Community Sports

Sports Beat | Football teams eye playoff berths

Both local football teams should be squarely in the state Class 3A playoff picture if they can secure wins in Puget Sound League cross-divisional games on Saturday, Nov. 1.

Both teams won on Oct. 24. Gig Harbor (5-3, 3-2 PSL) traveled to Bellarmine and lit up the scoreboard in a 42-20 win. Peninsula (5-3, 4-1) scored 15 straight points to win an overtime thriller, 15-9, against Timberline at Roy Anderson Field.

Cardiac Seahawks

The Seahawks are becoming the cardiac kids. Last week’s win was their second victory this season decided on the game’s final play, after a 10-9 win over Capital on Sept. 26.

On Oct. 24, quarterback Lucas Wiseman’s touchdown run in overtime clinched second place in the Nisqually Division for Peninsula.

Puget Sound League Nisqually Division football standings as of Oct. 31.

Peninsula trailed 9-0 at halftime after the Blazers scored on a 25-yard touchdown pass and a field goal.

The Seahawks made some defensive adjustments in the second half and got some huge plays from defensive end Asher Epstein to shut down Timberline. The Blazers gained only 82 all-purpose yards.

Offensively, the Seahawks mixed the run and the pass well in the second half. Jacob Martin’s 45-yard run set up a Talen McDonnell field goal midway through the third quarter to make the score 9-3.

Timberline mounted a late fourth quarter drive, hoping to ice the game. But Epstein’s sack put them out of field goal range.

Asher Epstein contributed a crucial late-game sack in Peninsula’s win over Bellarmine. Photo by Christi Adams

The Peninsula offense stalled on their next drive, but the Seahawks recovered a Timberline fumble at midfield to set up a dramatic final drive.

Wiseman tossed clutch strikes to Jake Johnson on fourth and six and Trever Bingham on third and ten before running for a 10-yard touchdown to tie the score at 9-9. To add suspense, the extra point try was bobbled with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

Timberline missed a 41-yard field goal attempt with one second to go in regulation, and the two teams went to overtime.

The Seahawks defense held again on Timberline’s overtime drive. With Peninsula’s offensive line looking fresh, the Seahawks drove and scored on Wiseman’s one-yard run to complete the comeback.

Tides’ offense overwhelms

Gig Harbor coach Jeff Scoma’s offense hasn’t been stopped all year and Bellarmine couldn’t do it either.

Tailback Max Schwab hit the turbo boost and scored from 80 yards out on the second play of the Tides’ 42-20 win on Oct. 24. It was the first of three touchdowns for Schwab, who finished with 139 yards rushing and 71 yards receiving.

Schwab scored Gig Harbor’s second touchdown on a 41-yard reception from quarterback Sal Nuuhiwa Alob. Gig Harbor tacked on a 32-yard field goal and a one-yard touchdown plunge from Alob to make the score 23-14 at halftime.

Puget Sound League Narrows Division football standings as of Oct. 31.

Bruising Tide tailback Ian Shearer returned from injury to score from a yard out to make the score 29-14, but the Lions closed to within 29-20 at the end of the third period.

From there it was all Gig Harbor as the boys in the trenches took control on both sides of the line.

Max Schwab scored three touchdowns in Gig Harbor’s win over Bellarmine. Photo by Christi Adams

Henry Blake scored on a 44-yard touchdown run before Alob found Schwab for a 35-yard touchdown pass. It was Gig Harbor’s fourth straight win over Bellarmine.

Alob went 4-for-6 for 90 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Wilson West stacked another solid game with 134 yards rushing on 17 carries.

On the other side of the ball, senior safety Taylor Carey had two momentum-changing interceptions while Ryder Truttmann had two sacks. Blake led with seven tackles.

Up next

Peninsula hosts Bellarmine at Roy Anderson Field at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1. Gig Harbor plays Capital at Ingersoll Stadium at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1.

Both teams are looking for decisive victories in order to be selected as a top-16 seed to the Class 3A playoffs. That would ensure an opening-round playoff game at home.

Soccer postseason begins

The local girls soccer teams are gearing up for the postseason.

Unbeaten Gig Harbor (13-0-3) earned the No. 1 seed to the Class 3A District 3 tournament and will play the winner of a game between No. 9 Bellarmine and No. 8 Decatur on Nov. 4 at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood.

Peninsula (11-4-1) earned the No. 5 seed and opens district tournament play against No. 12 River Ridge at 9 a.m. Nov. 1 at Roy Anderson Field. The Seahawks defeated River Ridge 5-0 on Sept. 25 and 1-0 on Oct. 14.

Gig Harbor won the Puget Sound League championship game with a 3-2 win over Peninsula on Oct. 25 at Roy Anderson Field.

The Tides scored first when Ann Louden poked in a rebound that bounced off Seahawk goalie Brooklyn Finch’s hands. Peninsula answered a few minutes later on Nora Sutherland’s rocket from 20 yards out.

Midfielder Taylor Sullivan put the Tides back in front, scoring off a corner kick near the end of the first half.

Taylor Sullivan, center, scored two goals to lead Gig Harbor to 3-2 win over Peninsula in the Puget Sound League championship game. Photo by Bryce Carithers

Drama ensued as the Seahawks were awarded a penalty kick with just two seconds remaining in the half. But Tide goalie Ella Conrad must be clairvoyant, because she guessed high and right and leaped before the kick to deny the penalty kick.

Sullivan scored again off of a penalty kick in the second half to make it 3-1. Peninsula’s Kaylee Dastrup closed the scoring with a late goal.

“Winning the league was great, but what matters most to me is the effort and character the team showed all season. They earned this through hard work and unity,” said Tides coach Robyn Saathoff.

The local teams could meet again in the district semifinals on Nov. 6.

Janelle Jones of Gig Harbor and Emma Tucker of Peninsula. Photo by Bryce Carithers

Tides sweep cross country titles

Gig Harbor won both the boys and girls team titles at the Puget Sound League cross country championships on Oct. 25 at Fort Steilacoom.

The girls dominated, finishing with 42 fewer points than Central Kitsap. Senior sensation Lejla Carlsson literally ran away from the field.

Carlsson finished in 18:18.3 for 5,000 meters, 48 seconds faster than the best runners from 12 other PSL teams.

Gig Harbor coach Patty Ley described Carlsson as a “amazing competitor who is certainly rising to be in the conversation as one of the best track and long distance runners ever at Gig Harbor.”

Other local top girls performers at the PSL championships were Tide sophomore Ella Savage (third), Tide freshman Maya Crane (fifth), Seahawk sophomore Ascher Lascheck (ninth), and Tide sophomore Clarabelle Simmonds (10th).

The Gig Harbor boys team tied for the PSL title with Central Kitsap, which also had 42 points. Peninsula placed third.

The Tides’ top runners included junior Max Dower (fourth), junior Joshua Minner (sixth), junior Jack Greer (eighth), sophomore Galen Peloquin (10th) and senior Gavin McKeegan (13th). The fastest runner for the Seahawks was sophomore Wyatt Harding (14th).

The WIAA state championships are Nov. 8 in Eastern Washington.

Lejla Carlsson of Gig Harbor won the Puget Sound League cross country championship. Photo by Russell Moore