Mountlake Terrace gets one historic win, seeks another

Published 4:35 pm Thursday, November 13, 2014

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — Soon after the Mountlake Terrace football team took the field for practice on a chilly Tuesday afternoon Hawks head coach Tony Umayam made an observation.

“We’ve never practiced on a Veteran’s Day before,” he said.

The historic practice was just the latest accomplishment for a Mountlake Terrace team that recorded the first football playoff win in the school’s 54-year history last Saturday with a 14-7 victory over Capital in a 3A Quad-District playoff game.

The win gave the Hawks (8-2 overall) eight victories this season, also a school record.

“It’s a significant win,” Umayam said. “Not only is it the first playoff win in Terrace history, but also to set the record for most wins in a season. That’s one I know this team places a lot of importance on.”

Mountlake Terrace navigated a challenging Wesco 3A South schedule finishing 6-1 in the league. After a non-conference win over Kingston, the Hawks dropped a Wesco 3A crossover game to Oak Harbor, before notching the win against Capital at Ingersoll Stadium in Olympia.

“I think that was the most fun game of the season for sure,” said junior Tanner Munnis.

The significance of being the first playoff win for Mountlake Terrace, which opened in 1960, was not lost on the players.

“When it’s all said and done we’re just here to win football games,” said senior running back Malcolm Johnson. “We just want to win. We don’t want to be one of the best teams that came through Terrace, we want to be the best team.”

After the win against Capital, the Hawks said it took a few moments for the win to sink in.

“Everyone was excited but me, personally, I really couldn’t believe it,” said Johnson, who had 16 carries for 63 yards against Capital. “I kept telling myself, ‘This feels like a regular win.’ When I woke up Sunday morning it was like, ‘Oh my God. We just got our first playoff win.’ It was real fun.”

“I don’t know if it’s really sunk in yet,” added senior lineman Billy Parkins on Tuesday.

The Hawks and Cougars had almost identical stats, with Mountlake Terrace having one more first down (14-13) and Capital with a one-yard advantage in total offense (277-276). Turnovers were even as were the number of punts.

“It was very, very close,” Umayam said. “Really it was who was going to make the bigger play at the most key time and we got some big plays in the end.”

It was the eighth win in a strong season for Mountlake Terrace, which has consistently won close games all season – including one-point victories over Glacier Peak and Mariner, the latter coming in its season opener.

“A lot of this has to do with our offseason,” Johnson said. “We had a big offseason and did a lot of stuff to gel as a team and come together. It’s really showing this year. Like when we were down against Glacier Peak, we didn’t stumble. We came together and got the job done.”

Mountlake Terrace’s reward for its victory over Capital is a showdown against Marysville Pilchuck (8-1), the No. 4 team in the final Associated Press 3A poll of the season, this Friday.

“Tough opponent,” Munnis said. “We’re going to see what we can do this week. We’re going to have to bring it. We’re going to have to play our best game this year for sure. It’s the best opponent we’ve played.”

Like they’ve done all season, the Hawks continues to embrace the role as the underdog.

“It’s really been the underdog role – and the chip on the shoulder – that has been something that this program really rallies around,” said Umayam, a 1990 graduate of Mountlake Terrace who is in his 10th season as the head coach of the Hawks. “We’re rarely ever picked to do anything really extraordinary.”

Despite the challenge, the Hawks are hoping to double the number of playoff wins in school history against a formidable Tomahawks squad Friday night.

Said Johnson: “That’s definitely what we’re here to do.”

“We just had a goal this year to try to get as far as we can go and be successful,” Munnis said. “That’s what we’re doing.”

A win would send Mountlake Terrace to the 3A quarterfinals. At least, Parkins thinks so.

The senior doesn’t have a lot of experience with the postseason bracket.

“It’d be nice to go to the, what is it, quarterfinals?” Parkins said. “Yeah. That’d be pretty cool.”