Steilacoom’s Emeka Egbuka makes highlight-reel TD catch in 2A title game
Second-seeded Steilacoom High School may have lost the Class 2A state championship game to top-seeded Tumwater on Saturday evening at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup, 48-34, but there was still plenty to like from the Sentinels.
Junior receiver Emeka Egbuka showed once again why he’s one of the top recruits in the country in the 2021 class, making a dazzling one-handed grab in the back of the end zone in the second quarter on a 23-yard pass from junior quarterback Chance McDonald.
It was a catch that could give NFL receiver Odell Beckham Jr. a run for his money.
“It was a great ball from Chance,” Egbuka said after the game.
He may be underselling the catch a bit. But, to Steilacoom coach Colby Davies, those kinds of highlight-reel plays have become routine.
“You’re not surprised when you see it,” Davies said. “We see it so often. We marvel at it, of course, as coaches seeing it, but it’s definitely not a surprise at this point. He’s makes those plays pretty consistently.”
There were a couple coaches on the sidelines who would love to see Egbuka making those plays at the next level for their respective universities. Newly-appointed Washington coach Jimmy Lake and Stanford coach David Shaw were both in attendance Saturday, watching the state tournament doubleheader, with No. 2 Eastside Catholic topping No. 1 O’Dea, 20-12, in the 3A championship game earlier in the afternoon.
On the night, Egbuka racked up 163 receiving yards, finishing with 100-plus receiving yards in a game for the eighth time this season. His 18 catches were a 2A state championship game record, and his three touchdown catches tied the game’s all-time record. He also added a rushing touchdown from the Wildcat formation.
And for Steilacoom, the runner-up finish was the best in program history.
“It just speaks to how much heart we have,” Egbuka said. “The farthest team to go in the state tournament ever in Steilacoom history. We’re really proud of that. It’s a special group of guys here. They’re all my brothers. I can’t say enough about them.”
BEATTIE IN ELITE COMPANY
Tumwater coach Bill Beattie wrapped up his 32nd season, and third at Tumwater, with the first state title win of his career.
He brought his coaching record to 234-101, and his wins now rank tied for 15th in state history with Tom Moore (234-38 in 23 seasons) and Jack McMillan (234-139-1 in 37 seasons). Beattie also previously coached at Olympia and Elma.
As he gleefully walked around the field after the game, celebrating with those he has grown close with over the decades, he started scanning the masses for former Tumwater coach Sid Otton.
Beattie played for Otton — who is still the winningest coach in state history with a 394-132 record in 49 seasons — as a Tumwater student early in Otton’s career, and became his successor when Otton retired following the 2016 season.
“Seriously,” Beattie said, “I would not be doing this (without him).”
MCDONALD PASSES RACANELLI
McDonald concluded an impressive first season as Steilacoom’s quarterback by breaking three 2A state championship game records, finishing 48-of-70 passing for 479 yards and four touchdowns.
His attempts and completions both topped records set by former Hockinson quarterback Canon Racanelli, who is now at Central, who completed 27-of-45 passes in the Hawks’ win over Tumwater in 2017.
McDonald’s passing yards eclipsed the record of 390, thrown by Meridian’s Jeff Bennum in 1999 against East Valley of Yakima.
Steilacoom’s total passing yards — all from McDonald — also set the record for passing by a team, topping Lynden’s 401 against Tumwater in 2012. And the Sentinels and T-Birds combined for 82 points, which is the most by any 2A teams in the championship game’s history.
“I knew it was going to be a shootout in the first quarter,” McDonald said. “Both teams knew coming in it was going to be hard fought.”
MORE BROKEN RECORDS
There were 12 total 2A state championship game records reset Saturday night, and three more in addition to McDonald’s passing records, Egbuka’s receiving records and the combined points total.
Here are the others:
▪ Hunter Baker’s 87-yard scoring run in the third quarter is the longest run and longest touchdown run in history. Othello’s Isaac Jahns had held both of those records since 1998 with an 83-yard touchdown carry.
▪ Tumwater’s 422 rushing yards as a team broke the previous record of 406, set by Othello against Elma in that same game in 1998.
This story was originally published December 7, 2019 at 10:59 PM.
