By Aaron Coe
Herald Writer
The Mariner football team’s 42-24 victory over Edmonds-Woodway Friday night was convincing, especially when considering what occurred at the high school on Wednesday.
Pepper spray was released into Mariner’s ventilation system, causing a full-scale evacuation of the school and the cancellation of all Wednesday after-school activities.
Including football practice.
Wednesday is generally the most important day of preparation for a Friday night game. It’s the most intense day in almost every football program.
Mariner pushed Wednesday’s practice to Thursday and had a 45-minute walkthrough session Friday before school.
“As coaches, we weren’t sure what we were going to do,” Marauders coach John Ondriezek said. “We just tried to turn a negative into a positive.”
And that’s pretty much what happened in the game. The Marauders moved the ball well early in the game, but looked very much like a team that had missed a day of practice. They committed costly penalties at key times and found themselves trailing 24-13 late in the third quarter.
The Marauders eliminated their mistakes late in the game and in turn eliminated the Warriors with 29 unanswered points.
Mariner, which won only three games in 1999 and 2000 combined after a trip to the Class 3A title game in ‘98, is all alone in second place with a 5-1 record in the Western Conference South Division. The top three teams in each of the North and South Division qualify for the district playoffs. The Marauders close the season against Meadowdale, Shorecrest and Everett, all teams that have struggled either all season or during the last few weeks. Mariner’s only loss came in the season opener to Mukilteo School District rival Kamiak – considered a state title contender.
“It’s in our hands,” Ondriezek said. “If we win three more football games we’ll be the No. 2 (in the South Division) for sure, and you never know what’ll happen at that No. 1 spot.”
Getting personal: There were four unsportsmanlike conduct penalties called in Friday’s Meadowdale-Jackson game – on one play. Before all the flags flew, Meadowdale ran the ball on fourth-and-18 from the Jackson 24 late in the third quarter with Jackson leading 20-19 in Meadowdale’s eventual 34-30 victory. A Meadowdale player got hit out of bounds after an 8-yard gain, prompting the first 15-yard penalty. No 2: The Meadowdale player jumps up to retaliate. Nos. 3 and 4: Two more Jackson players got involved in the shoving match.
After the long delay during which officials sorted through all the penalties, Jackson wound up with the ball with first-and-10 at its own 6.
Would you like to dance, kid? Friday was Meadowdale’s Homecoming game, and no one knows that more that Mavericks coach Mark Stewart. The halftime festivities, which included one of the Meadowdale players participation in the Homecoming court, spilled into the third quarter of the game. A clearly agitated Stewart walked away from the sideline and asked his player if he might like to join his team – or something to that affect.
Sister vs. sister: It’s not often that sisters are on opposing teams. It’s even rarer when their respective positions have them competing head-to-head.
But that was the case last week when Mountlake Terrace played Meadowdale in a girls soccer game at Edmonds Stadium.
Keesha Baumler couldn’t get into Mountlake Terrace, where her sister Tessa is a senior sweeper. So the freshman striker went to Meadowdale.
Tessa helped keep Keesha from scoring, but one of Keesha’s Mavericks teammates managed the game’s only goal in a 1-0 Meadowdale victory.
Have a seat: Mount Vernon plans to open the first section of its new stadium seating for this week’s football game against Lake Stevens. The Bulldogs have been playing home games before standing only crowds since their grandstands were condemned.
By the numbers: Over the last two school years Washington Interscholastic Activities Association high schools have welcomed 164 new athletic directors. That is 164 out of the 395 WIAA member high schools, an almost 42 percent turnover in two years.
Countdown to 250: Tumwater’s legendary football coach Sid Otton is now only two wins away from reaching the 250-career win mark after Tumwater posted a 55-32 Pacific-9 League football victory over North Thurston at Fouts Field on Thursday. Otton has the Thunderbirds off to a 5-0 start in the 2001 season. Otton’s career record stands at 248-96.
Pasco rolls on: Don’t look now but the Pasco Bulldog football team has rolled off 19 straight wins dating back to last year’s 14-0 perfect season. The Bulldogs are off to a 5-0 start in the 2001 season and finished the 2000 season 14-0 by defeating the Bethel Braves for the 2000 4A WIAA State Championship.
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