With Orting High reeling in the fourth quarter, Cardinals linebacker Devin Casey saved the day.
White River scored two late touchdowns, but Casey prevented the Hornets from tying the game on a two-point conversion with 8 seconds remaining, and Orting escaped its own stadium with a 28-26 victory.
After Zach McMillen tossed his second TD pass of the final quarter to Garret Quilas, this time an 18-yarder, the Hornets went for the tie – and ran a sweep trying to get the ball to fullback Keenan Fagan.
The front five of the Orting defense got into the backfield, and it was Casey who blew up the play there, preventing the tying conversion.
“I was not sure we could stop them,” Orting coach Marty Parkhurst said.
“We sent five (players) hard and our three guys up the middle pinched, and blew up their play in the backfield.”
In the past eight days, Orting has beaten both defending co-SPSL 2A champions – Franklin Pierce on Sept. 14 and White River on Friday.
“We did not play real well, but my players battled,” Parkhurst said. “They show a lot of heart.”
At Steilacoom 31, Franklin Pierce 21: The Sentinels and their wing-T rolled up 335 rushing yards in shredding the league’s top defense.
Jose Garcia ran for touchdowns of 8 and 23 yards, and Michael Mack and Brian Thomas added scores of their own as Steilacoom built a 25-0 lead late in the first half.
Mack finished with 190 rushing yards on 29 carries.
At Washington 42, Fife 35: Tyquan Bowie’s 5-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter was the winner, but the Patriots needed a late defensive stand to preserve the win.
Washington amassed 320 rushing yards.
At Sumner 42, Clover Park 12: Chase Torgison’s 12-yard scoring pass to Cody Johnson at the end of the first half gave the Spartans breathing room, and they added three second-half touchdowns to pull away at Sunset Chev Stadium.
SPSL SOUTH
Federal Way 45, at Bethel 16: The third-ranked Eagles cashed in on three Bethel turnovers in the first quarter with touchdowns, and cruised to a win at Art Crate Field.
The last score came on Keenan Curran’s 28-yard pass to Marcel Morris. Curran finished with a team-high 115 yards on four carries.
SPSL NORTH
At Kentwood 45, Kent-Meridian 3: Quarterback Dane Manio threw four touchdown passes – the key one coming just 20 seconds after the Royals kicked a second-quarter field goal, and No. 7 Kentwood won at French Field.
NARROWS 4A
Central Kitsap 23, at Gig Harbor 6: Nick Zawadzki rushed for 104 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the first half, and the Cougars stifled the Tides at Roy Anderson Field in Purdy.
NARROWS 3A
Timberline 48, at Wilson 20: Spencer Crump rushed for 190 yards and a career-best four touchdowns, and the Blazers beat the Rams at Stadium Bowl.
Crump scored the Blazers’ final three touchdowns of the first half for a 27-7 lead.
NON-LEAGUE
At Beamer 6, Jefferson 3: Peter Lee kicked a 19-yard field goal as time expired, and coach Darren McKay earned his first win with his new school in an SPSL crossover victory at Memorial Stadium.
Because of a power outage in the stadium discovered Thursday, the game was moved up three hours to play in daylight.
Dashay Ware had three interceptions for Beamer. The last one set up the Titans’ game-winning score.
Camas 53, at Lakes 14: In a word – shocking. The 10th-ranked Lancers (3A) gave up three first-quarter touchdowns. Camas’ running back Nate Beasley scored all of them – two on runs (2, 8) and a third on a 55-yard pass from Reilly Hennessey.
Camas is No. 6 in 4A.
Darrington 53, at Chief Leschi 6: The Warriors, playing on their new field in Puyallup, gave up three early touchdowns to Darrington running back Daren Springs, who had 74 yards on eight carries. Darrington built a 33-0 halftime lead.
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