Eatonville ends Sequim season in shootout 59-42
(Silverdale) -- A gridiron shootout at Silverdale Stadium featuring 8 lead changes, pivoted on 3 Sequim turnovers in the final quarter, as the Eatonville Cruisers outscored the Wolves 59-42 Saturday night.
The district playoff loss ends the Sequim football season with a 7-3 overall record, while the 8-2 Cruisers will travel to Eastern Washington next weekend to play Ellensburg in the state 2A playoffs.
On a rainy night in Kitsap County, the Wolves kept pace with the high-scoring Cruisers for the first 35 minutes, with Sequim leading 42-38 after Gavin Velarde scored his third touchdown of the night on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Riley Cowan with 1:14 to go in the third period.
Cowan connected on 12 of his 24 passes for 192 yards and 4 touchdowns, but was intercepted twice in the final period.
The Cruisers marched 82 yards in 5 plays, with catches by 4 different receivers and took the lead for good 45-42 after quarterback Triston Graf found Ryan Antonson for a 29-yard scoring strike with :22 seconds left in the third frame.
Graf completed 30 of his 42 passes for 428 yards and 4 touchdowns with 1 interception.
Sequim quarterback Riley Cowan found fellow sophomore Kyler Rollness on a crossing pattern for a 20-yard gain, but Rollness fumbled the ball to the Cruisers at midfield with 11:50 remaining in the contest.
Four snaps later, Graf found Ray Springer open for a 29-yard touchdown pass and Eatonville had some breathing room at 52-42 with 10:10 to go.
Springer had a game-high 10 catches for 119 yards and a score.
On the next scrimmage play, Ryan Antonson intercepted Cowan at the Wolves 43, leading to a bizarre Eatonville drive that featured 8 Cruiser penalties for 65 yards (3 holding, 3 illegal procedures, a delay of game and a personal foul for helmet contact).
Eatonville overcame the miscues, turning in a 10-play, 43-yard drive, while burning 5:27 off the fourth quarter clock, boosting its lead to 59-42 with 4:27 remaining on running back Derek Brown's 4-yard scoring run.
Brown carried 17 times for 43 yards and 3 Cruiser touchdowns.
In desperation mode, down by 17 points, Cowan was intercepted by Brooks Moeller at midfield and Eatonville ran off the final 4:09 on the way to victory.
Shootout starts with early scores
Eatonville opened the game with a 9-play, 65-yard drive that took just 2:41 to complete on an 8-yard Triston Graf pass to Justin Brandt.
Justin Moeller's two-point conversion run made it 8-0 Cruisers with 9:19 left in the first quarter.
A 29-yard kickoff return by Gavin Velarde started Sequim at the Eatonville 46.
Three plays later, Velarde caught a Cowan pass on the right side of the Cruisers' defense and slipped away for a 36-yard TD reception.
Cowan's kick closed the gap to 8-7 with 8:39 left in the opening stanza.
Velarde takes an interception to the House
After 2 unsuccessful drives by each squad, Eatonville appeared to be on the way to extending its advantage with a drive deep into Sequim territory.
Graf overthrew a receiver in the center of the field at the Sequim 5 and the ball was intercepted by Velarde at the 1.
The speedy Velarde angled to the left sideline as the crowd collectively inhaled, then roared when he stepped out of a tackle at the Sequim 40 and cruised the rest of the way for a 99-yard Pick-6, his second of the 2016 campaign.
Sequim led 14-8 after the PAT with 1:38 remaining in the first quarter.
Lead ping-pongs in 2nd quarter
Eatonville drove 80 yards in 10 plays, highlighted by a 26-yard pass from Graf to Zarak Scruggs that put the Cruisers at the Sequim 1.
Derek Brown scored on the next snap and Eatonville was back in front 16-14 with 8:11 left in the first half.
Sequim began to have success in the running game, using a quad-receiver set as Velarde and Tyler Conn took turns gashing the Eatonville defense.
Cowan found Cody Bell open along the left sideline after 8 consecutive running plays and the combo resulted in a 22-yard touchdown pass that put the Wolves back ahead 21-16 with 3:20 before intermission.
Eatonville was back in scoring territory after a 38-yard kickoff return by Justin Brandt and Scruggs went 38-yards for a TD on a counter play to bounce the Cruisers ahead 23-21, just 12 seconds after Sequim's touchdown.
Sequim couldn't answer and the Cruisers went to the air for 7 completions to extend their advantage before halftime.
Graf hit Brooks Moeller on an 18-yard slant with :47 seconds left to send Eatonville to the locker room ahead 30-21.
3rd quarter rally for Sequim
The energized Wolves had touchdown drives on their opening 2 possessions of the second half.
Tyler Conn hit pay dirt from 8 yards with 9:38 left in the third period to draw Sequim within a point at 30-29.
Conn had game-high rushing honors with 127 yards on 20 carries.
Sequim got the ball back and Conn ripped off a 28-yard run to the Eatonville 23.
The Wolves regained the lead when Cowan found Kyler Rollness dragging across the left side of the end zone with 6:56 to go in the third frame.
A two-point conversion failed, leaving Sequim ahead 35-30.
Eatonville drove 65 yards in 7 plays to take another lead after a Brown 1-yard plunge, 38-35 with 4:12 left on the third quarter clock.
Game Notes:
The game marked the final prep football appearance for 17 Sequim seniors -- Riley Cosio, Curtis Gorr, Robert Beeson, Tyler Dean, Rudy Whitehead, Jesse Schleve, Devon Bird, James Thayer, Liam Lemon, Michael Larsen, Steve Nguyen, Mackenzie Stockdale, Josh Benson, Brendan Lauritzen, Beau Bernsten, Devin Greenlow and Logan Bennett.
Sequim senior cheerleaders at their final football game included Hannah D'Amico, Taylene Eldridge, Hilary Holtrop, Tatum Jensen, Danica Miller, Karla Najera and Emily Straling.
Velarde's 3 scores boosted his career count to 40 touchdowns.
Download 2016 final Sequim Football Statistics compiled by SequimSports.com
Scoring by Quarters:
Eat - 08 22 15 14 -- 59
Seq - 14 07 21 00 -- 42
Scoring Summary:
1st Quarter:
Eat - Justin Brandt 8 yd pass from Triston Graf (Brooks Moeller run) 9:19 (8-0 Eat)
Seq - Gavin Velarde 36 yd pass from Riley Cowan (Cowan kick) 8:39 (8-7 Eat)
Seq - Gavin Velarde 99 yd pass interception return (Cowan kick) 1:38 (14-8 Seq)
2nd Quarter:
Eat - Derek Brown 1 yd run (Brown from Brendon Morton pass) 8:11 (16-14 Eat)
Seq - Cody Bell 22 yd pass from Riley Cowan (Cowan kick) 3:20 (21-16 Seq)
Eat - Zarak Scruggs 38 yd run (Morton kick) 2:57 (23-21 Eat)
Eat - Brooks Moeller 11 yd pass from Triston Graf (Morton kick) (30-21 Eat)
3rd Quarter:
Seq - Tyler Conn 8 yd run (Conn run) 9:38 (30-29 Eat)
Seq - Kyler Rollness 18 yd pass from Riley Cowan (run failed) 6:56 (35-30 Seq)
Eat - Derek Brown 1 yd run (Graf run) 4:12 (38-35 Eat)
Seq - Gavin Velarde 24 yd pass from Riley Cowan (Cowan kick) 1:14 (42-38 Seq)
Eat - Ryan Antonson 29 yd pass from Triston Graf (Morton kick) :22 (45-42 Eat)
4th Quarter:
Eat - Ray Springer 29 yd pass from Triston Graf (Morton kick) 10:10 (52-42 Eat)
Eat - Derek Brown 4 yd run (Morton kick) 4:27 (59-42 Eat)
Individual Statistics:
Rushing:
Eat - Joe Bridges 11-43, Triston Graf 11-68, Zarak Scruggs 2-47-1TD, Derek Brown 17-43-3TD.
Seq - Riley Cowan 5-5, Gavin Velarde 3-28, Tyler Conn 20-127-1TD.
Passing:
Eat - Triston Graf 30-42-428-4TD-1INT.
Seq - Riley Cowan 12-24-192-4TD-2INT.
Receiving:
Eat - Zarak Scruggs 4-92, Ray Springer 10-119-1TD, Justin Brandt 7-72-1TD, Ryan Antonson 3-43-1TD, Brooks Moeller 6-102-1TD.
Seq - Kyler Rollness 4-58-1TD, Curtis Gorr 1-8, Gavin Velarde 5-100-2TD, Cody Bell 2-26-1TD.
Team Statistics:
Rushing:
Eat - 41-201-4TD.
Seq - 28-160-1TD.
Passing:
Eat - 30-42-428-4TD-1INT.
Seq - 12-24-192-4TD-2INT.
Total Yards:
Eat - 83-629 (7.6 avg)
Seq - 52-352 (6.8 avg)
Penalties:
Eat - 14-125
Seq - 4-31
Had Intercepted:
Eat - 1
Seq - 2
Fumbles Lost:
Eat - 1
Seq - 2
Turnovers:
Eat - 2
Seq - 4
