FB 2011-11-04 vs Eastside Catholic

Friday night the Oak Harbor Wildcat varsity football team hosted the Eastside Catholic Crusaders in a 3A play-in game, with the winner moving on to the 3A state playoffs.

Eastside Catholic got on the board first with a 5-play drive ending with a 26-yard pass TD with 10:16 left in the first quarter. Oak Harbor responded with a 10-play drive with Ian Kolste finding Mike Washington open in the corner of the end zone for a juggling catch, tying the score with 5:21 left.

EC fumbled on their second play from scrimmage and Brent Ryan ran up the middle from 6 yards out to put the Wildcats on top. The PAT kick was blocked, so the score was 13-7.

The Crusaders came right back, scoring on a 6-yard pass play to take a 14-13 lead with 9:42 left until halftime.

Continuing the offensive show, Oak Harbor marched 73 yards in 15 plays to retake the lead on another Ryan score. A 2-point PAT attempt failed, leaving the score at 19-14 for OH.

Another EC drive ended with a touchdown, this one a 1-yard run with 17 seconds, giving EC a 22-19 halftime lead.

Oak Harbor got the ball first in the second half and scored quickly, needing only 1:01 and 3 plays to put Josiah Miller into the end zone from 41 yards out. After forcing the Crusaders to punt on their first possession of the second half, Oak Harbor scored again to take a 33-22 lead with 5:52 left in the third quarter when Ryan punched it in from a yard out for his 3rd score of the game.

EC closed the score to 4 points, 33-29 with an 18-yard passing score, and then the problems started for Oak Harbor.

The Wildcats were down at the Crusader 10 yard line facing a 4th down with 2 yards to go. As they have done many times this year, the coached opted to go for the first down, but the snap was fumbled and EC took over and went 90 yards to take a 36-33 lead early in the 4th quarter.

On the Wildcats' first play after the kickoff, Kolste's pass was intercepted at the OH 35, setting up a short EC score and taking only 56 seconds off the clock. It was now EC 43, OH 33 with 8 minutes left in the game.

7 plays later the Wildcats were again looking at a 4th down situation, this time with just 1 yard to go on the EC 44. But again, something went wrong with the snap and EC took over on downs.

Eastside Catholic then went into use-the-clock mode. They ran 7 plays and scored on a 5-yard run, but most importantly, ran the clock from 5:19 down to 1:36.

A last-gasp effort by the Wildcats ended with another interception and the Crusaders ended the game by taking a knee, winning 50-33.

The EC win sets them up with a first-round playoff game against Bellevue at Bellevue. The other WESCO 3A team playing for a chance at the state tournament was Meadowdale, who beat Prairie from Vancouver to advance. They will play Mercer Island in the first round of the state playoffs.

The Wildcats end the season with a 7-1 league record and 8-2 overall, winning some tight games along the way. Our boys should be proud of what they achieved.

While the varsity team will lose a number of seasoned players to graduation, a look at the sub-varsity team shows that the Wildcats are in good shape for years to come. The JV squad finished with only a single loss and averaged over 25 points per game while allowing only 8 scored on defense. The freshman team also lost only a single game. They scored over 40 points per game and allowed only 3 scores by their opponents.

Video highlights are posted HERE.

Photos are posted HERE.

FB 2011-10-27 at Meadowdale

For their final regular season game of the year, the 9-0 Oak Harbor Wildcats traveled to Edmonds Stadium to take on the 9-0 Meadowdale Mavericks. The game was billed as the immoveable object (the Meadowdale defense) vs the irresistible force (the OH offense).

In this case, the defense won.

The game started out well for Oak Harbor when Josh McVey recovered a fumble caused by Casey Ferguson during a sack, the Josiah Miller ran in from 21 yards out with 5:56 left in the first quarter to put OH ahead 7-0.

Meadowdale responded with an 8-play drive, ending with a 12 yard run with 2:03 left to tie the score.

After trading punts, Oak Harbor took the lead again on a 30-yard field goal by Peter Franssen with 5:23 left until halftime. It's now OH 10, Meadowdale 7.

After punts but both teams, Meadowdale recaptured the lead, 14-10 on a 5-yard run with 2:34 left. Oak Harbor came right back and scored with 4 seconds left when Ian Kolste found Mike Washington in the corner of the end zone to give OH the lead at halftime, 17-14.

Oak Harbor received the 2nd half kickoff but punted after 6 plays, Meadowdale slowly moved upfield, and it looked like the OH defense had the Mavs stopped, but the QB found an open receiver downfield for a 44-yard TD strike with 5:13 to go in the 3rd.

On their next possession the Wildcats were facing a 4th-and-long, and opting to use a play that had worked several times earlier in the season, punter Josiah Miller got the go-ahead to attempt the fake, but Meadowdale was ready and caught Miller for a 9-yard loss, setting up a 1-yard Meadowdale run to make it 28-17 with 2:46 left.

The Wildcat's next offensive series ended with a Meadowdale interception at their own 21 but the Mavs were forced to punt it away after 4 plays.

The next OH drive started at their own 46 and 9 plays later were down to the Meadowdale 24, but a 4th down attempt was unsuccessful, giving Meadowdale the ball. Seven plays later a 12-yard run made it Meadowdale 34, Oak Harbor 17, and that score would be the final.

Next up for the Wildcats is a home play-in game vs Eastside Catholic. The winner goes to the state playoffs, the loser is done for the year. The game will be Friday night, November 4th at 7pm at Wildcat Memorial Stadium.


40 photos are posted HERE.

Video clips are HERE.

FB 2011-10-21 vs Marysville-Getchell

As expected, the Oak Harbor Wildcats dominated the visiting Marysville-Getchell Chargers on Homecoming night last Friday.

The game didn't start well for the 'Cats. The Chargers took the opening kickoff out to the OH 31, then OH got hit with a defensive pass interference call, but right after that Jeremy Foster tackled the MG runner in the backfield then Brent Ryan recovered a fumble at the MG.

After the turnover, an apparent OH score was brought back due to a holding call, but 3 plays later Ryan went in from 3 yards out for the first score of the game.

The OH "D" held Getchell to a 3-and-out, but 3 plays later Getchell took the ball back with an interception at their own 39. Again an OH penalty gave MG another first down, but they wound up punting after another 3 plays.

On the 2nd play from scrimmage, Josiah Miller broke loose down the near sideline for a 70-yard scoring run with 1:50 left to make it 14-0. Another 3-and-out for Getchell forced a punt which Miller returned to the 14, then got another 7 yards tacked on due to the horse collar tackle by the Chargers. This time Miller caught a pass from Ian Kolste. That score was his 23rd of the season, tying Blake Ward's total from 2003 and made it 21-0 as time expired in the first quarter.

Two plays later the OH offense was back on the field after Ben Miller tipped a Charger pass that was then intercepted by Casey Ferguson at the Getchell 10 yard line. One play later Miller set a new school record for touchdowns in a single season, running it in from the 10.

Later in the second, a halfback pass by Getchell was intercepted by Mike Washington at the MG 25 and returned to the 1 yard line. Ryan punched it in to make it 35-0 with 10:20 left in the half.

Marysville had one good play, completing a screen pass at midfield then running down to the OH 16 before being tackled, but the Chargers failed to convert a 4th and 8 play, then Oak Harbor marched down the field in 5 plays, ending with Sheyenne Sams going in from 27 yards out. The final score of the half came on a 5-yard run by Miller with 1:40 left making it 49-0.

Isaiah Trower ran 75 yards on the 3rd play of the first possession of the second half, then Julian Faralan ran 35 yards for what appeared to everyone as a touchdown, but was spotted at the 1 yard line be the officials. No matter, as Faralan ran in on the next play to make it 63-0 with 4:17 left in the 3rd quarter.

Now deep into the depth chart, the Wildcats didn't move the ball as efficiently, turning the ball over on downs at the Getchell 20. The final score of the game came with just 8 seconds left when Logan Faught intercepted a MG pass and returned it 30 yards for a TD.

Final score - Oak Harbor 69, MG 0. This is believed to be a school record for most points by a varsity team in a single game in school history.

Next for the Wildcats is a trip to Edmonds Stadium on Thursday, October 27th to play the Meadowdale Mavericks. Both teams will enter the game 8-0. The Wildcats average over 50 points per game on offense, the Mavericks allow an average of just over 7 points per game on defense. The winner will be WESCO 3A champ and get home field advantage.

From information currently available, if (actually, when - time to be confident) Oak Harbor beats Meadowdale and is WESCO 3A #1, they will host Greater St. Helens League (Vancouver area) #3 on either November 4th or 5th, probably the 5th due to travel distance. If they win that game the Wildcats will be District 1 #1 and will be in the bottom half of the state bracket.

If the Wildcats don't win, they will be WESCO 3A #2 and will play Metro (Seattle) League #5, with the winner District 2 #2 and would most likely play Bellevue in the first round of the state playoffs.

After the game, the players gathered for their typical postgame conference with the coaches, but afterwards spread out around the midfield soccer circle and commenced to do several rounds of the Hokey Pokey.

Then, as part of the Papa Murphy's Pizza promotion of free pizza for a years, OH kicker Peter Franssen attempted a 35-yard field goal. If he made the FG, the person selected in the drawing would win free Papa Murphy's pizza for a year. Kolste held the ball, Coach Fisher and Turner were under the goalposts, and the rest of the team gathered at the 40. Kolste spotted the ball, Franssen kicked the ball cleanly, BUT, the ball sailed wide right.

No worries, as Papa Murphy's allowed a second try, and this time Franssen's kick was right down the middle.


Video highlights are posted HERE.

Over 100 photos of Homecoming night activities are posted HERE. Included are Football Senior Night introductions. Photos posted here are free to download.

Game photos are posted HERE. Game photos are all from the second half and feature a lot of the 2nd string players.

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.

FB 2011-09-30 vs Lynnwood

Another week, another blowout. While not many doubted the final outcome, Lynnwood did make a game of it. While the OH offense pounded it out as usual, the defense provided some points of their own.

OH got on the board first when Peter Franssen intercepted the 3rd play from scrimmage at the 50 and ran it back for a score. He then kicked the PAT to put OH up 7-0 just over a minute and a half into the game.

Lynnwood's first real drive was impressive. The started on their own 17 yard line and drove down to the OH 8 yard line, where Josiah Miller knocked the ball out of the hands of the Royals player and recovered it at the OH 2 yard line. Oak Harbor then used just over two minutes to drive 98 yards, ending with a Miller 11-yard TD run with 4:23 remaining in the 1st quarter.

The Royal's next drive went all the way for a score. The started on their own 11 and after a 65-yard catch and run play were down to the OH 4 yard line with a 1st and goal. Two plays later they were in for the score, but the 2-point PAT attempt failed leaving OH on top 14-6 with 2:16 left in the first quarter.

The next OH drive displayed some of the athleticism on the team. Ian Kolste threw a long pass to Miller who was covered by a Lynnwood player but caught the pass after backpedaling for nearly 10 yards then gained another 10 after the catch. The quarter ended with OH at the Lynnwood 3 yard line looking at a 2nd down. On the first play of the 2nd quarter Miller ran in from the 3 to boost OH to 21-6.

Again, Lynnwood got a drive going but could not finish. During a scrum near midfield, an Oak Harbor player simply yanked the ball out of the Lynnwood player's grasp to give the ball back to OH at the Lynnwood 33. Four plays later Miller caught a Kolste pass from 15 yards out to make it 28-6.

Three plays later it was the Wildcats' ball again after a Miller interception at the OH 47. On this drive the Wildcats didn't score, a 4th down pass from the Lynnwood 24 fell incomplete, but 6 plays later the Royals punted back to Oak Harbor. Miller scored yet again, this time from 29 yards out with 1:54 left in the half, making it 35-6 for OH, which would stand until halftime.

In the second half, Miller broke away for another long run, this one for 48 yards. The PAT kick failed, making the score 41-6 just over a minute into the half.

Lynnwood punted on their next possession after Cord Krueger and Cody Hernkind teamed up to tackle the Royal runner behind the line of scrimmage.

It took only 3 plays for the Wildcats to score again. Mike Washington caught a Kolste pass and was pushed out of bounds at the 1, then Brent Ryan walked through a gaping hole to make it 48-6 for Oak Harbor and start the running clock for the rest of the game.

Lynnwood then drove down to the Wildcat 22 yard line, then Mike Washington stepped in front of the receiver, grabbed the ball, then ran 87 yards to the goal line. At the 4:01 mark in the 3rd quarter it was now Oak Harbor 55, Lynnwood 6.

It was 4-and-out for Lynnwood, then it looked like OH was going to score again, but an 82-yard run by Isaiah Trower was called back and OH ended up punting. The Royals didn't move the ball far on their next possession, with a 4th down pass falling incomplete.

By now, Oak Harbor was playing mostly the younger players, but the line was still blasting huge holes for the runners. With 3:01 left in the game, Sheyenne Sams went through one of the holes and 46 yards later it was OH 62, Lynnwood 6.

The OH kickoff went to the Lynnwood 20 where it was picked up and returned 80 yards for their second score of the night. The 2-point conversion was good. OH 62, Lynnwood 14, 2:48 left.

But STILL, Oak Harbor wasn't done scoring. With just over a minute left, Julian Faralan found another hole provided by the OH line and sprinted 54 yards to pay dirt. The kick failed, and after the kickoff Lynnwood was content to let the clock run out.

Final score - Oak Harbor 68, Lynnwood 14.

The win puts the Wildcats' record at 5-0. As of Friday, ALL the Oak Harbor football teams are undefeated. The JV team is 3-0 as is the Freshman team. In the 3 games, the JV team has allowed only 3 scored and the Freshman team has put 117 points, an average of 39 per game and has allowed only a single touchdown.

The freshmen will be at home Wednesday at 5:30pm against Lynnwood. Come cheer them on - admission is free.


Click HERE for video highlights.

Click HERE for 63 photos of the game.

FB 2011-09-23 @ Everett

At the beginning of the season, Oak Harbor was picked by the coaches to finish 3rd in WESCO 3A, just ahead of Everett. Last Friday, it took just 2 plays to show that Oak Harbor was more than one place better than the Seagulls.

Everett received the opening kickoff and on their first play Tucker Lundstrom stripped the ball and Josiah Miller fell on it giving OH a first down at the Everett 25. On the very next play Miller ran around the right side to put Oak Harbor up 7-0 just 12 seconds into the game. Everett's next possession ended with a punt at midfield after 7 plays, then the Oak Harbor drive was stopped short at the Everett 2 yard line by a Seagull interception. Everett returned the ball to their own 47, but 6 plays later, facing a 4th and 6, Josh McVey got in and sacked the QB to give OH the ball.

Oak Harbor then put together a 9-play drive that ended with a Brent Ryan 1-yard TD run with 9:47 to go in the 2nd quarter. The PAT kick failed, giving OH a 13-0 lead. Oak Harbor's kickoff went out of bounds giving Everett excellent field position at their own 35, but 3 plays later Miller picked off the Seagull pass then on the Wildcats' first play ran 67 yards to the end zone. The 2 point PAT attempt was no good. With 8:47 left in the half it was OH 19, Everett 0.

Everett went 3-and-out on their next possession, punting down to the Oak Harbor 8 yard line. Quickly moving back out to mid-field, quarterback Ian Kolste handed the ball to Brent Ryan who rumbled 50 yards up the middle for another Oak Harbor touchdown. The kick was good to make it 26-0 with 5:48 left until halftime.

Everett finally got on the board, tossing a pass just over the head of the Wildcat defender for a 44-yard TD with 3:57 left in the half. Oak Harbor 26, Everett 7.

This is when OH really got rolling. On a 3rd and 9 play at the Everett 46, Kolste found Miller open at the 40 yard line then Josiah evaded a bunch of Seagull defenders to boost the OH lead to 33-7 with 1:08 to go. Oak Harbor then tried an onside kick which was recovered by Michael Maletto at the Everett 46. Then, running nearly the same play, Kolste got the ball to Isaiah Trower at the 38 and he ended up in the end zone to make it 40-7 with 55 seconds on the clock.

In the second half, the Wildcats got the ball first and it looked like Peter Franssen scored yet again for the 'Cats, but his 47-yard run was called back. No matter, as 5 plays later Ryan punched it in from 4 yards out to put OH up 47-7 and start a running clock for the remainder of the game.

Everett's next possession went nowhere, ending with two straight sacks, one by Troy Sturdevant with Tucker Lundstrom, the other by Casey Ferguson.

Everett finally scored again with both teams deep into their depth charts on a QB run from 13 yards out.

Final score - Oak Harbor 47, Everett 14.

Next up for the 'Cats is a home game Friday against the winless Lynnwood Royals, who are giving up an average of 44 points per game. Kickoff at 7pm at Wildcat Memorial Stadium.

79 photos from the first half are posted HERE.

Video highlights are HERE.

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.

Varsity Football 2011-09-02 vs Mountlake Terrace

The varsity football season kicked off last Friday with the Wildcats hosting Mountlake Terrace at Wildcat Memorial Stadium.

The Hawks received the opening kickoff and on their very first play of the year were called for a false start. Things went downhill from there. After running just 3 offensive plays, Nick Farrell forced a fumble that was recovered by Cody Hernkind, giving the Wildcats the ball on the Terrace 30 yard line. Four plays later Josiah Miller ran it in from 13 yards out to put the Wildcats ahead 7-0 with 9:11 left in the first quarter.

Terrace's second series also ended in a fumble, again with Hernkind recovering, but the Wildcats were unable to score, coming up just inches short on a 4th and 1 play.

The first quarter ended with the Wildcats leading 7-0.

Early in the 2nd, Oak Harbor drove down to the MLT 27, but a pass intended for Mike Washington was just a bit long and was intercepted at the 3 yard line. Not to worry, as the Hawks lost 2 yards in their 3 plays, punting from their own 1 yard line. Again the 'Cats turned the ball over, this on a fumble on the Terrace 30 yard line. And again, Terrace punted after 3 plays.

The Wildcats scored their second TD of the night on a 23-yard pass play from Ian Kolste to Josiah Miller with 4:06 to go in the first half.

Miller scored again just over 3 minutes later on a really nice 84-yard scamper down the near sideline. Franssen's kick made it 21-0 which was the score at halftime.

On their first possession of the 2nd half, the Hawks went 3-and-out, punting to Miller. The ball slipped through his fingers, but Isaiah Trower was there, picked up the ball at the OH 46 and ran it all the way to the end zone to put OH up 28-0.

Terrace's next possession lasted all of 5 plays, the last two ending in tackles for loss, including a nice teaming of Hernkind and Tucker Lundstrom to force the punt which went to the OH 8 yard line.

There, the Wildcats marched all the way to their 5th TD of the night, behind a 52 run by Brent Ryan starting at the OH 12 and ending with a 23-yard Franssen run.

With the game well in hand, the Wildcats started dipping into their reserves, and those players made some noise as well. Troy Sturdevant had a nice sack, Julian Faralan had a nice run to bring the ball inside the 10 yard line and Jack Richter ran it in for the final TD of the game.

Final score - Oak Harbor 42, Mountlake Terrace 0.

Next up for the Wildcats is a trip to Snohomish's Veteran's Stadium to face the Glacier Peak Grizzlies. Game time is 7pm.

A video highlight clip is posted HERE.

47 photos are posted HERE.

Football 2010-10-28 vs Meadowdale

Last Thursday the Oak Harbor Wildcat varsity football team played their last regular season game against the Meadowdale Mavericks with a playoff spot on the line.

After introducing the seniors who were playing their final game on Oak Harbor's turf, the game got started. After Isaiah Trower returned the kickoff to the OH 45 yard line, Josiah Miller took the handoff and ran 55 yards to the Maverick end zone. Just 17 seconds into the game it was Oak Harbor 7, Meadowdale 0.

The OH celebration didn't last long, as 3 plays later Meadowdale scored on a 55 yard pass play. They missed the PAT kick leaving the score at 7-6 with 9:33 to go in the 1st quarter.

Oak Harbor punted on their next possession, but shortly after the Meadowdale quarterback was sacked and a fumble forced, recovered by Judd Ford at the Meadowdale 15 yard line. After moving down to the 8 yard line, OH attempted a field goal but it was blocked by a high-jumping Maverick lineman and they took over on their own 31 yard line. 8 plays later Miller forced a fumble and Kyle Frank recovered it giving Oak Harbor the ball back at the OH 18.

The Wildcats mounted a sustained drive, including a long run by Sam Wolfe to get it started and a nice reception by Justin Counts to keep it going, and it ended with a Jon Lanningham 7-yard touchdown run. Peter Franssen's kick was good, increasing the Wildcat lead to 14-6.

On their next drive, Meadowdale also put together a long drive, going 80 yards in 11 plays for a score. Again, their PAT kick missed, leaving OH ahead 14-12 with 9:56 left until halftime.

After an OH punt, Meadowdale drove 65 yards for their 3rd TD of the half. Instead of kicking they went for a pass PAT which was completed, putting the Mavs ahead 20-14 with 4:32 left in the 2nd quarter.

OH punted again, but this time the kick was muffed by the Meadowdale receiver and Sam Wolfe recovered the ball at the Meadowdale 21. 3 plays later Wolfe ran the ball in from the 11 yard line. Franssen's kick missed, and the game was tied at 20 with 1:44 left until halftime.

Meadowdale thought they could score again, but big sacks by Brent Ryan and Kevawn Brooks ended that though, then the Mav punt traveled only 10 yards. With 37 seconds left, OH had a chance to score again with teh ball at the Meadowdale 35 yard line, but the pass was intercepted at the Meadowdale 10 yard line. Now with 25 seconds left, Meadowdale got into OH territory with 6 seconds to go but Miller snagged the Maverick pass to end the drive and the teams went into the locker room tied at 20.

Oak Harbor got the ball to start the 2nd half and drove deep into Meadowdale territory, but another pass was intercepted, this one in the Meadowdale end zone. The Wildcat defense held and forced Meadowdale to punt, but OH fumbled the ball at the 50 yard line and the Mav's completed the bomb pass for a 48-yard score to go ahead 26-20, and that score would stand until the end of the 3rd quarter.

In the 4th, Meadowdale drove down to the OH 20 and went for it on 4th and 2. The pass fell incomplete, but a very questionable defensive pass interference call on the Wildcats gave new life to the Meadowdale drive, and 2 plays later completed a pass for a touchdown and added a 2-point PAT to make the score 34-20.

On Oak Harbor's next possession, QB Ian Kolste was sacked and fumbled the ball, recovered by Meadowdale. The fumble was very understandable because as he went down Kolste fell on his right arm, breaking the bone.

Meadowdale advanced the fumble to the OH 13 yard line and 2 plays later ran it in for a TD, making the score 41-20 with 2 minutes left in the game, and that score would also be the final.

The Wildcats play one more game, a non-league crossover game next Thursday, November 4th at Monroe HS.

Click HERE for some video highlights. (no, Ian's broken arm is not on it.)

HERE are some photos from the game, as well as photos of each senior before the game, taken from the booth.

Football vs Shorecrest

With only 1 league game left, the Wildcats still have a shot at the playoffs after falling 28-21 in overtime to the Shorecrest Highlanders last Friday at Wildcat Memorial Stadium.

After the game, the Wildcats had a 3-3 league record with Meadowdale still to face. Glacier Peak is at the top of the standings at 5-0 and Everett is 2nd at 4-1. Meadowdale is currently 3rd with a 3-2 record, Shorecrest is 4-3 and Oak Harbor is 5th at 3-3. If Meadowdale wins this Friday (likely against Lynnwood) and then the Wildcats win the head-to-head contest, Oak Harbor will take the 4th and final postseason spot, but will have a play-in game against the 2nd place team from the Northwest Conference for a spot in the State playoffs.

In Friday's game, Shorecrest started the game with an onside kick, which they recovered and drove 39 yards to score with 8:01 left in the 1st quarter.

The first quarter ended with the score 7-0 in favor of Shorecrest and Oak Harbor driving, but a fumble ended the drive at the Shorecrest 21, but the Wildcat defense held and forced a punt from the SC 20. Starting at their own 27, the Wildcats drove down to the Shorecrest 36 thanks to a nice run by Sam Wolfe, then Josiah Miller found his way through the line for a 36-yard TD run, tying the game 7-7 with 8:25 left to go in the 2nd quarter.

Oak Harbor then tried their own onside kick, recovering the ball at the Shorecrest 45, then used 10 plays, ending with a 1-yard Zack Ayer run, to make the score 14-7 with 4:50 remaining in the half.

The Scots then worked the ball into Wildcat territory, but a fumble on a run was recovered by Justin Counts. OH got into Shorecrest's half of the field by the drive stalled and OH punted at the Shorecrest 46 with 1:33 left until the half. Again, the defense held strong, forcing Shorecrest to punt. Shorecrest tried a rugby-style kick with the punter on the run and the ball sailed out of bounds after traveling only 4 yards. Oak Harbor first down at the Shorecrest 43 with 22 seconds left, but a Burgoyne pass with 6 seconds left was intercepted at the 2 yard line to end the half with Oak Harbor leading 14-7.

OH kicked off to start the 2nd half and a 4th down pass attempt by Shorecrest fell incomplete, giving the Wildcats the ball at the OH 36. Ten plays later it was OH 21-7 after a 25-yard run by Miller and a Franssen PAT kick. That score would stand to the end of the 3rd quarter.

Shorecrest closed the gap to 21-14 on an 8-yard TD pass with 10:53 left in the game then scored again on a heads-up play by a Shorecrest player. After a 14- yard run, the Scorecrest runner was hit at the 1 yard line by Sam Wolfe and fumbled the ball. The ball bounced around and seemingly jumped up into the hands of another Scot who ran it the final yard into the end zone. The kick was good and the score was tied at 21 with 3:16 left.

Oak Harbor had one final chance to score with 33 seconds left in regulation, but the Wildcat pass was again intercepted, ending regulation time 21-21.

In overtime, Oak Harbor won the toss and Shorecrest got the ball first, then scored on their 2nd play on a 25-yard TD pass play and kick was good.

On Oak Harbor's possession, with a 3rd and 10 at the 15 yard line, a Scot defender stepped in front of the Oak Harbor pass and intercepted to end the game with a 21-28 Oak Harbor loss.

In Monday's JV game, Oak Harbor beat Shorecrest 19-14.

37 photos are posted HERE.

Click HERE for video highlight clips.

Football 2010-10-08 Varsity @ Mt. Vernon

Two big plays. That's all it took for the Wildcats to beat the Mt. Vernon Bulldogs last Friday in Mt. Vernon.

Mt. Vernon got the ball first, returning the opening kickoff to their own 16. After a long pass play into Oak Harbor territory, the Bulldogs had a 3rd and 2 at the OH 22, but big Kyle Frank recovered a fumble and the Wildcat offense was in business.

The first play was stopped for a 2-yard loss, but on 2nd down Josiah Miller found a hole and sprinted 81 yard to the end zone.

Four plays later, Justin Counts was in the right place at the right time and picked off the MV pass at the OH 31 and returned it to make the score 14-0 with 5:19 left in the first.

However, that was it for Oak Harbor scoring

Mt. Vernon got on the board after a 10-play drive that started with a fumbled OH snap on a 4th down play. The drive finished with a 6-yard run. The half ended with the score 14-7 in favor of Oak Harbor after Sam Wolfe batted away a long MV pass as time expired in the half.

The third quarter was filled with 3-and-outs by both teams and ended with the same 14-7 score, but with the Bulldogs looking at a 4th down on the OH 11 yard line.

Mt. Vernon attempted a field goal to start the 4th quarter, but the kick was wide right and Oak Harbor took over at the 20 but wound up punting. MV also punted, but their kick, aided by a strong wind, rolled down to the OH 1-inch line. Two plays later the Wildcat runner ran into a wall and was stopped in the end zone, giving MV 2 points.

After the free kick, MV took the ball at their own 34 and moved the ball deep into OH territory. With a 1st and 10 on the OH 35, Aaron Boesch was able to get a hand on the runner and knock the ball loose and Zack Ayer jumped on it at the 37 yard line. While OH wasn't able to move the ball on the series, they stopped the MV drive and ate up valuable time.

After a final defensive stop, Oak Harbor had the ball on their own 38 yard line and 3 minutes left in the game. After a couple of first downs and 30 yards there were only 25 seconds left on the clock and the Wildcats took a knee to win the game 14-9.

The 4-2 Wildcats finish out the season at home. This Friday Shorecrest comes to Wildcat Memorial Stadium with the winner having a decent shot at a playoff spot. The following Friday it's Lethbridge from Alberta, Canada in town and the season ends on a Thursday night, Oct 28th with Meadowdale.

Video highlights from the game are posted HERE.

Varsity football @ Lynnwood 2010-10-01

Firing on all cylinders, the Oak Harbor Wildcat varsity football team took it to the Lynnwood Royals, spoiling their homecoming by demolishing the hosts 53-6 in the early (5pm) game at Edmonds Stadium.

Oak Harbor scored on every possession and twice on special teams.

The first drive started at the OH 30, but the team advanced 50 yards in just two plays - runs by Sam Wolfe and Josiah Miller. The drive was capped by a Miller 10-yard run.

The second drive started at the Lynnwood 36 and this time Wolfe punched it in, diving across the corner of the end zone for another 6 points. The kick failed leaving the score 13-0

Less than 3 minutes later, Miller returned a Lynnwood punt 82 yards for another score.

After Lynnwood downed the OH kickoff at their own 10 yard line, it took only 2 plays for the Wildcats to get the ball back when a Royal pass was intercepted by Judd Ford at the Lynnwood 14 and returned to the 9 yard line. Two plays later Peter Franssen caught a Matt Burgoyne pass for an 11-yard touchdown. The kick failed and the 1st quarter ended with OH in the lead 26-0.

Lynnwood's woes continued in the 2nd quarter when Miller intercepted a pass at the Lynnwood 35, returning it to the 16, and a penalty for a late hit was added when he was thrown to the ground out near the running track. Again, it took OH only a couple of plays to score again, this time on a Burgoyne pass to Aaron Boesch, good for 6 yards. The kick was blocked leaving the score at 32-0 with 8:58 left in the half.

Three minutes later it was Isaiah Trower's turn to score, breaking loose from 30 yards out. 39-0 Wildcats with 5:51 still to play.

Again, Lynnwood downed the kickoff deep in their own territory, then Justin Counts snagged the Royal pass at the 24 and brought it all the way back to the 9 yard line. 2 plays later it was Jon Lanningham from 2 yards out for the score. It was now 46-0 with 4:26 left in the half and that score would stand until the horn.

In the 3rd quarter, Oak Harbor scored once more when Miller returned a punt 56 yards to the end zone.

Lynnwood finally got on the board when they broke their runner loose and he romped for 53 yards down the sideline as time expired in the 3rd quarter. The kick failed and the score to start the 4th quarter was 53-6. With such a differential, the clock was no longer stopped but continued to run, ending the game shortly after 7pm.

Next up for the Wildcats is a trip to Mt. Vernon for a non-league game against the Bulldogs this Friday.

HERE is the video highlight clip - it's a little longer than the others.

HERE are some photos of the game.

Varsity football vs Everett 2010-09-24

Homecoming went well as the Wildcat varsity football team evened their record at 2-2 with a big win over the previously undefeated Everett Seagulls at Wildcat Memorial Stadium.

Everett scored first with an interception return. The PAT kick failed, which would become very important later. A Matt Burgoyne pass to Mike Washington, Jr. tied the score at 6-6, but OH also missed the PAT kick.

The two teams went back and forth until late in the 2nd quarter when Zack Ayer punched across the goal line. This PAT kick was good, giving the Wildcats a 13-6 halftime lead.

Most of the second half was a stalemate, with defenses outplaying offenses on both teams. Everett got an INT in the OH end zone and it appears that OH also got an interception, with the official with the best view calling a touchback but a 2nd official calling it incomplete. In the end it was ruled incomplete.

Late in the game Everett scored a touchdown and instead of attempting a kick PAT to tie the game, they opted to go for the 2 point conversion and the win. They tried to run it up the middle but were stopped by a host of Wildcat defenders.

The final score was Oak Harbor 13, Everett 12.

Video highlights from the game are posted HERE.

61 game photos are posted HERE.

Varsity football @ Shorewood 2010-09-17

It was the Josiah Miller show at Shoreline Stadium last Friday as the Wildcats picked up their first win of the season in a blowout 46-7 win over the host Shorewood Thunderbirds.

The game started with a bang as Isaiah Trower ran the opening kickoff 78 yards for a score.

Shorewood then got their only score of the game, a 32-yard run after an interception.

Shortly before the end of the 1st quarter, Josiah Miller got the first of his 4 touchdowns, this a 9-yard run to put the 'Cats up 14-7.

Miller really got going after the first quarter. He intercepted a Shorewood pass and returned it 63 yards for a TD. Not content with just one INT for the game, he snagged another on later and returned it 16 yards. He also added a 49-yard punt return for a TD as well as a 14-yard run to end the scoring.

Also getting in the end zone for the Wildcats were Aaron Boesch with his first ever varsity TD, an 8-yard pass reception. Zack Ayer also caught a pass for his score.

On Monday, the JV Squad continued the dominance of Shorewood with a 48-19 win.

68 photos from the game are posted HERE.

A video highlight clip is HERE

Varsity football vs MLT - video and photos

A video clip and photos from the first varsity football game, at Edmonds Stadium vs Mountlake Terrace, are now posted.

Sorry for the delay.

The video clips is HERE

Photos are HERE.

Varsity Football 2010-09-10 vs Glacier Peak

It was another tough night for the Wildcat football team as the visiting Grizzlies sprinted to a 35-0 first-half lead.

Oak Harbor was able to score twice, the first with 19 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, a Matt Burgoyne to Mike Washington pass for 16 yards. The other score was with just 17 seconds left in the game. Isaiah Trower ran around the right side for a 37-yard score.

On defense, Justin Counts was a standout with 2 interceptions.

Next up for the Wildcats is a trip to Shoreline Stadium for a 5pm game against Shorewood, one of two early games this season.

A video highlight clip from the game is posted HERE.

Some photos from the game are posted HERE.

Varsity Football 2010-09-03 @ Mountlake Terrace

The Wildcat varsity football team opened their 2010 season on the road at Edmonds Stadium against Mountlake Terrace last Friday and the Hawks took it to Oak Harbor.

The game started with MLT running back the opening kickoff for a score and scored 4 more times before halftime.

Oak Harbor got on the board just before halftime when QB Matt Burgoyne took the ball in from 3 yards out to make it 35-7.

In the 2nd half, the defense steadied up a bit after adjusting to Terrace's up the middle style of running, holding MLT to just a single score.

Oak Harbor scored the final points in the game with about 3 minutes left in the game when Burgoyne threw to Mike Washington, Jr. for a 28-yard score.

OHHS football begins this Friday

The Wildcat varsity football teams travels to Edmonds Stadium to meet Mountlake Terrace in the opening game of the 2010 season.

The Hawks are coming off a 4-2 conference season (6-4 overall) and were the #2 finisher in the WESCO south last year, earning their first-ever playoff spot. Oak Harbor finished 2-4 in the WESCO North and 3-7 overall, coming in 5th place in the league.

This year both teams are in the newly formed WESCO 3A league and this will be the first meeting between the two teams in recent memory.

The game is the 2nd of a doubleheader at Edmonds Stadium with a scheduled start time of 8pm.

If you can't be at the game, get live Twitter updates on your cell phone! Go to https://twitter.com/OHSportsReport