Published: Saturday, October 31, 2009
Jackson ends Cascade’s postseason quest
EVERETT — Before its game against Cascade Friday night, Jackson’s football team knew it was the No. 1 seed in the Wesco South heading into the Quad-district playoffs. What the Timberwolves didn’t know is if the Bruins, still fighting for their playoff lives, would have enough talent to end their perfect season.
Early in the game at Everett Memorial Stadium, it was clear that the Bruins — playoff urgency or no — would not be able to knock off the fourth-ranked (AP poll) Timberwolves, who triumphed 28-18.
Jackson (6-0 league, 9-0) completed its first-ever perfect season — a goal that the team, which returned 24 seniors and 15 starters laid out in the offseason. They did so in convincing fashion, scoring the first three touchdowns of the game and resting starters for most of the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Andy Gay spent his last play of the night on his back thanks to a Cascade defender, but the 6-foot-4 senior got off his final pass before the hit. Trevor Hegeberg settled under the 19-yarder in the end zone for the score that put Jackson up 28-6.
“You don’t feel those shots when you see the ref put his hands in the air (signaling the score),” Gay said.
Gay, who took just two shots on the evening, finished the game 12-for-17 for 192 yards and two touchdowns. He added a 1-yard TD run in the first quarter.
The Timberwolves host the fourth-place team from the Kingco in the Quad-district playoffs next week, but after losing in the round of 16 last year Jackson has its sights set higher.
“They want to be in the dome,” coach Joel Vincent said, referring to the 4A state finals.
Cascade (3-3, 6-3) rallied for two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a desperate attempt to stave off the end of their playoff chances, but the loss in combination with Mountlake Terraces’ win bounced the Bruins from consideration.
“I am very disappointed,” Cascade coach Jake Huizinga said. “My hat’s off to Jackson. We aren’t going to be able to prove what we could have done in the playoffs.”
Terrace’s win over Kamiak gives the Hawks the second league playoff spot and Kamiak the third, leaving the Bruins — a 42-28 winner over Terrace on Oct. 2 — shaking their heads.
Two weeks ago it was their spot to lose and that’s just what they did, dropping a 28-7 decision to Edmonds-Woodway Oct. 23 to put them in Friday’s situation.
Huizinga believes that off-field issues may have decided the Bruins fate rather than the quality of players on his roster.
“We had things going in a direction that was positive and (those issues) took what we had going and removed it from our plate,” the Bruin coach said, referring to bouts with sickness, injuries and most notably discipline problems.
Early in the season Huizinga scrapped his offense and designed a new one around LaQuondis Bruce. The sophomore halfback/wildcat quarterback was at the center of the Bruins offensive and defensive success.
He broke an unspecified district rule and missed the past three games of the season, in which his presence was certainly missed.
Huizinga went back to a more traditional offense that was ably led Friday by traditional quarterback Lex Duncan, who finished the game 5-for-10 and 157 yards with one score and one interception. Aaron Miller rushed for 105 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown.
Some of the Bruins struggles were due to the loss of Bruce but mostly it was the Timberwolves defense that decided the game.
“We’ve played well defensively all year,” Vincent said. “We’ve been known as an offensive team but we are ready to make a run (in the playoffs) because of our defense.”
Jackson had no trouble getting on the scoreboard early thanks to its defense. After a quick Cascade three-and-out and a bad punt, the Timberwolves mixed Wildcat formation snaps to Traishawn Patrick and shotgun snaps to Gay on a nine-play 36-yard drive that ended with Patrick plunging into the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 2.
Cascade failed to get a first down until the second quarter despite three possessions. Meanwhile Gay had already added a 1-yard run to put Jackson up 14-0 before the first Bruin first down.
Jackson’s two-way star Riley Carr played three series on defense, but Vincent didn’t want to risk him with the playoffs looming.
“I caught him limping a little bit and that was it,” Vincent said.
At Everett Memorial Stadium
Jackson 14 0 14 0 — 28
Cascade 0 0 6 12 — 18
Jackson-Patrick 2 run (Sullivan kick)
Jackson- Gay 1 run (Sullivan kick)
Jackson-Mead 45 pass from Gay (Sullivan kick)
Cascade-Larry Bruce 25 pass from Duncan (kick failed)
Jackson-Hegeberg 19 pass from Gay (Sullivan kick)
Cascade-Miller 3 run (run failed)
Cascade-McGrath 6 run (run failed)
Records—Jackson 6-0 league, 9-0 overall. Cascade 3-3, 6-3.
Early in the game at Everett Memorial Stadium, it was clear that the Bruins — playoff urgency or no — would not be able to knock off the fourth-ranked (AP poll) Timberwolves, who triumphed 28-18.
Jackson (6-0 league, 9-0) completed its first-ever perfect season — a goal that the team, which returned 24 seniors and 15 starters laid out in the offseason. They did so in convincing fashion, scoring the first three touchdowns of the game and resting starters for most of the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Andy Gay spent his last play of the night on his back thanks to a Cascade defender, but the 6-foot-4 senior got off his final pass before the hit. Trevor Hegeberg settled under the 19-yarder in the end zone for the score that put Jackson up 28-6.
“You don’t feel those shots when you see the ref put his hands in the air (signaling the score),” Gay said.
Gay, who took just two shots on the evening, finished the game 12-for-17 for 192 yards and two touchdowns. He added a 1-yard TD run in the first quarter.
The Timberwolves host the fourth-place team from the Kingco in the Quad-district playoffs next week, but after losing in the round of 16 last year Jackson has its sights set higher.
“They want to be in the dome,” coach Joel Vincent said, referring to the 4A state finals.
Cascade (3-3, 6-3) rallied for two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a desperate attempt to stave off the end of their playoff chances, but the loss in combination with Mountlake Terraces’ win bounced the Bruins from consideration.
“I am very disappointed,” Cascade coach Jake Huizinga said. “My hat’s off to Jackson. We aren’t going to be able to prove what we could have done in the playoffs.”
Terrace’s win over Kamiak gives the Hawks the second league playoff spot and Kamiak the third, leaving the Bruins — a 42-28 winner over Terrace on Oct. 2 — shaking their heads.
Two weeks ago it was their spot to lose and that’s just what they did, dropping a 28-7 decision to Edmonds-Woodway Oct. 23 to put them in Friday’s situation.
Huizinga believes that off-field issues may have decided the Bruins fate rather than the quality of players on his roster.
“We had things going in a direction that was positive and (those issues) took what we had going and removed it from our plate,” the Bruin coach said, referring to bouts with sickness, injuries and most notably discipline problems.
Early in the season Huizinga scrapped his offense and designed a new one around LaQuondis Bruce. The sophomore halfback/wildcat quarterback was at the center of the Bruins offensive and defensive success.
He broke an unspecified district rule and missed the past three games of the season, in which his presence was certainly missed.
Huizinga went back to a more traditional offense that was ably led Friday by traditional quarterback Lex Duncan, who finished the game 5-for-10 and 157 yards with one score and one interception. Aaron Miller rushed for 105 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown.
Some of the Bruins struggles were due to the loss of Bruce but mostly it was the Timberwolves defense that decided the game.
“We’ve played well defensively all year,” Vincent said. “We’ve been known as an offensive team but we are ready to make a run (in the playoffs) because of our defense.”
Jackson had no trouble getting on the scoreboard early thanks to its defense. After a quick Cascade three-and-out and a bad punt, the Timberwolves mixed Wildcat formation snaps to Traishawn Patrick and shotgun snaps to Gay on a nine-play 36-yard drive that ended with Patrick plunging into the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 2.
Cascade failed to get a first down until the second quarter despite three possessions. Meanwhile Gay had already added a 1-yard run to put Jackson up 14-0 before the first Bruin first down.
Jackson’s two-way star Riley Carr played three series on defense, but Vincent didn’t want to risk him with the playoffs looming.
“I caught him limping a little bit and that was it,” Vincent said.
At Everett Memorial Stadium
Jackson 14 0 14 0 — 28
Cascade 0 0 6 12 — 18
Jackson-Patrick 2 run (Sullivan kick)
Jackson- Gay 1 run (Sullivan kick)
Jackson-Mead 45 pass from Gay (Sullivan kick)
Cascade-Larry Bruce 25 pass from Duncan (kick failed)
Jackson-Hegeberg 19 pass from Gay (Sullivan kick)
Cascade-Miller 3 run (run failed)
Cascade-McGrath 6 run (run failed)
Records—Jackson 6-0 league, 9-0 overall. Cascade 3-3, 6-3.
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