EVERETT – If the video of last year’s shutout loss to Mariner didn’t induce some extra focus to Kamiak’s preparation this week, then Aaron Cartwright’s eye-popping statistics did.
Whatever the motivation, Kamiak coach Dan Mack loved the result.
Kamiak beat Mariner 31-14 Friday night at Goddard Stadium, winning the battle of Mukilteo School District rivals to remain undefeated.
“It was probably our best week of practice all year,” said Mack, whose team is 4-0 in the Western Conference South Division.
Mariner beat the Knights 36-0 last year and went into the game riding the strong running of Cartwright, who had gained 545 yards in his first three games.
“We seemed to really focus and the kids carried out the game plan,” Mack said.
That plan was for pass-happy Kamiak, which had averaged nearly 28 passes per game, to consume the clock by keeping the ball on the ground and out of Cartwright’s hands.
Kamiak quarterback Mark Iddins threw just 13 times, completing eight passes for 133 yards and one touchdown, a 28-yard strike to Rebel Hall for the Knights’ final score of the game.
“I wanted to shorten the game down tonight,” Mack said. “We needed to keep the clock moving because we wanted to keep Cartwright off the field. He’s a terrific running back and he was a focal point through the week. We were really concentrating on the cutback lanes and keeping the proper pursuit angles.”
Cartwright, a senior, gained 72 yards on 15 carries. Junior Raymond Fry carried most of the load for Mariner, gaining 114 yards on 19 carries, including two 1-yard touchdown runs. The Marauders also were missing senior running back/linebacker Mike DeSimone, the team’s No. 2 scorer, who was out of town on a soccer recruiting trip.
Kamiak scored on four of its five possessions in the first half, stopped only by the clock on its one play before halftime.
The Knights had a 24-0 lead by then, feasting on field position, Iddins’ passing and a running game that kept the ball between the tackles.
Josh Reed, who led Kamiak with 64 rushing yards, scored on a 9-yard run and Jordan Hawkinson kicked a 43-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Iddins scored on a 10-yard bootleg to the left corner of the end zone for a 17-0 lead, finishing a drive that included a 33-yard pass to Taylor Knowles.
Iddins’ 24-yard pass to Sean Hermes set up Kamiak’s third touchdown, a 1-yard dive by Austin Curran that made it 24-0 with 1:32 remaining in the first half.
Kamiak had ideal field position most of the game, provided primarily by the booming kickoffs of Jordan Hawkinson. Six of Mariner’s nine possessions started at the 20 or deeper, including one at the 3 and one at the 12 in the first half.
“Field position put us at a disadvantage all night,” said coach John Ondriezek, whose Marauders are 2-2. “Our goal was to come out in the second half, play them tough and get better and see what happened.”
Mariner stopped Kamiak on the first possession of the second half, then put together a 68-yard drive to score its first touchdown. Fry carried for 31 of the yards, including the last one when he ran over left tackle.
Two Kamiak pass interceptions, by Ben Iddins and Chris Munoz, stopped Mariner early in the fourth quarter, and Munoz’s pick set up the Knights’ final score.
Mark Iddins, on the next play, threw a 28-yard pass to Rebel Hall near the corner of the end zone to give Kamiak a 31-6 lead with less than five minutes remaining.
Mariner drove 80 yards for the final touchdown, Fry’s 1-yard plunge with 35 seconds to play.
“I’m proud of our kids because they never gave up. We can build on that,” Ondriezek said. “We’ve got some young kids out there and we can use this game to get better.”
At Goddard Stadium
Mariner0068 – 14
Kamiak101407 – 31
Kamiak – Reed 9 run (Hawkinson kick)
Kamiak – Hawkinson 43 FG
Kamiak – Iddins 10 run (Hawkinson kick)
Kamiak – Curran 1 run (Hawkinson kick)
Mariner – Fry 1 run (run fail)
Kamiak – Hall 28 pass from Iddins (Hawkinson kick)
Mariner – Fry 1 run (Fry run)
Records: Kamiak (4-0), Mariner (2-2)
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