Three losses in the regular season?
Those defeats became distant memories after Skyline High celebrated its third state title in four years with a 38-7 trouncing of Skyview High in the Class 4A championship game Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.
“We just played the best game we could play at the right time,” linebacker Peyton Pelluer said, “and it worked out great.”
Spartans coach Mat Taylor said seeing his team bounce back from losses and fight through adversity made the championship even sweeter.
“This is the best it’s ever been,” Taylor said. “From where we started, these kids never doubted anything.”
Although both schools opened in 1997, this was Skyline’s eighth trip to the title game and fifth in a row, while Skyview was playing for its first championship.
The Spartans’ big-game experience showed early. Quarterback Max Browne engineered scoring drives of 12 and 11 plays on the opening two possessions. The first resulted in a 24-yard field goal from Sean McDonald, and Damien Greene popped free for a 25-yard touchdown run on the second that put the Spartans up 10-0.
Skyview (11-3) fell in a deeper hole on the ensuing possession. The Storm faced third-and-1 at its own 47 but was stuffed for no gain on two straight running plays to turn the ball over on downs.
Two plays later, Browne fired a beautifully thrown pass to Mason Gregory in the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. That gave Skyline (11-3) a 17-0 lead with eight minutes left in the first half, and the Spartans never looked back.
Browne completed 15 of 22 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Greene pounded out 76 yards on 16 carries.
Skyview’s offense didn’t click until the third quarter. The Storm, held to 97 yards in the first half, finally reach the end zone when quarterback Kieran McDonagh found Reiley Henderson for a 32-yard touchdown on third-and-13 that closed the gap to 17-7.
And when Mo Morrison intercepted Browne moments later, the Storm seemed be coming alive. Starting at the Skyview 14, McDonagh completed passes of 19, 15 and 13 yards on three straight plays. He later scrambled for a first down on third-and-6, putting the Storm at the Spartans’ 30.
“We felt them coming, getting a little momentum,” Greene said.
The drive stalled, and the Spartans took over when Greene picked off a pass intended for Hayden Schuh on fourth down.
Skyline responded with a six-minute drive that Jack Valencia capped with an 11-yard touchdown run, giving the Spartans a 24-7 lead and all but securing the championship.
Skyview, averaging 457 yards of total offense coming into the game, mustered just 230, while Skyline piled up 352.
Skyview couldn’t get all-state running back Parker Henry going. Henry, who entered the game as the leading rusher in 4A with 2,161 yards, had just one carry for 1 yard in the first quarter. He got more work later, but the Spartans still stonewalled him. Henry managed just 34 yards on 15 rushes.
McDonagh completed 19 of 31 passes for 162 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He also ran 12 times for 36 yards.
Doug Pacey: 253-597-8271 doug.pacey@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/preps Twitter: @DougPaceyTNT
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