Peninsula extends Fish Bowl streak to seven games with win over rival Gig Harbor
It’s often referred to as the simplest play in football. Except, when it’s not.
It’s the point after touchdown. Snap. Hold. Kick.
Simple.
Yet on Friday night at Roy Anderson Field in Purdy, that seemingly simple play changed everything in Peninsula High School’s eventual 39-30 victory over host Gig Harbor in the annual Fish Bowl game. The victory also gets the Seahawks (2-1) off to winning start in the Class 3A South Sound Conference.
“Not as designed,” Peninsula coach Ross Filkins said.
Peninsula quarterback Payton Knowles had just extended the Seahawks lead to 30-17 with his 12-yard run on third-and-11 with 10 minutes, 21 seconds left to play. The Peninsula special team entered and Brady Laybourn set up to kick the PAT.
Simple.
Except, the snap back was low. The ball bounced and wound up near Laybourn, who picked it up, turned left and looked for room around the outside of his offensive line.
“I was ready to kick that ball, and it came to me and I was like, ‘I’m running this ball in,’ ” Laybourn said. “Bad ankle, doesn’t matter to me. I’m running it in.”
Laybourn has been battling a high sprain on his left ankle, and shared kicking duties with Frankie Cross on Friday. His heads-up play turned a 13-point lead into a 15-point advantage, 32-17.
Gig Harbor responded immediately, going 79 yards almost exclusively on the strong right arm of quarterback Will Landram, who completed all three of his passes on the drive for 74 yards and his third of four total touchdown passes to Gavin Nash (19 yards) with 7:34 left. The point after gave the Tides (2-1) a chance.
After a stop, Landram went back to work. His fourth scoring completion, a 26-yard screen to Blaze Herbert with 2:29 left got Gig Harbor within two points, 32-30. But, the Tides’ purposeful two-point conversion try was stopped, effectively ending the game.
The scoring, of course hadn’t ended. Landon Watson put things out of reach with 1:36 left, bursting through an open hole on the right side and going 33 yards for the game-clinching scoring run.
Watson became the fourth Seahawk to score on the ground on Friday, joining Isaac Smith who got in twice, quarterback Payton Knowles and Conner Burton.
Smith led the Peninsula rushing attack with 74 yards on 11 carries. Knowles completed 10-of-13 passes for 156 yards, but was outdone throwing it by Landram, who completed 17-of-25 for 264 yards and those four touchdowns.
The Seahawks rushing game won the day, however.
“We’re all running together,” Smith said. “It’s especially motivating. Seeing one guy run for 20 yards, it inspires you. It’s like an internal competition.”
Peninsula scored often against Gig Harbor, but quickly ended one Tides’ streak with a first-possession touchdown drive. Those were the first points Gig Harbor had given up in three games after shutting out its first two opponents.
“We needed every bullet,” Filkins said.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Easily, Laybourn’s two-point run could qualify here. But, Peninsula actually needed one more play to ensure victory. That play came with 2:39 left to play in the game, immediately after Landram got the ball out on the edge to Blake Herbert and the senior running back eluded tacklers to cover 26 yards for a touchdown as the Tides closed within two points, 32-30.
Forced to go for two themselves due to Laybourn’s play early in the fourth quarter, Landram dropped back and rolled right. As he tried to set, the protection broke down. Landram tried to escape but he was dropped by several Seahawks and the attempt to tie the game failed.
“I wasn’t even thinking about it at the time,” Laybourn said. “But then I looked at the scoreboard and realized, that (two-point conversion) helped us.”
UP NEXT
The Seahawks stay put, this time as the home team, for a 3A SSC game against North Thurston. The Tides travel for a league game at Capital. Both games begin at 7 p.m. Friday night.
This story was originally published September 16, 2022 at 11:14 PM.