In 18 seasons as the football coach at Peninsula High, there aren’t many things Ross Filkins’ teams haven’t been able to do.
One of the big things on the checklist – beating Lakes – hadn’t been accomplished until Friday night. Thanks to a dominating defensive performance and a big night by Alex Weymiller, the Seahawks pulled away for a 30-7 victory at Roy Anderson Field in Purdy.
The victory gave the Seahawks (7-2 overall, 5-0 league) the title in the Class 3A South Puget Sound League and momentum going into next weekend’s first-round playoff game at home. And it also ended Lakes’ 30-game winning streak in the SPSL 3A.
For Filkins, the win meant a lot to him, his players and the program.
“It’s validation for a lot of hard work,” he said. “This one here has been years in the making, and history is kind to those who persevere.”
The Lancers (5-4, 4-1) will also host a playoff game next week, but for one night, they were left to ponder a game that got away from them in the second half. Trailing 14-7 at halftime, Lakes did not score again and finished with four turnovers.
“I think, No. 1, Peninsula played great,” Lakes coach Dave Miller said. “They brought the type of mentality you need to win a championship game.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Lakes quarterback Rhys Gervais hit running back Kevin Thompson with a screen pass, and Thompson weaved his way through the defense for a 68-yard touchdown.
Peninsula came back on its next series when Austin Filkins threw a 47-yard pass to Weymiller, then hit him again on a fade route for a 7-yard score.
Weymiller set up the go-ahead score with an interception in the second quarter after defensive lineman Jack Hansen pressured Gervais’ throw. Five plays later, Filkins threw a 33-yard strike to Weymiller in the back of the end zone, splitting the Lancers’ secondary and giving Peninsula a lead it would not surrender.
Weymiller caught five passes for 149 yards, and also threw a 26-yard TD pass to Conner Walch for the game’s final points.
“For us, it really wasn’t anything new,” Weymiller said. “We wanted to execute. One of the main things we were thinking coming in was, ‘We’re not playing Lakes. Lakes is playing us.’”
Leading 17-7 in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks extended the lead when cornerback Max Reyes returned an interception for a 27-yard score.
Filkins completed 7 of 8 passed in the first half, and Peninsula controlled the clock in the second half behind running back Jimmy Price’s 101 yards on 16 carries.
“When you’re playing a good team in a championship game, you’ve got to be more consistent,” Miller said. “We made a lot of mistakes, but give Peninsula credit. Hats off to them – they earned it.”
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