New back scores twice as Kamiak downs Everett

EVERETT – Everett may be showing a football resurgence, but Kamiak proved it is still king of the Western Conference South Division with a 30-14 victory over the Seagulls Friday night at Everett Memorial Stadium.

The Knights used a secret weapon – senior running back Austin Curran – as part of their balanced attack to improve to 6-0 in the division and overall. Everett, which started the season 4-0, lost its second straight to drop to 4-2.

Curran rushed for 69 yards on three carries – two of them touchdowns.

“Coach (Dan) Mack was talking to me about it, and I knew I was going to get some carries,” said Curran, who played primarily on defense after missing the first two games of the season for an undisclosed reason. “I just wanted to make the carries I had count.”

His third run of the season – and first carry of the game – was a 45-yard speed display that gave Kamiak a 14-7 halftime lead. His second TD run, a 7-yarder in the third quarter, gave the Knights the lead for good.

“He’s been in our program for four years and is getting a chance to play this year,” Mack said. “He had a good week of practice, and I really wanted to get him the ball tonight. He’s a young man with a tremendous amount of God-given ability.”

Both Everett and Kamiak used multiple weapons. Everett ran 64 times for 174 yards, led by Justin Boyce (23 carries, 80 yards) and Justin Hudson (14 for 72). Kamiak quarterback Mark Iddins completed seven of 14 passes for 128 yards and the Knights rushed for 159 yards on 28 carries.

Though the Seagulls moved the ball with relative effectiveness for much of the game, Kamiak stuffed them four times on fourth down.

“Our defense really stepped up big on some fourth-down plays,” said Mack, whose teams have played in the postseason four of the past five years. “We had some kids make the right reads and step up and make the tackles.”

Everett ran 15 straight times on its opening drive, but stalled when a run play came up short on fourth down.

The Seagulls got the ball back when Mike Erickson intercepted a pass and returned it 20 yards to the Kamiak 27. Everett rushed three times – pushing the team’s total to 18 straight. On third-and-8 at the 13-yard line, Everett took a break from pounding the middle. Quarterback Tyler Levin found Arrow Mestas all alone in the right corner of the end zone with a TD pass and a 7-0 Everett lead with 30 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.

Kamiak answered with an eight-play, 73-yard drive. Iddins followed his offensive line in from the 3-yard line to tie the score with 8:53 to go in the half.

With Everett expecting a pass when Kamiak got the ball at the Everett 45 with 1:50 remaining in the half, Iddins handed the ball to Curran. He sprinted untouched up the middle for a TD on his first carry of the game. Jordan Hawkinson’s extra point gave Kamiak a 14-7 halftime edge.

Everett tied the score at 14 in the third quarter, using 12 plays to drive 45 yards. The Seagulls converted a fourth-and-10 play when officials ruled that Everett receiver Alex Wertheimer had been interfered with in the end zone. Two plays later, Hudson sprinted to his left and dove just inside the cone for a 5-yard TD run with 4:32 remaining in the third.

Kamiak answered with a 59-yard drive capped by Curran’s second TD run, a 7-yarder with 1:56 to go in the third. Kamiak led 20-14 after Hawkinson’s extra point slipped wide left.

Hawkinson made up for the miss by hitting a 37-yard field goal to put Everett in a 23-14 pit with 6:25 to go.

Shortly after Thomas Callandret’s interception of an Everett pass, Tony Virata put the game away with a 10-yard TD run.

At Everett

Kamiak014610-30

Everett7070-14

Everett-Mestas 13 pass from Levin (Beckman kick)

Kamiak-Iddins 3 run (Hawkinson kick)

Kamiak-Curran 45 run (Hawkinson kick)

Everett-Hudson 5 run (Beckman kick)

Kamiak-Curran 7 run (kick failed)

Kamiak-FG Hawkinson 37

Kamiak-Virata 10 run (Hawkinson kick)