Ball control, defense carry Lake Stevens

By BRADEY DAY

Herald Writer

LAKE STEVENS – A little rain, a little ball control and a lot of defense helped the Lake Stevens Vikings pummel the Stanwood Spartans 26-0 at Memorial Stadium Friday night.

The Vikings held the potent Stanwood offense to just 81 yards of total offense and dominated the line of scrimmage for a victory that put Lake Stevens at the forefront in the Western Conference 3A.

“Our defense really stepped it up,” linebacker Nate Thomason said. “We keyed on (Julian) Bomar and tried to shut him down.”

And shut him down they did, with Bomar gaining just 44 yards on 15 carries. The Viking defense was led by the 6-foot-8 Lance Barton, who had nine tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery and a knockdown pass to slow the Spartans. “This was really a game for the seniors,” junior linebacker Joey Daube said. “This was their last homecoming and we wanted to send them out with a win.”

The sloppy field played a part in the game on both sides of the ball as linemen struggled to stay on their feet. However, the Vikings offensive line was able to do what it always does: Open up holes for Matt Williams. Williams, who gained 217 yards in last year’s contest against the Spartans, had 98 yards Friday on 21 carries. Williams got the Vikings on the board in the first quarter with a 3-yard plunge with 48 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

The Vikings carried that lead into halftime, then came out in the second half in an even heavier downpour than in the first half, and scored on their first two possessions.

“We just looked for the open holes,” Thomason said. “All the credit has to go to our offensive line.”

Thomason scored the Vikings second touchdown from 32 yards out on a dive play through the right side of the line. Thomason’s score put Lake Stevens up 14-0 and put the game out of reach given the Vikings stout defense. After the score, Stanwood got the ball back and went on its longest drive of the game, 35 yards. Stanwood got stuffed and turned the ball over to Lake Stevens.

The Vikings proceeded to go on a 71-yard drive, chewing five minutes off the clock. By the end of the drive, Matt Williams had his second touchdown, the Vikings had a 20-0 lead, and just 48 seconds remained in the third quarter.

“This was just another obstacle for us in our attempt to be the best team in Wesco,” Daube said.

The Vikings got a touchdown late after backup linebacker Scott Baylor intercepted a pass and returned the ball to the Stanwood 9-yard line. Backup quarterback Mitchell Canham dove forward for a yard and put the final points on the board for Lake Stevens.

The Vikings were able to play the way they did, despite committing seven penalties for 53 yards.

Thomason finished the game with 52 yards on just four carries for the Vikings.