Eastlake thrashes Cascade
Published 12:22 am Saturday, November 10, 2007
EVERETT — In the early minutes of Friday’s state football playoff game, Cascade’s defense stepped up twice to stop Eastlake drives with turnovers.
After that, not much of anything stopped a relentless Eastlake offense.
The visiting Wolves scored three straight first-half touchdowns and tacked on another four in the second half on the way to a 48-14 win over Cascade in a first-round Class 4A game at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Eastlake, which improved to 10-1, advances to play the winner of today’s 5 p.m. Snohomish vs. Edmonds-Woodway game at Seattle Memorial Stadium.
Against Cascade, Eastlake often found success running left behind offensive tackle Drew Schaeffer, a 6-foot-5, 275-pounder who has committed to the University of Washington. Many of those yards were gained by running back Taylor Lappano (the son of UW offensive coordinator Tim Lappano), who had 122 yards on 14 carries despite playing sparingly in the second half.
Other Wolves chipped in as well. Among them, quarterback Ryan Robertson, a polished 6-3 senior who tossed a pair of touchdown passes as Eastlake built a commanding 42-0 lead early in the fourth quarter.
The Wolves’ defense was just as impressive, twice stopping Cascade scoring chances after the Bruins pushed inside the Eastlake 10-yard line.
“That’s a great football team,” Cascade coach Jake Huizinga said of Eastlake, which suffered its sole loss this season to Class 4A power Bothell. “They got us out of our game early. And then we missed some opportunities to score some points. … We needed to take advantage of what they gave us.”
Following its first two failed possessions, Eastlake scored quickly and often.
On their third possession, the Wolves marched 82 yards in nine plays for the game’s first touchdown, with running back Steve Nasca scooting through the left side for the final 10 yards.
Cascade answered with a promising drive of its own, which included a 48-yard pass play from quarterback Aaron Frye to wide receiver Paul Heer. The Bruins reached the Eastlake 9-yard line, but on fourth-and-2 the Wolves’ defense pushed through to smother Cascade running back Lorne Bridgford soon after he took the handoff.
Taking possession at their own 11, the Wolves needed eight plays to reach the end zone, with Lappano gaining the final 3 yards through the left side. Moments later, after a Bruins punt, Eastlake needed six plays to cover 75 yards, with Robertson linking with Kolby Kemp on a 44-yard scoring strike for a 21-0 lead.
In the late moments of the first half, Cascade used a long pass play to reach the Eastlake 5-yard line, but turned the ball over two plays later on a wayward pitch, and the Wolves ran out the clock.
The second half was more of the same. After taking the opening kickoff, the Wolves scored in seven plays, covering 68 yards. Robertson again went to the air for the TD, this time lofting a pass to the right corner of the end zone with wide receiver Cory Mackay making an overhead snag for the score.
Two more Eastlake touchdowns, one via the air and the other on the ground, pushed the margin to 42-0. Cascade put up two touchdowns and Eastlake added its seventh in the game’s closing minutes.
Cascade was hurt by the loss of linebacker and tight end Nick Morrison, a senior standout, who left the game late in the first quarter after injuring his right knee. He returned briefly in the second half, but then returned to the sidelines.
“He’s a big part of our team,” Huizinga said. “He’s the emotional leader on defense. And when you lose a guy like that, it limits your options.”
At Memorial Stadium
Eastlake714720— 48
Cascade00014 — 14
Eastlake — Nasca 10 run (Lewis kick)
Eastlake — Lappano 3 run (Lewis kick)
Eastlake — Kemp 44 pass from Robertson (Lewis kick)
Eastlake — Mackay 26 pass from Robertson (Lewis kick)
Eastlake — Nasca 3 run (Lewis kick)
Eastlake — Hunt 32 run (Lewis kick)
Snohomish — Heer 44 pass from Frye (McDonald kick)
Eastlake — Lee 32 pass from Furcini (run failed)
Snohomish — Frye 51 run (McDonald kick)
