LYNNWOOD – Saturday afternoon’s Class 4A high school state-qualifying game between Meadowdale and Auburn didn’t come down to the game plan or coaching or one team’s superiority over the other.
Saturday’s game came down to desire.
Meadowdale broke what was a virtual stalemate with a display of determination down the stretch worthy of a playoff team, and the Mavericks advanced to the state playoffs with a 17-14 victory over the Trojans at Edmonds District Stadium.
Meadowdale (8-2) will play Kamiak in the first round at state. Auburn ends its season with a record of 7-3.
“I’m speechless right now,” Meadowdale senior quarterback Demetri Huffman said. “I’m just pumped.”
From Huffman’s 20-yard scramble on third down, to receiver Jake Linton outfighting the secondary for a jump-ball pass, to Andy Steves’ lunging one-handed sack, the Mavericks (8-2) did everything possible in the final six minutes to show how much they wanted to win this game.
Travis Anderson’s 15-yard touchdown run with 3 minutes, 48 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference in a game between evenly-matched teams.
“I’d love to say it was coaching, but the only smart thing I did was make sure I got my playmakers down field and give them an opportunity to make a play,” Meadowdale coach Mark Stewart said.
Anderson finished with 109 yards rushing on 19 carries, Huffman was 8-for-20 for 171 yards and a touchdown and Linton caught four passes for 85 yards.
And all three were involved in the decisive nine-play, 79-yard drive that culminated with Anderson’s TD run. First, on third-and-11 from the Meadowdale 20, Huffman’s scramble went for 20 yards and a first down. Then on third-and-12 from the 38, Linton out-jumped Auburn’s defensive backs to make a 42-yard catch for another first down. Finally, Anderson plowed over most of the Auburn defense on his 15-yard scoring run, which provided the final margin of victory.
“I’m sure we both wanted it just as much,” Huffman said. “My heart goes out to them. We just stepped up when we needed to and executed.”
Auburn was led by Brian Sahlin, who ran for 123 yards on 10 carries, including an 87-yard touchdown. Quarterback Alex Valdez was 6-for-12 for 125 yards.
“We just didn’t make the plays in the fourth quarter,” Auburn coach Gordon Elliott said. “In a playoff game you have to be able to make plays in the fourth quarter. We didn’t and we let them take control of the game.”
Auburn struck first, going 80 yards on nine plays, culminating with Tyler Labadia’s 2-yard TD run, giving the Trojans a 7-0 lead with 7:11 left in the second quarter.
Meadowdale took advantage of a muffed punt with less than a minute remaining in the first half. Nick Tasche booted a 23-yard field goal to make the score 7-3 at halftime.
Auburn looked like it gained momentum when, two plays after Kellen Kiilsgaard’s interception in the end zone thwarted a Meadowdale drive, Sahlin raced 87 yards to make the score 14-3 with 3:10 left in the third quarter.
Meadowdale was undeterred, scoring on its next possession. Justin Lucero slipped behind the Auburn secondary and caught a 47-yard TD pass from Huffman to cut the lead to 14-10 and set up the decisive fourth quarter.
At Edmonds
Auburn0770-14
Meadowdale0377-17
Auburn-Labadia 2 run (Strickling kick)
Meadowdale-FG Tasche 23
Auburn-Sahlin 87 run (Strickling kick)
Meadowdale-Lucero 47 pass from Huffman (Tasche kick)
Meadowdale-Anderson 15 run (Tasche kick)
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