 6 at the Everett 31, Lamont found Washington again for an Oak Harbor touchdown. Ryan Fakkema kicked the PAT to put OH in the lead 7-6 with 6:36 left in the half.

On the kickoff, Fakkema kicked it deep, but the returner was able to slip through the coverage and broke into the open around the Everett 40. Fakkema was there and made an unassisted, open field, touchdown-saving tackle at the OH 33.

Everett could only get down to the OH 32, and facing a 4^th and 9, again elected to forego a field goal and tried for the first down. Alec Castillo wasn’t fooled by the play and pulled the QB down short of the first down, giving OH the ball at their own 28.

A nice run by Donovan Hunt and a reception by Brad Farnum took the team across midfield, but a 3^rd and 8 pass attempt was intercepted and returned to the Everett 24 with 3:56 to go in the half. Everett drove down to the OH 32 where they faced a 4^th down and 7 yards to go with just 34 seconds on the clock. Everett again elected to go for it and the pass attempt was incomplete at the 5 yard line.

A pass reception by Josh Higbee at the Everett 48 with 16 seconds left gave Oak Harbor a first down, but the next pass was intercepted at the Everett 15 and returned to the Oak Harbor 38. With just 3 seconds left, Everett attempted a pass that fell incomplete, ending the half with Oak Harbor leading 7-6.

To open the 2^nd half, Fakkema kicked the ball to the 5 yard line, and the coverage was there, tacking the return man at the 18. Everett mounted an 11-play drive but the Wildcat defense held, forcing a punt from the OH 42. Oak Harbor started at their own 13 yard line and ran 12 plays, taking the ball to the Everett 28 before time ran out on the 3^rd quarter with OH hanging on to a 7-6 lead.

The first play of the 4^th quarter was a pass to Sayre down to the 11, then two plays later Hunt caught a pass for Oak Harbor’s 2^nd touchdown of the game. The PAT was partially blocked, so the score was 13-6 with 11:11 to go in the game.

Everett’s next drive was long, using up nearly 6 minutes, but resulted in a punt from the OH 32 yard line that was downed at the OH 15.

Oak Harbor punted after a 5 play series, giving Everett the ball at their own 36 with 3:04 left.

With a first down at the Everett 47, the Seagulls attempted a halfback pass play, but the throw was intercepted by Josh Higbee at the OH 33 with 1:41 remaining.

For a while it looked like the ‘Cats might score again, as two consecutive personal foul penalties against Everett gave OH a first down at the Everett 19 with 1:09 remaining. A Sam Wolfe run went one yard, and a second Wolfe run was stopped at the 7 as time expired, giving Oak Harbor their first win of the season, 13-6.

6 video clips from the game are posted HERE.

Next Friday the Wildcats are at Mt. Vernon.

Wildcats win!

Oak Harbor beats Everett 13-6 for their first win of the season. The Wildcat defense again bent, but didn't break, allowing only 2 field goals for the Seagulls.

More details to follow.

Varsity football details and video clips from the Monroe game.

The Oak Harbor varsity football team faced off against the Monroe Bearcats in a league game at Wildcat Memorial Stadium on September 11^th, and if you weren’t there, you missed an exciting game, especially the 2^nd half.

Monroe received the opening kickoff and returned the ball to their own 23. They mounted a nice drive and were facing a 4^th and 6 at the OH 10 when the Monroe pass was intercepted by Clarence LaMont at the OH 1 yard line and returned to the Monroe 47. Oak Harbor ran 3 plays and punted. Monroe started on their own 20, drove to the OH 43, then completed a long pass to the Oak Harbor 2 yard line. The Wildcat defense dug in and stopped Monroe on 4 straight plays.

With the ball on the OH 1 yard line, the offense had a ways to go. The first play was a short pass to Donovan Hunt, who barely got out of the end zone. Mike Washington, Jr., who was to play a large role in the 4^th quarter, caught a pass at the OH 10 for a little breathing room, then another pass, this one to Rashaad Smith brought the ball out to the OH 22. The next plays gained little, and the 1^st quarter ended with the score 0-0. On the 2^nd play of the 2^nd quarter, Oak Harbor was looking at 4^th down on the OH 32 with less than a yard to go. QB Clarence LaMont kept the ball and snuck through for a first down to the OH 36. The drive stalled, and the Wildcats punted from their own 41 yard line. Monroe muffed the punt but was able to recover at their own 31.

The defense again stepped up and held Monroe to a 3-and-out series, including an acrobatic deflected pass attempt by Derrick Clarit.

Oak Harbor also went 3-and-out, but on the punt, the snap was a bit low, and the punter put his knee down to get the ball and was ruled down at the Wildcat 28 yard line.

Monroe then drove into the end zone, but Oak Harbor blocked the kick attempt, making the score 6-0 with 5:22 left in the first half.

Oak Harbor started their next possession on the 16 yard line, and punted on 4^th down after gaining only one yard. Monroe started at their own 47, but three plays later the Bearcats scored on a 40-yard pass play. The defense stopped the two point conversion and the score was 12-0 with 3:14 left.

On their next possession, Oak Harbor fumbled the ball on their own 40. With the ball at the 50 yard line, Monroe completed a long pass down to the OH 16, with a certain touchdown stopped by a great open field tackle by Clarit. Clarit also figured in the last play of the half, deflecting a 4^th and 10 pass attempt with just 4 seconds left.

At the half, the score stood at 12-0 in favor of Monroe.

The Wildcats got the 2^nd half kickoff, but a LaMont pass was tipped, intercepted at the OH 45 and returned to the OH 17. Monroe lost 14 yards over the next 5 plays, and a pass attempt from the OH 31 on 4^th and 24 fell incomplete.

On their next possession, the Oak Harbor coaching staff put Luke Felkner in as quarterback. The first play, from the OH 31, was a pass to Josh Higbee, who took it all the way to the Monroe 25 yard line, but that was it as a 4^th down pass attempt was incomplete.

Monroe got the ball at the OH 26 and used up 4 minutes of game time in a 10-play drive for a touchdown to increase their lead to 19-0 with 4:02 left in the 3^rd.

At this point the Oak Harbor offense came alive. After returning the kickoff to the OH 25, three straight passes in the direction of 6-3 sophomore Michael Washington, Jr. got the ball out to the OH 45. Another long pass to Aaron Boesch at the OH 47 was ruled a completion after some discussion among the officials, giving the Wildcats a first down. The drive later stalled, but the ‘Cats ran a total of 14 plays and got across midfield. The 3^rd period ran out during the drive with the score still 19-0.

The Oak Harbor punt went to the Monroe 16, and the defense only let the Bearcats get to midfield before forcing a punt.

With 9:01 left in the game, trailing 19-0 and a first down on the 20 yard line, Felkner handed the ball off to Pat Higbee for a gain to the OH 37, the two plays later, from the OH 39 yard line, launched a bomb to Washington for the Wildcat’s first touchdown of the season. The drive took less than a minute and the score was now Monroe 19, OH 7.

An onside kick was attempted went out of bounds at the Monroe 35. The defense held Monroe to just 2 yards forcing a punt which Hunt returned to nearly midfield. Josh Higbee ran the ball into Monroe territory, then another Felkner pass found its way to Washington for another Oak Harbor touchdown. Now with 5:52 left in the game it was Monroe 19, OH 14.

Monroe could only get to their own 24 yard line, but knocked over two minutes off the clock. Oak Harbor got the ball on the Monroe 38 after another nice return by Hunt and with 3:34 on the clock. The first play was an incomplete pass, then Felkner scrambled down to the 16. A pass to Washington made it first and goal at the 4 for OH, then Felkner tossed a fade to the far corner where it was pulled in by Washington for his 3^rd TD of the night. The drive put Oak Harbor in the lead, 21-19, but used only 42 seconds, leaving 2:56 for Monroe to use.

The Bearcats fielded the kickoff deep in their own territory, but returned it all the way to the Oak Harbor 29 yard line. The first play was a 2 yard run, stopped by Nick Rouser who got through the Monroe line, then a pass that was incomplete at the 2. On 3^rd down Monroe jumped early, backing them up to the 32. The 3^rd and 13 pass play was almost intercepted by OH, but dropped at the 3. Instead of attempting a field goal, Monroe went for it on 4^th and 13. The pass sailed high over the receiver’s head, but an official pulled out his yellow flag and called Oak Harbor for defensive pass interference. Now with a new set of downs at the Oak Harbor 11 yard line, Monroe was able to punch it in and regain the lead 26-21 with 1:01 left in the game.

Oak Harbor started their final drive on the 34 after the kickoff return and 56 seconds to score. A short pass put the ball in the OH 42 with 46 seconds left then Boesch pulled in a long pass and got out of bounds at the Monroe 42 with 35 seconds left. Felkner’s next pass was just little short, and went into the hands of a Monroe defender at the Monroe 31. The Bearcats took a knee to end the game, winning 26-21.

6 video clips from the game are posted HERE. Feel free to embed on your Facebook page.

Varsity football vs Monroe 9-11-2009

Things didn't look good for Oak Harbor in the first half as Monroe built a 19-0 lead, but the Wildcat offense started to click and took the lead 21-19 with time getting short in the 4th quarter.

Monroe was able to drive down to the OH 1, aided by a dubious defensive pass interference call, and scored with 1:01 remaining to take a 26-21 lead. Oak Harbor drove into Bearcat territory, but with about half a minute left, Monroe intercepted a Wildcat pass then took a knee to end the game.

The final score: Monroe 26, Oak Harbor 21.

More details and video clips coming soon.

Varsity football vs Cascade 9-4-2009 game details and video clips

More details from the OH @ Cascade football game, plus some video clips.

Cascade got the opening kickoff at their own 12 yard line, and only gained 5 yards before Rashaad Smith ran in for a solo tackle. From there, Cascade took 12 plays to march down to the OH 24. There the drive stalled and Cascade was forced to punt on a 4^th and 26 after a holding call. Oak Harbor ran two pass and one run play in their first possession before punting from their own 20. The punt was muffed, but Cascade recovered on the OH 42. On 2^nd down at the Wildcat 35, Cascade broke the runner free and wasn’t tackled until he got to the Oak Harbor 4. Two plays later the Bruins ran in for a score. They converted for 2 points, making the score 8-0.

On their 2^nd possession the ‘Cats again ran only 3 plays before punting from their own 20. This punt bounced at the OH 42 then rolled into Bruin territory, coming to rest at the Cascade 43.

The Oak Harbor defense adjusted well to Cascade’s offense, bending, but not breaking. Cascade drove down to the OH 31 yard line and was facing a 4^th and 2 situation when the Wildcat defense stepped up and stopped the Cascade runner for a 1-yard gain.

On offense, it was 4-and-out as a 4^th down pass attempt to an open receiver was batted down by the Cascade line.

On Cascade’s first play from the OH 37, Nick Rouser barged through the line and hit the runner for a 4-yard loss. Cascade was able to get the ball inside the Oak Harbor 10, and at the point the “D” really got fired up. Jason Curles had a nice tackle for loss on 3^rd and goal, and on 4^th and goal from the OH 6, the runner was stopped at the 1 yard line.

Taking over with a 1^st and 10 on their own 1 yard line, the OH offense got some rhythm, moving the ball out to the 32 yard line. Unfortunately, Cascade intercepted the LaMont pass at their own 41 and returned it back to the OH 15 yard line.

On the very next play, Alec Castillo knocked the ball loose and recovered the fumble, giving Oak Harbor the ball at the OH 19, but LaMont was sacked on the first scrimmage play, ending the half with Cascade leading 8-0.

Josh Higbee took the 2^nd half kickoff at the 9 yard line and returned it across midfield to the Cascade 43. The drive ended in a punt to the Cascade 35 yard line.

On defense, the guys again flexed but kept the Bruins out of the end zone. Cascade was looking at a 4^th and 5 at the OH 15, but gained nothing, turning over the ball to Oak Harbor.

Later in the game the defense got the ball to the offense again on a 4^th down stop at the OH 26, but another interception stopped the drive.

Cascade was able to score on their final drive of the game from 2 yards out and just 1:44 on the clock, extending their lead to 15-0.

The ensuing kickoff was returned to midfield and a nice reception and run by Brad Farnum took the ball to the Cascade 38. Quarterback Clarence LaMont ran a QB keeper to the near side at the 27, then a defensive pass interference gave Oak Harbor a first down at the Cascade 11 yard line, but a bad snap and a pair of incompletions gave the ball back to the Bruins with just 12 seconds on the clock, and they took a knee to end the game.

Video clips from the game are posted HERE.

The home opener is this Friday, September 11th against Monroe, a big winner last week.

Varsity football vs Cascade 9-4-2009

The Wildcats took the field at Everett Memorial Stadium last Friday night in their first game of the year with a new offensive look in place. In previous years, Oak Harbor was known for running the Wing T formation, but a few games into last years' season switched to a spread, pass-oriented offense. This year a new twist was added - no huddle and hurry up, starting from play one.

Cascade took their 2nd possession to the endzone and used a trick PAT to score 2, giving the Bruins an early 8-0 lead. The defense adjusted well, holding the Cascade run game in check and forcing several 4th-down turnovers. That 8-0 lead stayed throughout most of the game until Cascade scored again late, leaving the final score Cascade 15, Oak Harbor 0.

No video clips are available yet, but will be posted when available. In the meantime, a few photos of the game are posted HERE.

The next game for the varsity Wildcats is at home on September 11th vs the Monroe Bearcats, who beat Shorewood 50-6 last Friday.

There is no JV game this week, but there is a Freshman football game at Stanwood on Sept 10th.

Volleyball opens their season at home on Tuesday the 8th vs Cascade.

Football games on the radio

Don't forget, if you can't be at the game, be sure to listen in on KWDB radio AM 1110 for play-by-play coverage.

If you are outside the KWDB coverage area, you can listen live online at http://www.kwdb.com/

WIldcat football tomorrow, 9/4/2009

The Wildcats have their first game of the year on Friday, September 9th, traveling to Everett for a non-league game against Cascade.

We went to watch a practice today, and without giving any of the coaches' secrets away, look for a very exciting game Friday night!

Follow the game with our twitter updates

https://twitter.com/OHSportsReport