Community Sports
Peninsula, Gig Harbor advance to state football playoffs
With their season on the line, the Gig Harbor Tides (6-3) won a thrilling Puget Sound League crossover game with a long touchdown drive and a gutsy two-point conversion.
The Tides beat the Capital Cougars, 15-14, in Olympia on Nov. 1 to advance to the Class 3A state playoffs. Gig Harbor plays at Sedro-Woolley (9-0) at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8.
Capital led at halftime
Capital opened the scoring on quarterback Cale Berkheimer’s 80-yard touchdown pass to an open wide receiver, which shocked the Tides’ defense with 4:40 remaining in the first half. Gig Harbor blocked the extra point attempt to keep Capital’s lead at 6-0.
Gig Harbor moved the ball well in the first half, but were stopped twice on fourth down. In the third quarter, penalty flags stalled drives despite productive running from Wilson West and Max Schwab.
Gig Harbor running back Wilson West in a game earlier this season. Photo by Christi Adams
Tides head coach Jeff Scoma was bothered as well.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a team score zero in the first half,” Scoma said. “In many ways, we hurt ourselves, but if you win a game when you didn’t play your best then you’ve got to be happy with that.”
The Tides’ defense kept them in the game until West and Schwab slashed for some healthy runs to get deep in Cougar territory.
Hayes’ first touchdown
Quarterback Sawyer Hayes scored for Gig Harbor by diving over the goal line behind smashing blocks from senior linemen Hunter Parris, Peyton Howard and Josh Page.
The Cougars looked to have the back-breaker late in the fourth quarter, when Berkheimer escaped two Tide defenders on third and long for a 30-yard completion. Then Berkheimer fired a quick slant for the touchdown and the Cougars got the important two-point conversion to go ahead 14-7.
With their backs against the wall, the Tides decided that their season would continue.
Gig Harbor center Hunter Parris anchors a line that paved the way for two rushing touchdowns and a two-point conversion to defeat Capital. Photo by Bryce Carithers
Following an angry offensive line of desperate seniors, the Tides ripped off steady gains like a team that could have scored 50 points.
First, junior tailback Schwab ran for 20 yards down the sideline, a week after scoring three touchdowns.
“He just had that it factor in practice early and he’s been proving us right all season long,” Scoma said of Schwab.
Then West went up the middle for 18 yards. “He’s what you want in the Wing T,” Scoma said. “Not many guys want to tackle a 210-pounder that can run like him.”
Hayes’ second touchdown and a two-point conversion
Schwab got 10 more yards and suddenly the Tides were on the goal line with a little over two minutes to play.
Howard and his boys got the line push while West rammed into Hayes from behind to push him into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown.
Gig Harbor quarterback Sawyer Hayes, shown in a game earlier this season, scored two touchdowns against Capital. Photo by Bryce Carithers
With the suspense building, the whole stadium wondered if Scoma would go for the win on the road. Out trotted dependable kicker Caleb Kalafatich for the extra point. But a Cougar jumped offside on the extra point attempt, leading to a penalty that moved the ball just a yard and a half from the goal line.
Kalafatich returned to the sideline and the 250-pound Page entered as a fullback.
“At that point I was confident. I felt like if we couldn’t get it in from a yard and a half out behind our O-line, then we probably don’t deserve to win,” Scoma said.
With the defense keying on West, Lucas Olivas — who hadn’t had a carry all game — got that yard and a half to give Gig Harbor a 15-14 lead. Tides fans let out a roar that could probably be heard back on the Narrows Bridge.
Capital got successive first downs before Tides defensive coordinator Kale Wong sent blitzers from both sides to hurry a Berkheimer throw. Schwab made a difficult, over-the-shoulder interception to seal the victory.
Up next
The Tides move on to face undefeated Sedro-Woolly, for which Scoma has tremendous respect.
“Their coach, Dave Ward, has already won two state titles at the 2A and 4A level. They are well coached and won’t make mistakes,” Scoma said. “But I like our team and feel we were under seeded especially after showing we could play with Mount Tahoma (ranked first) and Lincoln. We have a lot of weapons and play hard, we will be ready.”
Peninsula blows it open in fourth quarter
The Peninsula Seahawks (6-3) scored 16 points over a four-minute stretch of the fourth quarter to beat Bellarmine, 33-13, on Nov. 1 at Roy Anderson Field.
The Seahawks advanced to the opening round of the Class 3A playoffs. They play at White River (9-0) of Buckley at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7.
Peninsula struck first on a 30-yard field goal by kicker Talen McDonnell. Senior running back Jacob Martin set him up with a 39-yard run.
That stood until Bellarmine quarterback Birk Johnston dove into the into the end zone from a yard out with 6:15 to go in the first half. The Lions tacked on the extra point to lead 7-3, but it was the only lead Bellarmine would enjoy.
Seahawks take to the air
With Bellarmine playing its safeties up close to stop Martin, Seahawk offensive coordinator Jim Fairfield dialed up the passing game. Peninsula quarterback Lucas Wiseman found Trever Bingham for an 18-yard touchdown pass to make the score 10-7 Seahawks.
Peninsula quarterback Lucas Wiseman, shown in a game earlier this year, threw for two touchdowns in a win over Bellarmine. Photo by Mandy Krause
On their next possession, Wiseman found speedster Jake Johnson down the sideline for a 40-yard gain. Then Wiseman lowered his shoulder and trucked a defender from three yards out to make the score 17-7 at halftime.
Bellarmine closed to within 17-13 on Johnston’s dive from a yard out in the third quarter, but 6-foot-5 defensive tackle Asher Epstein blocked the extra point.
Peninsula appeared to have more weapons, but the Lions were within reach.
“Well, we’re in the teenager business and sometimes it takes a while to feel confident, and just play,” Peninsula coach Clay Mauro said. “So we’ve been a second half team that hangs around and stays close. We always have a puncher’s chance and we stay close knowing we can knock you out late. In our next game, I’d like to see us come out ready to go from the start.”
Bellarmine seemingly had the Seahawks right where they wanted them a little later. Peninsula led by four points, but faced a third and 10 on their own 20-yard line.
On the next play, Wiseman connected with Johnson, who ran a stop-and-go route before catching the ball 40 yards downfield in a driving wind. Johnson outraced defenders for an 80-yard touchdown, putting Peninsula up 24-13.
“On that catch down the sideline, Jake just said I’m an athlete and I believe in my hands,” Mauro said. “He late hand flashed and trusted his feet and said I know dang good and well that I am faster than anybody on this field trying to catch me. Tremendous play.”
Weather weirdness
Mother Nature got involved next. A fierce, 35 mph wind took hold of McDonnell’s high kickoff. The ball hit the ground and bounced 10 yards backwards, straight to oncoming Seahawks, who recovered the ball without Bellarmine even having a chance to touch it.
McDonnell drilled a 40-yard field goal into that same wind for a 27-13 lead.
Royal Charles, a 280-pound defensive tackle, completed the scoring when he intercepted a screen pass and returned it five yards for a touchdown to make the final score 33-13.
“We knew Bellarmine liked the screen pass and we’ve got a great defensive line coach in Dan Portillo, who worked with the guys all week on it,” Mauro said. “What can be said that hasn’t been said about Royal? If you opened his chest you’d find forest green and creamy white and he’s a great player, but I love our whole D-line and I’d put them up collectively against anybody.”
Wiseman threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a third score. Martin had 100 yards rushing at halftime and finished with 119. Johnson caught four passes for 136 yards and a touchdown.
Peninsula lineman Royal Charles does the Heisman pose after his interception return for a touchdown against Bellarmine. Photo by Mandy Krause
Up next
The Seahawks are solid on both sides of the line of scrimmage, have a talented duo at quarterback back and running back, and their wide receivers are quick. They don’t miss many tackles or assignments, have a solid kicker and special teams and they will battle until the final whistle.
Mauro is impressed with the Seahawks’ next opponent, White River.
“Anytime you’re 9-0 in 3A you’re good,” he said. “I like a lot of things that they do. But the keys for us is to take our profits in the passing game, keep running the ball well and get the ball to our play makers. Defensively we have to stop their running game and be physical so we’ll buckle it up tight. The cardiac kids are coming.”
