TACOMA – King’s players weren’t entirely sure what to do or where to go during pre-game introductions, with public address announcer Mark Aucutt having to tell the Knights to “line up down the 40 (yard line).”
But once the game started, King’s knew just what to do.
The Knights built up an early lead and hung on to it late, defeating Montesano 28-25 Saturday afternoon in a 1A state semifinal game at the Tacoma Dome.
The win sends the Knights (12-1) to the state title game for the first time in the program’s history, where they will face the winner of Saturday’s Connell-Royal game.
“It’s a first-time thing for everyone,” said junior Andrew Cline. “We’ve never been to the T-Dome.”
“Rookie move, man. We’ve never done it out here. Next week will be a lot cleaner, I guarantee that,” King’s head coach Jim Shapiro said with a laugh. “… This is the pinnacle to be in it. Now the pinnacle is actually to win it. To be in the fifth round – to be in the state championship – is a dream for these kids. To play in this Dome (Saturday) was a dream for our program. The longer we play the better we got and tonight we just found a way.”
The Knights have reached the state quarterfinals each of the last seven seasons, but had never advanced to the semifinals until last week’s 42-21 victory over Hoquiam to break the quarterfinals jinx.
Koa Wilkins and Cline made sure the journey continued for King’s. Wilkins, the senior quarterback who was injured in the Knights’ first game of the season and returned just in time for the playoffs, threw for a touchdown and ran for two more, finishing with 48 yards on the ground (11 carries) and 8 of 15 for 87 yards passing.
“He’s a big part of our offense and defense,” said junior Jack Van Dyke. “We’re really excited to have him back.”
Cline, also a junior, had 16 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown. Fellow junior running back Caleb Perry added 136 yards on 19 carries for King’s.
“Andrew Cline is a workhorse,” Shapiro said. “He’s a kid that you wouldn’t know on the roster but now he’s getting 100-yard games. A heck of a kid.”
“You’re in the Tacoma Dome, you have to play possessed,” Cline said. “You don’t want to go home. It’s great playing with your brothers and they’re keeping you accountable and playing your hardest.”
King’s jumped out to a 21-7 halftime lead before Montesano (10-3) made its push in the third quarter. The Bulldogs got to within 28-18 by the end of the third and closed the gap to 28-25 with a touchdown on a hook-and-ladder play with 1:27 to go.
But the Knights recovered the ensuing onside kick and a couple more rushes ended the game and sealed the win for King’s.
“Just attitude wise, you saw it. Even when we’d fumble or give up a touchdown there weren’t guys yelling at each other, there weren’t guys falling apart,” Shapiro said. “We just knew the longer we played, the better we’d get.”
“After the quarterfinal win we thought, ‘This is the greatest thing ever,’” Wilkins said. “But now we have a shot to win it all and be the best 1A team in the state and that’s really surreal.”
Cline was revitalized at halftime, when what we was doing – and where he was doing it – finally hit him.
“I think, for me, it hit me at halftime when I was just sitting there,” he said. “I pulled up a chair and just looked around. It was amazing. I’ve been here for huge concerts and now I’m playing on the floor.”
Montesano ended the Knights’ seasons in 2011 and ‘12, both times in the state quarterfinals. One week after breaking the quarterfinals curse, King’s also got over its Montesano jinx.
“I would say they’re our rival,” Wilkins said. “They’ve always been beating us. We finally got that monkey off our back and beat them.”
“You look at our (playoff picture) it’s either Montesano or Cascade Christian for the last five or six years,” Shapiro said. “It’s a great rivalry – they’re quality programs, quality coaches. We love those guys. They’re great football players.
“Montesano beat Cascade Christian (in the quarterfinals last week) with a hail Mary. They’re a program that’s not going to quit. You’re a little anxious, sure. But I knew our kids could get it done and they did.”
Shapiro went so far as to ban his team from saying “state quarterfinals” before last week’s game, opting instead to call it the “third round” (of the playoffs).
After a win in round four, King’s is headed to the fifth round.
But Cline doesn’t think that’s going to stick.
“That’s the championship, baby. Championship,” Cline said. “Now we’re going to say ‘Championship.’”
At the Tacoma Dome
King’s 0 21 7 0 – 28
Montesano 0 7 11 7 – 25
K–Edmund Sundquist 15 pass from Koa Wilkins (Jack Van Dyke kick)
K–Andrew Cline 15 run (Van Dyke kick)
M–Kylar Prante 97 kickoff return (Connor Lovell kick)
K–Wilkins 1 run (Van Dyke kick)
M–Lovell 22 FG
M–Keegan Darst 45 interception return (Logan Truax pass from Jake Herzog)
K–Wilkins 2 run (Van Dyke kick)
M–Truax 10 pass from Herzog (Lovell kick)
Records–King’s 12-1 overall. Montesano 10-3.
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