Everett stays in the hunt

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, October 2, 2003

EVERETT – Two teams seemingly headed in opposite directions wound up with plenty to bandy about when their paths crossed.

After Everett’s Lee Smith caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Steve Nazario in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, the Seagulls withstood a furious Mountlake Terrace comeback to escape with a dramatic 12-7 victory in a Western Conference South Division game Thursday night at Everett Memorial Stadium.

With its third straight victory, Everett improved to 3-1 in the division, 4-1 overall. The Seagulls trail only the unbeaten pack of Jackson, Kamiak and Mariner.

“It’s a great spot, but every team we play now beat us last year,” Everett coach Paul Lawrence said of a remaining schedule that includes Mariner, Meadowdale, Shorewood and Kamiak.

Mountlake Terrace (1-3, 1-4) rallied behind sophomore quarterback Anthony Rutherford in the late going.

Trailing 12-7 with two minutes, 34 seconds remaining Rutherford drove the Hawks from their own 42-yard line down to the Everett 4.

Rutherford completed passes to Adrian Blake and Chris Uhl and Ryan Marker ran the ball to the 21 before Rutherford completed another pass to Chris Neal at the Seagull 4 with 1:06 left.

Neal looked like he might score running on the next play, but was leveled by Everett’s Jonathan Luatua at the 2.

“He’s our train wreck,” Lawrence said. “He’ll really take people on.”

Rutherford had to spike the ball to stop the clock. On third down Everett’s Justin Ehling, a third-string tailback who played virtually the entire game on offense and defense due to injuries to starters, burst into the Hawk backfield to sack Rutherford at the 9. On fourth down Rutherford’s pass into the end zone was intercepted by the leaping Niko Sievers. It was Sievers’ fourth interception this season.

“Niko’s all over the place,” said Smith who also plays defensive back. “I was going to cut (the receiver) off, but I saw Niko right there and it was game over.”

On its first possession of the game, Everett went on a methodical 88-yard, 22-play scoring drive that consumed more than 12 minutes. George Grant, who rushed for 49 yards on 11 carries in the game, plowed into the end zone from 1 yard out to give Everett a 6-0 lead with 9:33 remaining in the second quarter.

Mountlake Terrace took a 7-6 lead late in the third quarter with a 55-yard, 13-play scoring drive of its own. Tony Fuga, who rushed for 76 yards on 21 carries, banged into the end zone from 1 yard out with 2:19 left in the quarter.

Smith’s 25-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter capped a nine-play, 75-yard Everett drive. Smith finished the game with 97 yards rushing on 19 carries.

Everett played the game minus five starters, but got a lift from the likes of Ehling, Andrew Skorney and Nazario who filled in ably at quarterback.

For Mountlake Terrace, Marker had three receptions for 76 yards. Neal rushed for 75 yards on 14 carries.

“I was very impressed by Mountlake Terrace,” Lawrence said. “They played exceptionally well.”

“We knew they’d come out and fight,” Smith said of the Hawks. “We just had to step it up.”

M. Terrace-Fuga 1 run (Bang kick)

Everett-Lee 25 pass from Nazario (run failed)

Records-M. Terrace 1-3 in league, 1-4 overall. Everett 3-1, 4-1.