3 takeaways from Puyallup’s 35-14 playoff win against Mount Si

It took the offense a little while to get started. But defensively, the Puyallup Vikings made it all work in a Week 10 playoff game on Friday night.

The Vikings forced four turnovers, returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the third quarter and ended the season for Mt. Si with a 35-14 preliminary round Class 4A win on the road.

“In the playoffs, you’re playing really good teams,” Puyallup coach Brian Grout said. “There is a, I don’t want to say feeling out, but a process to finding your playoff identity, your momentum to try to get rolling.”

Puyallup did find their stride.

The Vikings went 46 yards as the second quarter started, capped by Ryan Cramer’s first of two 1-yard, first-half touchdown plunges, to take the initial 7-0 lead with 10 minutes, 19 seconds left in the half. Cramer would break a 7-7 tie with his second TD, putting Puyallup in front for good, 14-7, with 1:20 left in the second quarter.

Defense Wins Championships

Staked to that seven-point advantage, the Vikings clamped down on the Wildcats (5-5) offense.

Mt. Si did put together a pair of third-quarter drives that got them out of their own end and into Puyallup territory. But on both occasions, Donte Grant jumped a pass route for a pair of interceptions.

After grabbing the Avery Walker attempts out of the air, Grant returned both of the interceptions 68 yards. The first extended the Vikings lead to 21-7 with 8:13 to go in the third. The second made it 28-7 with 3:10 left in the quarter.

“I couldn’t think,” Grant said. “Oh my gosh, I was so excited. I told myself to just run.”

No Rhythm Found

Even when the Wildcats seemed to find some pace offensively, it quickly got turned around. Both Mt. Si touchdowns came with help from the Vikings.

Mt. Si tied the game at 7-7 with 6:26 left in the second quarter, but ran just two offensive plays to get a Liam Christensen 27-yard scoring catch from Walker. The short field came courtesy of a ball that popped high in the air as Puyallup quarterback Micah Balzarini tried to throw a deep ball as he was hit by a defensive rusher.

Luke Richter stepped in, intercepted the pass, and returned it to the Viking 27.

Puyallup (8-2) set the Wildcats up with a short field again after Grant’s second interception return. The Vikings were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for the celebration, pushing them back 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff.

Mt. Si was able to return that kick to the Puyallup 44. And it still took 10 plays and a 17-yard touchdown pass from Walker to JT DeRouen on a fourth-and-four to get in the end zone. That made the score 28-14, but the Wildcats would never get closer.

Offense, Not Points

Puyallup did get one big play on offense, just after that DeRouen catch. Three plays later, Maurice Woodring caught a ball from Balzarini on a crossing route, turned it upfield and raced 59 yards for the game’s final touchdown.

The Vikings most impressive offensive drive actually came in the final 27 seconds of the first half, but it resulted in no points. Puyallup moved 81 yards from its own 17 to the Mt. Si 2 on three Balzarini completions to Jordan Dwyer (19 yards, 43, and 19).

With two seconds remaining, Luke Faccone came on to attempt a 19-yard field goal from the left hash. But his kick sailed outside the upright no good as time expired.

This story was originally published November 7, 2021 at 12:15 PM.