Returning receiver Teagin Child shines as Auburn Mountainview takes 3A NPSL title
Auburn Mountainview High School may have had difficulty embracing its good fortune on Friday night. But on senior night, Lions senior wide receiver Teagin Child certainly did not.
Playing for the first time since Week 2, Child contributed in a big way as Auburn Mountainview held off Kentlake, 14-7, at Auburn Memorial Stadium to clinch the Class 3A North Puget Sound League football title.
“We’re 4-0. Kind of a weird year, you know,” Lions coach Jared Gervais said. “NPSL 3A champions. We’ll take it. The kids are excited. Second time in school history we’ve won a league, district championship.”
The first time Auburn Mountainview, which opened in 2005, won a title was three seasons ago, when this senior class of players were freshmen.
On Friday, things were different from the first several weeks of this COVID-19 pandemic-delayed campaign. In their previous three games played (the Lions’ game against Thomas Jefferson was canceled due to COVID-related issues), Auburn Mountainview (4-0) had outscored its opponents 135-19.
There would be no such blowout against Kentlake (2-3), despite the fact that Auburn Mountainview began four of its five first-half drives inside Falcons territory. Even with all that great field position, with three minutes, 51 seconds left in the first half, the Lions trailed this one, 7-0.
Kentlake had jumped in front when quarterback Nate Beck found Blake Peterson for a 31-yard touchdown connection with 56 seconds left in the first quarter.
That play came on a fourth-and-17 attempt.
Three possessions later, on its fourth series beginning in Kentlake territory — at the 49 — Auburn Mountainview finally got on the board.
The Lions traveled those 49 yards, with the help of two defensive penalties, in six plays. Child paid it off with an 8-yard touchdown reception from Kayde Bodine with 55 seconds left in the half.
But Auburn Mountainview missed the extra point, and trailed 7-6 at the half. The Lions had just 112 total yards of offense in that first half, but Child had eight catches for 103 yards and that TD.
Child finished with 11 catches for 135 yards overall.
It was the senior’s first chance to see the field since Week 2 against Auburn. The entire team missed the week that would have been the Thomas Jefferson game. Then last week, Child actually tested positive for COVID-19 and had to sit out the 63-6 blowout win over Kent-Meridian.
He made the most of his night on Friday.
“I wasn’t expecting to do that good,” Child said. “But, I was disciplined in practice this week. Just tried to work hard and it paid off. I was a little worried I was going to be unconditioned. But, it turned out good.”
The Lions finally grabbed the lead on the first possession of the third quarter.
It took Auburn Mountainview just six plays to go 75 yards, including a 48-yard keeper up the middle by Bodine that set the Lions up with a first-and-goal from the Kentlake 7.
Bodine’s second touchdown pass of the night, this one to Landen Bowser for 10 yards, put Auburn Mountainview in front. Bodine then connected with Child for the two-point pass conversion and a 14-7 lead that stood up — barely.
“I was absolutely, incredibly impressed with how hard they (the Falcons) played,” Gervais said. “We’ve had a lot of success, but haven’t played in a close game this year.”
The Falcons scared the Lions in the final 5:31 of the game.
After stopping Auburn Mountainview on a fourth down at the Kentlake 17, the Falcons took over on downs. Six plays later, Kentlake stood with a first-and-goal at the Lions 10.
On that first down, Beck kept it for 6 yards. A second-down run from Devon Williams gained nothing.
On third down, Beck was hit in the backfield for a 6-yard loss, but more devastating, he was hurt on the play and had to come out.
On fourth-and-goal from the 10, backup quarterback Brendyn Agbayani came in. He fired toward a receiver at the goal line, but the pass was broken up and the Lions ran out the final 2:37 for the victory.
“At the end, we got a little nervous,” Child said. “But, we stuck to our basics and what Coach (Kent) Rodseth has taught us on defense, and we came out with the ‘W’. It just came down to the wire.”