TACOMA — Bellarmine Prep football coach Tom Larsen knew all about Desmond Young entering Saturday’s Class 4A state playoff game, and for good reason.
The flashy Edmonds-Woodway running back had racked up 568 yards and scored five touchdowns in the Warriors’ past two games.
So it came as no surprise that the Bellarmine Prep’s key to victory was to shut down the 5-foot-10, 155-pound Young, and follow standout junior quarterback Sefo Liufau to victory. The Bellarmine Prep Lions scored five first-half touchdowns en route to a 42-7 victory over Edmonds-Woodway at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.
The Lions, who lost to eventual-state champion Ferris last year in the semifinals 14-10, improved to 11-0 and will play Skyview in the second round Saturday, Nov. 19. The Warriors, who lost their first three games of the season, finished 6-5.
“We have great respect for Edmonds-Woodway,” Larsen said. “We knew exactly what they could do on offense, and what they’ve done these past few weeks running the ball. We knew it was going to be a big challenge for our defense. So we had to play our best defense and I think we did.”
If it wasn’t, it was sure close.
The Lions held Young to just 18 total rushing yards, all of which came in the first half. Young didn’t reach positive rushing numbers until midway through the second quarter.
On five previous carries, the Lions held him for minus-3 yards. As a team, the Warriors were unable to pick up a first down until 5:19 remaining in the second quarter. By that time, the Lions had built a 28-0 lead.
“Bellarmine handled us in every aspect of the game,” Edmonds-Woodway coach John Gradwohl said. “We were as uninspired as I can ever remember us being. Our plan was to come in and run the ball. But they kept making big plays.”
Liufau led the Lions, both through the air and on the ground. He rushed for two touchdowns and threw for two. He completed 13 of 15 passes for 195 yards. Bellarmine Prep amassed 280 total yards after just two quarter and led 35-0.
Liufau scored from 10 yards out on a quarterback keeper to cap off a 37-yard drive to open the game. On their second drive, Liufau completed a 19-yard pass to Zach Fuller and junior running back Isaiah Flynn rushed 12 yards on an inside-run to set up the Lions at the Warriors’ 5-yard line. Liufau scored two plays later from a yard out to give the Lions a 14-0 lead with 6:09 remaining in the first quarter.
“They (Lions) had a great game plan and it worked,” Gradwohl said. “We couldn’t stop them on defense. Their game plan went well and our’s didn’t. We played a very uninspired game. I think we were still on the school bus.”
The Warriors’ defense showed a flicker of life early in the second quarter when Joe Alexander recovered a Flynn fumble at the Warriors’ 1-yard line, ending a Bellarmine Prep 61-yard drive. However, E-W spark fizzled three plays later when Bellarmine Prep’s Jacob Salazar knocked the ball out of the hands of Warriors’ quarterback Davis Giles and recovered it at the E-W 2-yard line.
Flynn made up for his earlier fumble and walked into the end zone one play later to give the Lions a 21-0 lead with 10:13 remaining in the first half. Flynn rushed for 60 yards on 12 carries.
Leading by 21 points, Larsen increased the pressure even more so. On the ensuing kickoff, Larsen called for an onside kick, which the Warriors ultimately recovered.
On their next possession, the Lions faked a punt with receiver Michael Rector taking the snap and going 12 yards for the first down and setting up the Lions at the E-W 45-yard line. Liufau then threw a dart down the middle of the field, finding Rector in stride for a 45-yard touchdown with less than 7:01 remaining in the second quarter. The Lions finished with 375 total yards.
“This was a tough game for us,” Giles said. “We didn’t think for a second that they could beat us, but that has been our mindset against every team we’ve played since our slow start since early in the season. Prep is great team and they really beat good today.”
The Warriors scored their only points when Matt Cuzzetto raced 27 yards for a touchdown with 7:45 remaining in regulation. The run capped off a 55-yard scoring drive.
E-W finished with 119 total yards, 11 of which came from the air. Mark Coutee rushed for 59 yards on eight carries and Cuzzetto finished with 27 rushing yards.
At Mount Tahoma H.S.
Edmonds-Woodway0000—42
Bellarmine Prep142170—7
BP—Liufau 10 run (Lester kick)
BP—Liufau 1 run (Lester kick)
BP—Flynn 2 run (Lester kick)
BP— Rector 45 pass from Liufau (Lester kick)
BP— Millie 4 run (Lester kick)
BP —Chandler 15 pass from Liufau (Lester Kick)
E-W— Cuzzetto 27 run (Miller kick)
Records—Edmonds-Woodway 6-5 overall. Bellarmine Prep 11-0.
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