Big plays ignite Kamiak

MUKILTEO — When the first scoring play of the game is a 99-yard touchdown pass, it seems like an omen of more big plays to come.

So it was for Kamiak on Friday night as the Knights opened the game with a flurry of big plays. Facing Snohomish at Frank Goddard Stadium, Kamiak scored six touchdowns in a little more than 15 minutes to open the game, building a 42-8 lead, and the Knights cruised to a 62-38 Western Conference 4A victory over the Panthers.

The victory keeps Kamiak unbeaten in the league with a showdown against undefeated Lake Stevens to come.

Against Snohomish, the Knights had plenty of offensive heroes. Running back Jo Jo Binda Jr. led the way, with 276 yards on 15 carries with four touchdowns. Binda had 258 yards and all four touchdowns in the first half. He played only the opening offensive series of the second half before retiring to the sideline.

Quarterback Tyler Becker also played only the first series of the second half. He was 5-for-10 for 196 yards and three touchdowns.

In a game that was decided in the first half, Kamiak scored touchdowns on its first six offensive possessions. The Knights scored quickly, too, with scoring drives of three, two, five, two and two plays, and then capping the opening half with a one-play scoring drive.

The highlight was the 99-yard TD pass by Becker, which followed a terrific Snohomish quick-kick punt that backed the Knights inside their 1-yard line.

Becker threw incompletions on first and second downs, but on third down he rolled to his right and found wide receiver Jared Pexton cutting across the middle. The pass got to Pexton in space near the 20, and with a few strides he was in the open. He went untouched to the end zone.

But that was just a sampling of more big plays to come. After the 99-yarder, Kamiak reached the end zone on scoring plays of 17, 50, 71, 67 and 57 yards, all in the first half. The 71-yarder was a TD pass from Becker to wide receiver E.J. Maglalang, and others were scoring runs by Binda. On his first eight carries, Binda totaled 235 yards and all four TDs.

Kamiak added three second-half touchdowns, with Pexton scoring on a 16-yard pass from Becker and then going 69 yards on an end-around for another score. The Knights scored their final TD on a 9-yard run by backup running back Alex Indelicato.

Indelicato took over after Binda left the game and finished with 142 yards and one touchdown on 14 rushes.

After falling behind early, the Panthers traded touchdowns with Kamiak the rest of the game. Running back Boomer Vuori scored twice, once with a reception and once with a run, and Aidan Kutsch, Keegan Stich and Jess Harris added solo TDs.

Stich was Snohomish’s leading rusher with 17 carries for 89 yards.

At Frank Goddard Stadium

Snohomish 0 14 8 16 — 38

Kamiak 28 14 13 7 — 62

K—Jared Pexton 99 pass from Tyler Becker (Becker kick)

K—Jo Jo Binda Jr. 17 run (kick failed)

K—Binda 50 run (Alex Indelicato pass from Becker)

K—E.J. Maglalang 71 pass from Becker (Becker kick)

K—Binda 67 run (Becker kick)

S—Aidan Kutsch 32 pass from Kobe McDaniel (Peyton Plucker pass from McDaniel)

K—Binda 57 run (Becker kick)

S—Keegan Stich 22 run (run failed)

K—Pexton 16 pass from Becker (Becker kick)

S—Boomer Vuori 19 pass from McDaniel (run failed)

K—Pexton 69 run (kick failed)

S—Vuori 5 run (McDaniel run)

K—Alex Indelicato 9 run (Becker kick)

S—Jess Harris 52 run (Bryce Lipke run)

Records—Snohomish 2-3 league, 2-5 overall. Kamiak 5-0, 6-1.