Steilacoom routs Fife to close out undefeated run through 2A SPSL
While they’d have liked more, the Steilacoom High School Sentinels will settle for an unbeaten league season and another Class 2A South Puget Sound League title.
Steilacoom set the tone early, scored often and ran away from host Fife on Friday night for a 48-21 victory in the teams’ season finale.
“It’s a consolation, for sure,” Steilacoom coach Colby Davies said. “I think the thing I’m most happy about, our guys got a chance to play. They got a chance to play seven games. Now, we would have loved, as everyone would have, to participate in a playoff. But, I’m just happy these guys got something.”
Lots of Sentinels got something on Friday.
Six different players scored the seven touchdowns Steilacoom put on the board against Fife. Quarterback Chance McDonald had a hand in five of those scores, and was one of the six to get into the end zone with a 1-yard run of his own.
But it was through the air where McDonald really shined against the Trojans, and it started early.
On the Sentinels second play from scrimmage, McDonald connected with Cole Miller for 65 yards. Miller made a pretty grab, reaching out with one hand and tipping the ball to himself in stride.
It was the first 65 of McDonald’s 396 passing yards and the first of four touchdown passes the Western Kentucky-bound senior threw in the game. He completed 25-of-35 passes overall, and did throw one interception (in the end zone) late in the game.
“I’m happy, but I’m sad at the same time,” McDonald said. “I’m leaving my guys. But I know I have a home at Western Kentucky and I’m ready to be there.”
Steilacoom (6-1) possessed the ball five times in the first half, and scored touchdowns on four of those tries. The Sentinels out-gained Fife, 277-38, in total offense in the first half. Overall, Steilacoom gained 570 yards of total offense to Fife’s 109.
Yet, with 10:52 to go in the first quarter, the game was tied at 7-7. After McDonald and Miller connected for that 65-yard opening-drive touchdown pass, Elijah Jennings provided the only real highlight of the half for the Trojans (4-2) on the ensuing kickoff.
Jennings took the ball at his own 11-yard line, slipped to the left sideline and sprinted 89 yards for the game-tying score.
The remainder of the first 24 minutes belonged to the Sentinels.
Steilacoom put together drives of 68, 78 and 80 yards the rest of the half. The only blemish was a quick three-and-out midway through the second period as McDonald finished the half with 243 yards and two touchdowns, having completed 14-of-20 passes.
Davonte Hughes put the Sentinels back on top, running it in for nine yards with 6:45 to play in the first quarter. McDonald hit Logan Brady for a 6-yard scoring pass on fourth-and-goal with 9:37 left in the second quarter.
Then it was McDonald’s 1-yard plunge with 22 seconds left in the half that extended the margin to 27-7 heading into the break.
“This is the group that’s kinda put Steilly on the map, you know,” Davies said. “This senior class is very talented and they’ve been with me from Day 1. So it’s a special class, a class I’ll always hold dear to my heart.”
In addition to McDonald, that class includes Central Washington signee Brady, who also had a big night. Brady ended his high school career with 15 catches for 190 yards and a touchdown.
One senior whose career didn’t end as she’d have liked was on the Fife sideline. Quarterback Brynna Nixon watched most of this one from under a tent after she got hit hard on the Trojans third play from scrimmage and suffered a concussion.
Nixon will move on to play lacrosse at Marquette in the fall.
Fife got two more big plays in the second half, from Kamal Johnson, to salvage something. First, Johnson broke free late in the third quarter on a counter run, got to the sideline and raced 58 yards to get Fife back within 34-14 with 1:30 left in the third quarter.
At the time, that single run more than doubled Fife’s total offense. Prior to Johnson’s sprint, the Trojans had just 52 total yards.
Johnson got Fife’s last touchdown, as well, picking up a fumble and returning it 48 yards with 4:02 to play.
But it wasn’t near enough on this night dominated by Steilacoom.