Don’t stop giving Isaiah Flynn the ball.
That’s the lesson third-ranked Bellarmine Prep took from its 41-7 Narrows League 4A win at Mount Tahoma on Friday night.
“The more he gets, the better he gets,” Lions coach Tom Larsen said. “You certainly hear that about the great backs, and we’re finding that out with him. He’s a workhorse.”
After plugging away for 50 yards on 18 carries in the first half, Flynn erupted for 228 yards on 10 rushes after halftime. He broke free for touchdown runs of 32 and 57 yards in the second half, helping Bellarmine Prep, which led 13-0 at halftime, pull away from the Thunderbirds.
Flynn, a 5-foot-10, 167-pound junior, gave credit to his offensive line.
“The line made it great,” said Flynn, who totaled 278 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries. “It was wide open.”
Flynn was helped off the field late in the fourth quarter, but he said there was not a serious injury.
“Felt both my calves lock up,” he said, “It hurt so bad. It was just cramps. I’ll be fine.”
Quarterback Sefo Liufau completed 14-of-20 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. University of Washington-bound receiver Michael Rector made a nice one-handed grab in the end zone for a 15-yard scoring pass that gave the Lions (4-0 overall, 2-0 league) a 27-0 lead. Rector had three catches for 41 yards, and receiver Calvin Chandler caught six passes for 77 yards.
Trailing 13-0 at halftime, Mount Tahoma’s Rondie Pate put the T-Birds (3-1, 1-1) in position twice in the third quarter to close the margin. He ripped off a 57-yard run on the first play of the second half and later returned a kickoff 69 yards, giving his team excellent field position.
Both times, Bellarmine Prep’s defense stiffened and Mount Tahoma turned the ball over on downs.
The Lions marched 83 yards in 15 plays on their opening drive, with Flynn capping it with a 1-yard touchdown plunge. Liufau added a 1-yard scoring sneak after the T-Birds fumbled on their own 18-yard line.
Mount Tahoma scored late in the fourth quarter when Robert Donald hauled in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Junior Gillespie.
Doug Pacey: 253-597-8271
doug.pacey@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/preps
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