Glacier Peak falls to Bothell 44-29 in 4A opener

BOTHELL — Glacier Peak scheduled Bothell in the first game of the 2016 football season to see where it stacks up against KingCo talent, but it was two former members of Wesco that gave the Grizzlies the most trouble.

Senior running back Alex Indelicato, a transfer from Kamiak, and senior wide receiver Daniel Johnson, a transfer from Mountlake Terrace, each scored a pair of touchdowns to lead the Cougars to a 44-29 win over the Grizzlies.

“It was the first game,” Glacier Peak head coach Nick Bender said. “The physicality was there and all the stuff we saw as far as little mistakes were easy fixes, so that was very promising and exciting for us.”

The Grizzlies scored first on a 69-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Ayden Ziomas to senior Colton Bunt on a 3rd-and-9, but it didn’t take the Cougars long to answer — and they also did it on a 3rd-and-long. After scrambling to keep the play alive on a 3rd-and-6 from their own 42-yard line, Bothell junior quarterback Jacob Sirmon found Indelicato in the back of the end zone for a 58-yard touchdown to tie the score at 7-7.

The Bothell defense forced Glacier Peak into a quick punt and gave the Cougars’ offense the ball back at the Grizzlies’ 39-yard line. The Cougars took advantage of the good field position five plays later when Sirmon found Johnson for a 19-yard touchdown, giving them their first lead of the game.

After each team added a field goal, Glacier Peak drew even in the second quarter when Ziomas connected with senior Seiver Southard on a fade route for an 11-yard touchdown, tying the game at 17.

Indelicato, who finished with 173 yards rushing on 17 carries, had an answer, breaking a 45-yard touchdown run on the next drive, giving the Cougars the lead for good.

Bothell added another field goal before halftime to take a 27-17 lead at the intermission. That lead grew in the early moments of the third quarter when Sirmon connected with Johnson on an out route. Johnson did the rest on his own, juking his defender and outrunning the Grizzlies’ defense to the end zone for a 75-yard touchdown.

Johnson finished the game with seven catches for 219 yards and two touchdowns.

“It’s difficult to prepare when you don’t actually have video of who is on the field,” Bender said. “That’s what happens in week one. I think we were there to make quite a few of the plays, it’s just a matter of wrapping up and finishing the tackles. That would have made a big difference, but sometimes player A is better than player B and things just happen.”

Johnson was Sirmon’s favorite target, but he spread the ball around to six different receivers. Junior DaVicious Wilson caught four passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. Sirmon completed 18 of 33 passes 354 yards and four touchdowns.

Ziomas completed 17 of his 41 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns.

“He did a great job of leading the team and getting the ball snapped as fast as possible,” Bender said. “I liked the fact that when he scrambled he was a smart scrambler. He knew when to take risks and when to get out of bounds. That was a huge leap.”

Southard caught two touchdowns and finished with four catches for 63 yards. Bunt caught six passes for 148 yards and a touchdown and senior Bo Burns added five catches for 95 yards.

Neither team had a turnover.

At Pop Keeney Stadium

Glacier Peak 10 7 6 6 — 29

Bothell 14 13 7 10 — 44

GP—Colton Bunt 69 pass from Ayden Ziomas (Kevin Ramsey kick)

B—Alex Indelicato 58 pass from Jacob Sirmon (James Johnston kick)

B—Daniel Johnson 19 pass from Sirmon (Johnston kick)

GP—Kevin Ramsey 21 FG

B—James Johnston 20 FG

GP—Seiver Southard 11 pass from Ziomas (Ramsey kick)

B—Indelicato 45 run (Johnston kick)

B—Johnston 32 FG

B—Johnson 75 pass from Sirmon (Johnston kick)

GP—Billy Lutali 4 run (pass failed)

B—DaVicious Wilson 30 pass from Sirmon (Johnston kick)

B—Johnston 26 FG

GP —Southard 36 pass from Ziomas (pass failed)

Records—Glacier Peak 0-1, Bothell 1-0.