Snohomish tops Kamiak 48-28

SNOHOMISH — Through much of the first half, things were not going well for the Snohomish football team.

Before an expectant homecoming crowd, the Panthers sputtered in the early going. They lost the ball with a fumble on their first offensive possession, punted on their second and third possessions, and had just one first down by the late moments of the first half.

But in a little more than three minutes Snohomish turned the game around and turned what looked like a homecoming of disappointment into one of jubilation.

Cashing in three quick touchdowns in the closing minutes of the first half, the Panthers shocked Kamiak with a 48-28 Western Conference 4A victory Friday night. Snohomish led 48-14 before the Knights scored two touchdowns in the game’s final six minutes.

The outcome was well in hand with about three minutes to play when Snohomish coach Kai Smalley got an ice-water dousing by his joyous players.

Leading the way for the Panthers was quarterback Kobe McDaniel, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound senior. McDaniel threw touchdown passes of 51, 28 and 11 yards late in the second quarter and added two more — from 66 and 20 yards — in the second half. The latter came on a clever double-reverse after he lined up at wide receiver, a play that fooled the Knights completely.

McDaniel finished the game completing 15 of 20 passes for 294 yards and five TDs with no interceptions. In one stretch from the second quarter into the third quarter he completed nine straight passes, including his first three touchdowns, and he capped his night by completing his last five passes, including his final two throws that went for TDs. He also carried 10 times for 69 yards.

Three of McDaniel’s TD passes went to junior wide receiver Josh Johnston.

After stumbling through the first quarter and much of the second, the Panthers came to life shortly before halftime. The three-touchdown spree began with McDaniel linking up with wide receiver Cole Bride on a 51-yard play down the middle, aided by a defender who fell.

Five plays after the ensuing kickoff, Snohomish recovered a fumble at its own 46-yard line. Four plays later, McDaniel was flushed out of the pocket to the right. On the run, he flung a jump-ball pass to the end zone and it was snagged by Johnston.

On the first play after the kickoff, Snohomish defensive back Caleb Sutherland intercepted a Kamiak pass and returned it to the Knights 10. After a holding penalty negated an apparent touchdown and a sack pushed the Panthers back to the 28, McDaniel scrambled for 17 yards to the 11, and with five seconds before halftime he found Johnston again, this time in the back right corner of the end zone.

After Kamiak narrowed the deficit with a touchdown midway through the third quarter, Snohomish broke the game open with a barrage of four touchdowns in four straight possessions. In addition to McDaniel’s five TD passes, the Panthers got rushing touchdowns from Keegan Stich and Bryce Lipke.

Snohomish 48, Kamiak 28

At Veterans Memorial Stadium

Kamiak 7 0 7 14 —28

Snohomish 0 21 14 13 —48

Kam—Connor Alexander 1 run (Simon Forster kick)

Sno—Kole Bride 51 pass from Kobe McDaniel (run failed)

Sno—Josh Johnston 28 pass from Kobe McDaniel (Kobe McDaniel run)

Sno—Josh Johnston 11 pass from Kobe McDaniel (Taylor DeVries kick)

Kam—Alex Indelicato 8 pass from Connor Alexander (Simon Forster kick)

Sno—Keegan Stich 20 run (Taylor DeVries kick)

Sno—Josh Johnston 66 pass from Kobe McDaniel (Taylor DeVries kick)

Sno—Peyton Plucker 20 pass from Kobe McDaniel (Taylor DeVries kick)