By Aaron Coe
Herald Writer
EVERETT — The game certainly meant something to Jackson.
No, the Timberwolves won’t be playing in the postseason like Kamiak, but a disappointing season was made much better with a stunning 31-20 Western Conference South Division victory over the Knights, who are ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press poll.
Kamiak, which locked up the South Divison title last week, finished the regular season 8-1 for the second straight year. The Knights will play Mount Vernon, the No. 3 team from the North Division at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Goddard Stadium in a winner-to-state, loser-out game.
Jackson (5-4) scored 24 unanswered points after Kamiak’s Derrick Bradley returned the second-half kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown.
Jason Morris, who was in street clothes just minutes before kickoff, threw TD passes of 60 and 30 yards in the second half to add to his 16-yard TD run in the first quarter.
"We lost four games by a total of 16 points," said Morris, who sat out last week’s 31-20 victory over Everett with a partially torn thigh muscle. "This could have easily been a game between two 8-0 teams, so we knew we had a chance to beat them."
After Bradley’s return put Jackson in a 14-7 hole, it was all Timberwolves.
C.J. Marsh was running all alone down his right sideline when he hauled in Morris’ pass for a 60-yard TD and a 14-14 score with 9:54 remaining in the third quarter.
Zack Musseau eked a 39-yard field goal over the cross bar to cap a 13-play drive and give the Timberwolves the lead for good with 1:30 remaining in the third period.
"We just weren’t able to make plays during critical times (in the losses)," Jackson coach Joel Vincent said. "Tonight we were able to do that."
Many of those plays were made by sophomore Johnnie "Bubba" Curtain, a 6-foot-2, 251-pound fullback, who kept the chains moving with 61 yards on 14 first-half carries.
His methodical running, along with a few big plays when needed from Morris kept the ball away from the vaunted Kamiak offense, which ran only 16 plays in the second half.
"I give the offensive line all the credit," Morris said. "And Bubba had a great game."
Morris led the Timberwolves down the field on their first possession almost as quickly as he changed into his uniform.
Morris showed no effects from the injury during a 72-yard drive. He began the drive with a 27-yard run and ended it with a nifty 16-yard option keeper for a 7-0 lead three minutes into the game.
Kamiak received constant defensive pressure from the Timberwolves in the first half. Jeff Gundlach, John Curry and Chad Thomson each recorded sacks against the Knights.
The only leaks came when Bradley broke loose for a 42-yard TD run to even the score, 7-7, with 5:34 remaining in the half, and Bradley’s second-half kickoff return.
Kamiak’s Justin Washington gained 114 yards on 13 carries in the first half and finished with 16 carries for 156 yards.
Kamiak |
7 |
0 |
7 |
6 |
— |
20 |
Jackson |
7 |
0 |
10 |
14 |
— |
31 |
Jackson—Morris 16 run (Musseau kick)
Kamiak—Bradley 42 run (Leach kick)
Kamiak—Bradley 90 kickoff return (Leach kick)
Jackson—Marsh 60 pass from Morris (Musseau kick)
Jackson—FG Musseau 39
Jackson—Chambers 30 pass from Morris (Musseau kick)
Jackson—Marsh 11 run (Musseau kick)
Kamiak—Washington 20 run (pass failed)
Records—Kamiak 8-1 in league and overall. Jackson 5-4, 5-4.
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