Everett football team falls short of state tournament
Published 1:30 am Saturday, November 4, 2017
SEATTLE — The Everett football team simply couldn’t get anything going on offense as it dropped its 3A Week 10 Playoff game to Garfield 41-0 at Memorial Stadium in Seattle on Saturday.
The Bulldogs’ speed advantage kept the Seagulls from being able to find the edge on outside runs, and Everett running back Christian Balmer struggled to find any room up the middle for one of the few times this season.
“You’ve gotta hand it to them. They’re a fast group,” Seagulls coach Doug Trainor said. “They across the board had speed everywhere.”
University of Oregon commit Tre’Shaun Harrison made a number of big plays on his way to 191 total yards and three touchdowns on nine touches for the Bulldogs.
Everett’s night started with promise when Josiah Chavez intercepted Garfield’s Javon Tade on the first drive of the game.
The Seagulls failed to capitalize on the short field when David Eisenkraft’s 33-yard field goal attempt was blocked.
Garfield found the end zone on its next drive on a 6-yard touchdown run from Harrison, set up by a 41-yard connection from Tade to Harrison.
Everett fumbled on its first play from scrimmage on the next drive, and the Bulldogs scooped it and scored from 11 yards out to take a 14-0 lead with less than one minute remaining in the first quarter.
Harrison continued to torment the Seagulls’ defense with two catches for 50 yards on Garfield’s next drive, including a Randy Moss-like catch reaching over an Everett defender and pulling in a 40-yard bomb from Tade. Rashad Hebert capped the drive with a touchdown run from 2 yards out on fourth-and-goal.
The Seagulls had a chance to get back into the game late in the second quarter when Zach Stacy recovered a Garfield fumble, giving Everett the ball at the Bulldogs’ 35-yard line. But a turnover on downs after just four plays thwarted the Seagulls’ chance at cutting into their 21-point deficit before the half.
Needing a score to find some momentum, Everett went for a first down on fourth-and-2 on the opening drive of the second half. The Seagulls couldn’t convert, turning the ball over on downs for the third time, and Garfield extended its lead to 28-0 on another touchdown by Harrison and ran away with the game from there.
Garfield (4-5) will make its first appearance in the state playoffs since 1979 and will face Lincoln (10-1) in a first-round game.
Everett’s 12-year playoff drought will roll to 13 with the loss.
“I’m really proud of (our guys). They worked their butts off to get to this point,” Trainor said. “… They laid down the foundation for the next step for our next group of guys.”
