Kamiak football team takes a step in the ‘right direction’

Published 11:41 pm Friday, September 11, 2009

EVERETT — A number of the players responsible for the Kamiak football team’s 10-7 Wesco South victory over Cascade Friday night didn’t make any big plays during the contest — they made the game-changing preparations during a week of practice.

Kamiak’s “Red Crew” — the second- and third-string players — imitated Cascade’s three dangerous running backs and ran the Bruins’ offense during the week to help the Knights (1-0 league, 1-1 overall) prepare for the real deal on Friday night.

The practice proved advantageous as Kamiak used stout defense to slow the Cascade running attack and held on to shut out the Bruins (0-1, 1-1) in three of the four quarters.

One player who helped contain Cascade was 5-foot-10, 150-pound senior wide receiver/defensive back Nate Regan.

Regan was in on a large number of tackles and also had three catches for 57 yards, and a 46-yard kickoff return that helped set up Chris Menghini’s 23-yard field goal with 30 seconds left in the first half. Menghini’s kick was the eventual game-winner as neither team scored in the second half.

“We used a lot of speedy guys on the ‘Red Crew,’” Regan said, adding that starting quarterback Jake Sortor — who plays only on offense — also worked as a pivotal “Red Crew” member. “It’s all about the ‘Red Crew‘ — that’s how we got prepared; how hard they worked, that’s how good we did.”

Sortor, a speedy and elusive 5-foot-10 senior, ran around the Cascade defense and had the Bruins on their heels with an almost-as-dangerous throwing arm.

Sortor finished with 70 rushing yards on 13 carries and was 9-of-18 passing for 130 yards and a touchdown. His line would have looked even better had Kamiak receivers not dropped a number of his passes.

“He (Sortor) is a shifty kid and does a great job of running our offense,” Kamiak head coach Dan Mack said.

“Jake’s a great quarterback, we wouldn’t trade him for anyone in the state,” Regan said.

Josh Glenn caught a 20-yard touchdown from Sortor on the Knights’ second offensive series of the first quarter. Glenn, a senior, finished with 35 receiving yards on two catches.

Kamiak’s offense was just good enough to win, but it was the Knights’ ability to contain the outside runs of Cascade’s running backs that did the job.

“I just thought our defensive coaches came up with a terrific scheme and we just bent, but we didn’t break,” Mack said. “We got better tonight.”

Cascade’s three-pronged running attack of seniors Aaron Miller and Anthony Hardy, and junior Dominique Moore totaled 198 yards.

“We don’t have much of a passing game, so right now that’s the way to stop us, but I still thought we moved the ball pretty well,” Cascade coach Jake Huizinga said.

Miller led the Bruins with 119 yards on 23 carries and Hardy followed with nine carries for 47 yards. Moore (32 yards) scored Cascade’s lone touchdown on an 8-yard sweep to the right with 5:43 remaining in the second quarter.

“We moved the ball, but we needed to be crisper,” Huizinga said. “… We got the horses, we just have to be more efficient in running it.”

Cascade took possession of the ball with 2:19 left in the game and advanced to the Kamiak 30-yard line before time ran out.

Huizinga said the close loss gives his team a number of things to work on in practice, as well as an early-season gut check. “Now we see what kind of character these guys have,” Huizinga said.

For Kamiak, the preparation was just as big as the win.

“Anytime you can win your opening league game, it helps down the road,” Mack said. “Our ‘Red Crew’ really did a great job and they really prepared us well, this overall was a great victory for our program — it’s a step in the right direction.”

At Goddard Stadium

Cascade0700 — 7

Kamiak7300 — 10

Kam—Glenn 20 pass from Sortor (Menghini kick)

Cas— Moore 8 run (Wiedner kick)

Kam— Menghini 23 FG

Records: Cascade 0-1 Wesco South, 1-1 overall. Kamiak 1-0, 1-1.