Emerald Ridge 52, Bethel 35
Gig Harbor 49, Mount Tahoma 7
Their day finally arrived Friday.
Through the first four weeks, you could say Emerald Ridge of the SPSL South and Gig Harbor of the Narrows League had been tough-luck losers – and sitting at 0-4.
No more. The Jaguars upset Bethel, 52-35, at Sparks Stadium while Gig Harbor defeated Mount Tahoma, 49-7, to get new coach Aaron Chantler his first career victory.
In Puyallup, the Jaguars scored two defensive touchdowns, including one in the fourth quarter.
After a botched snap on an Emerald Ridge punt, Bethel took over trailing 45-35 with 31/2 minutes remaining – and immediately went to the air for a quick strike.
Instead, Jaguars safety Joe Subido picked off a pass and rambled 60 yards for a score and a 52-35 lead with 2:02 remaining.
“It was a great win for the team,” Emerald Ridge co-coach Troy Halfaday said. “They finished, and we had not been able to do that yet. We are proud of their willingness to believe in the core values we want to establish here.”
In Tacoma, the Tides scored early and often, riding Garrett Gallanger (6-for-11, 139 yards, four touchdowns) and Sterling Brown (eight carries, 100 yards, TD).
SPSL SOUTH
At Federal Way 63, Puyallup 20
The third-ranked Eagles rolled up 542 yards of offense, and were led by their big-play backfield of Zeek McNeal (137 yards, two TDs) and Chico McClatcher (107 yards, four TDs) in a win at Memorial Stadium.
SPSL NORTH
Jefferson 31, at Auburn Riverside 30 (OT)
The Niko DelaCruz-to-Kyle Dougherty connection worked so well once, the Raiders tried it again for the win. After DelaCruz hit Dougherty for a 25-yard TD, Jefferson went for the win with a two-point conversion – and got it when DelaCruz went right back to his receiver. Kevin Thomson scored first in OT for the Ravens on a 2-yard run.
NARROWS 4A
Olympia 15, at South Kitsap 14
Two weeks of the “Wildcat” formation, two consecutive wins. Michael Naipo connected with Tanner Hartsoch on a 40-yard touchdown pass out of that formation with 7:07 to go, and tossed the winning two-point conversion to his tight end as well as the Bears eked out a victory in Port Orchard.
SPSL 2A
At Clover Park 52, Orting 46
Brandon Pritchett ran for a career-high 346 rushing yards, and his 68-yard touchdown run with 3:30 to go was the winner at Harry E. Lang Stadium. After Orting took a 46-44 lead on a field goal with 3:47 to go, Pritchett scored on the first play of Clover Park’s next drive. Orting got to the Warriors’ 30 in the final minute, but on fourth-and-5, Trevor Grzelak’s pass in the end zone was knocked down by Clover Park’s J.T. Tomlinson.
Steilacoom 24, at Washington 22 (OT)
Steilacoom overcame a missed field goal late in regulation by scoring first in overtime on Brian Thomas’ 9-yard run, then stopping the Patriots’ try for a two-point conversion at Franklin Pierce Stadium in Parkland. After Thomas’ TD run, Michael Mack scored on a two-point conversion to put Steilacoom up 24-16. The Patriots responded on Jordan Mezias’ 9-yard scoring strike to Maurice Hunter, but the game ended when the Cody Martinez’s conversion run was stopped.
At Sumner 42, Franklin Pierce 19
The Spartans’ defense forced three fumbles, including defensive back Jeremy Jackson’s 24-yard return of one of them for a touchdown in the third quarter, and the Spartans easily won to grab a share of first place. Sumner’s tailback tandem of Lokahi Kamau and Dejon Lynch combined for 150 yards and two TDs.
At White River 20, Fife 14
Garrett Quiles knocked down the potential winning pass in the end zone in the final seconds as the Hornets survived the Trojans’ late comeback to triumph.
NON-LEAGUE
At Spanaway Lake 18, Kent-Meridian 15
Treyvon Brown, the SPSL’s leading rusher, scored the winning TD on a 10-yard run with five minutes to go, and the Sentinels won at Art Crate Field. Spanaway Lake linebacker Eric Turner recovered a fumble on Kent-Meridian’s next drive to ice it.
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