Offensive line helps Marysville-Pilchuck rush into state playoffs

Published 11:51 am Monday, November 9, 2009

SNOHOMISH — Austin Denton received the handoff and took off down the right sideline, traveling almost 40 yards by the time a Graham-Kapowsin defender got within tackling distance.

Time to run out of bounds? Nope. Marysville-Pilchuck’s all-time leader in season rushing yards veered away from the sideline, and into Graham-Kapowsin defensive back Isaac Winters for a few extra yards.

The message? This is the year Marysville-Pilchuck makes it to state.

Denton finished with 136 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries, and undefeated Marysville-Pilchuck rode a dominate offensive line to a convincing 49-24 victory over Graham-Kapowsin Saturday night in a 4A Quad-district playoff game at Snohomish’s Veterans Memorial Stadium.

It took two decades, but Marysville-Pilchuck is going back to state.

The last time the Tomahawks got this far was November, 1989. To put that in perspective, that was the month that the Berlin Wall was torn down.

“It feels great,” said Marysville-Pilchuck senior running back AJ Kvangnes, who finished with 10 carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns. “ … I just want to get the most I can out of (the experience). It’s the best feeling ever.”

The Marysville-Pilchuck running attack looked simply unbeatable. The team finished with 389 rushing yards on 44 carries — the vast majority of that coming in the first half, when the Tomahawks scored on every offense possession to race out to a 49-3 lead.

The result left Marysville-Pilhchuck head coach Brandon Carson — soaked in a victory bath of Gatorade — struggling to make sure he included every one in his praise.

“Boy, they dominated tonight,” Carson said of his blocking corps, which included tight end Jarrett Finau, Zach Schumann, Brett Parsons, JJ Gamalinda, Kyle Bossom and center Daniel Hinckley. “The O-line was amazing.”

Denton’s aggressive attitude got him in trouble in the second quarter, when he rolled his ankle fighting for extra yardage. He limped out — but Kvangnes, quarterback Zack Hanson (seven carries 60 yards, one touchdown) and Ryley Caldwell filled the wide holes before them just fine. Carson said that Denton’s ankle should be okay for next week.

With the win, Marysville-Pilchuck — ranked ninth in 4A state by The Associated Press — becomes the District 1 No. 2 seed, and will play Auburn in the opening round of state playoffs.

The victory also helps Marysville-Pilchuck’s upper classmen exorcise the demons of last year, when an undefeated Marysville-Pilchuck team lost in state qualifying to Issaquah 36-18.

That loss, which took place at Everett Memorial Stadium, was part of the reason Marysville-Pilchuck chose to play its “home” playoff game at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Tomahawks, who can’t play at their own high school because it does not have artificial turf, wanted a change of venue.

“Every time we play a big game, we have twice as much motivation,”

Kvangnes said, referencing the loss to Issaquah. “Half of us experienced (the upset last year). We don’t want it to happen again.”

The change of stadiums certainly worked.

Graham-Kapowsin’s first offensive play off the game ended with a sack by Bossom. The Tomahawks also recovered an onside kick in the first half, a fumbled kickoff, and — in the strangest play of the night — M-P junior Myles Tarran caught a botched punt near Graham Kapowsin’s line of scrimmage and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown to put his team up 35-3 in the second quarter.

Fittingly, Marysville Pilchuck’s Dane Widness rounded out a dominate first half by blocking a Graham Kapowsin field goal attempt as time expired.

Graham-Kapowsin rallied a bit in the second half with a running clock to finish with 231 passing yards and just under 100 rushing yards.

“We won the battle of special teams,” Carson said simply. “… I’m excited for the kids for than anything (because) the season ended a little early last year.”

At Snohomish Veterans Memorial Stadium

Graham-Kapowsin03714—24

Marysville-Pilchuck143500—49

MP—Denton 18 run (Stokes kick)

MP—Denton 2 run (Stokes kick)

GK—FG Nothstein 35

MP—Hanson 23 run (Stokes kick)

MP—Kvangnes 19 run (Stokes kick)

MP—Tannar 33 punt return (Stokes kick)

MP — Kvangnes 2 run (Stokes kick)

MP—Caldwell 3 run (Stokes kick)

GK—Kuwik 5 run (Nothstein kick)

GK—Jones 71 pass from Austin (Nothstein kick)

GK—Jones 28 pass from Austin (Nothstein kick)

Records—Graham Kapowsin (6-4). Marysville-Pilchuck (10-0)