EVERETT – Kai Van Sickle is as deserving of a break as anyone. He ran the ball 51 times in Capital’s first-round matchup in the Class 2A state playoffs against Lakewood on Saturday at Frank Goddard Stadium.
But he won’t be too upset that he isn’t getting one. Capital is moving on to the quarterfinals.
It’s Lakewood that is taking the break after it couldn’t keep Van Sickle from rushing for six touchdowns and 322 yards as Capital held off Lakewood for a 47-36 win.
His score from 2-yards out with 1 minute, 43 seconds left in the game gave Capital an insurmountable lead and capped a second half that featured six lead changes.
The lead changed hands nine times in all, with the final switch coming on Van Sickle’s fifth TD of the game, a 32-yard run to the end zone with 6:47 to go.
It’s the second straight state quarterfinal appearance for Capital, but the first at the 2A level.
Capital led 21-10 in the second quarter, but Lakewood scored with less than two minutes left before halftime on a 21-yard run from Donovan Evans. Lakewood got the ball to start the second half and took a 22-21 lead, its first lead since the first quarter, on a 17-yard pass from Kolby Schueller to Justin Peterson.
Lakewood looked like it had Capital on its heels early when Schueller hit Peterson for a 77-yard touchdown pass on its first play of the game. But the play was called back after the officials ruled Lakewood had an ineligible man downfield.
It got a lot worse for Lakewood. The next play was fumbled by Brandon Stott on a reception and recovered by Capital in great field position. Van Sickle would then score his first TD of the game.
But the beauty of team sports is redemption, and Stott got it.
He caught a pooch kick on the ensuing kickoff and returned it 81 yards for a touchdown to make up for his earlier fumble and put Lakewood ahead 7-6. preps.thenewstribune.com
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.