It’s a question that’s often debated in football circles.
After a late touchdown to pull your team within one point, do you play it safe and kick the extra point to likely force overtime? Or do you go for a potential game-winning 2-point conversion?
Two local high school football teams faced that scenario Friday night, and both chose to roll the dice with 2-point attempts.
The gamble paid off for Shorecrest, which beat Snohomish on a game-winning 2-point conversion in the final minute. Marysville Getchell wasn’t so fortunate, as a late failed 2-point conversion attempt was the difference in a one-point loss to Arlington.
Those two dramatic finishes highlighted the Week 5 action across Snohomish County. Here’s a look back at the notable storylines and stars from Friday night, as well as a look ahead at what’s to come.
SHORECREST STUNS SNOHOMISH ON GAME-WINNING 2-POINT CONVERSION
Marcus Tidwell leaps into the end zone for the game-winning 2-point conversion with 24 seconds remaining to lift Shorecrest over Snohomish. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)
Facing a seven-point deficit with just under three minutes to play, Shorecrest drove downfield on a 10-play, 65-yard TD march. Eladio Fountain capped the drive with a 1-yard quarterback keeper, cutting the margin to a single point with 24 seconds remaining.
Then came a massive decision: Kick the extra point or go for two? The Scots chose the latter.
“It wasn’t a difficult choice,” Shorecrest coach Brandon Christensen said. “My seniors came over and said, ‘Let’s go for it.’ So I believe in them. They told me they could get it.”
Fountain took a shotgun snap and handed the ball to junior running back Marcus Tidwell, who ran around the left side and crossed the goal line untouched for the game-winner to lift the Scots to a dramatic 36-35 road win over defending Wesco 3A champion Snohomish.
“To be honest, we had never run that play in that formation this season,” Christensen said. “… We decided we were going to run something off-tackle and let our big fellas up front see what they could do.”
Shorecrest (4-1 overall, 3-1 Wesco 3A South) had struggled offensively for much of the season, scoring 14 points or less in three of its first four games. The struggles continued in the first half for the Scots, who trailed 14-6 at halftime.
But Shorecrest’s offense caught fire after the break, scoring TDs on all four of its second-half drives. Fountain led the way, rebounding from a rough start to finish with 272 yards passing and five total TDs.
“It’s a family thing,” Fountain said. “I believe in my brothers, and they believe in me. I came out in the first half real flat, real flat. We weren’t connecting. The second half was all us.”
The dramatic finish marked the second consecutive year that Shorecrest and Snohomish went down to the wire. In last season’s meeting, the Panthers scored a game-winning TD in overtime to claim a 33-27 victory.
EDMONDS-WOODWAY MOVES ATOP THE WESCO 3A SOUTH
Edmonds-Woodway gained sole possession of first place atop the Wesco 3A South. (Katie Webber / The Herald)
Shorecrest’s win over Snohomish had massive implications in the Wesco 3A South race.
The Panthers’ loss allowed Edmonds-Woodway to gain sole possession of first place with a 28-13 win over Lynnwood. Off to a 3-0 start in league play, the Warriors host defending conference champion Snohomish next Friday night in a pivotal Wesco 3A South showdown.
Snohomish dropped into a three-way tie in the loss column with Shorecrest and Meadowdale for second place in the Wesco 3A South, with all three teams sitting at one loss in league play.
ARLINGTON HOLDS OFF MARYSVILLE GETCHELL ON FAILED 2-POINT ATTEMPT
Marysville Getchell quarterback Josiah Koellmer’s TD pass with 1 minute, 24 seconds to play cut Arlington’s lead to one point, setting up a big decision for the Chargers.
Marysville Getchell opted to attempt a go-ahead 2-point conversion, but Koellmer’s play-action pass fell incomplete and the Eagles survived for a 14-13 victory over the visiting Chargers.
With the win, Arlington (4-1, 3-1 Wesco 3A North) avenged last year’s 17-14 loss to Marysville Getchell and remained a half-game behind Wesco 3A North leaders Marysville Pilchuck and Ferndale in the league-title race.
The Tomahawks and Golden Eagles both improved to 3-0 in Wesco 3A North play with dominant home victories Friday night. Marysville Pilchuck piled up 597 yards of total offense in a 56-22 rout of Stanwood, while Ferndale raced to a 41-point halftime lead in a 48-22 win over Oak Harbor.
Marysville Pilchuck (5-0, 3-0 Wesco 3A North) faces crosstown rival Marysville Getchell in the Berry Bowl next Friday night before closing the regular season with pivotal matchups against Ferndale and Arlington that will go a long way toward deciding the league title.
MORE BLOWOUTS IN WESCO 4A
The trend of Wesco 4A routs contined Friday night.
Top-ranked Lake Stevens cruised to a 62-6 win over Kamiak, Monroe rolled to a 55-14 victory over Mount Vernon and Mariner shut out Jackson 30-0. The closest contest came at Everett Memorial Stadium, where Glacier Peak slowed down Cascade’s Wing-T rushing attack to earn a 35-14 victory.
Through three weeks of Wesco 4A play, the average margin of victory in conference games is 39.3 points. Eleven of the league’s 12 conference matchups have been decided by at least 21 points, including 10 contests by 30 points or more.
LAKEWOOD FALLS TO LYNDEN IN SKY DIVISION SHOWDOWN
No. 9-ranked Lakewood suffered its first loss of the season with a 37-6 road defeat to No. 2 Lynden in a Northwest 2A Sky Division showdown of top-10 teams Friday night.
The Cougars (4-1, 1-1 Sky Division) were coming off a 27-0 shutout of Sedro-Woolley and had outscored opponents by an average margin of 32 points in their first four games, but couldn’t replicate that success against the perennial powerhouse Lions. Lynden held Lakewood to just 235 yards of total offense.
The Lions now sit atop the Sky Division with sole possession of first place at 2-0 in league play.
CPC PULLS AWAY TO BEAT GRANITE FALLS
Defending North Sound Conference champion Cedar Park Christian received a scare from Granite Falls after entering halftime tied at 21.
But the Eagles pulled away in the third quarter, rattling off 28 straight points to earn a 55-29 victory over the Tigers in the league opener for both teams.
John Petrus and Jackson Oestriech led a Cedar Park Christian rushing attack that totaled 590 yards.
WEEK 5 STARS
Glacier Peak defense
The Grizzlies limited Cascade and its high-powered Wing-T rushing attack to just 129 total yards and 2.8 yards per play in a 35-14 win over the Bruins. Glacier Peak also forced two key third-quarter turnovers.
Ryan Black, jr., Glacier Peak
Black rushed for 116 yards and two TDs on just 13 carries in the Grizzlies’ win over Cascade.
Tanner Jellison, jr., Lake Stevens
Jellison completed 12 of 15 passes for 234 yards and five TDs in the Vikings’ 62-6 win over Kamiak.
Dallas Landeros, sr., Lake Stevens
Landeros ran for 166 yards and two TDs on just 13 carries in the Vikings’ rout of Kamiak.
Jackson Cole, jr., Mariner
The junior quarterback rushed for 168 yards and two TDs on 16 carries in the Marauders’ 30-0 win over Jackson.
Marysville Pilchuck offensive line
The Tomahawks’ linemen paved the way for Jordan Justice, Dylan Carson, Jay Gray and Carson Kuchera to run for a combined 428 yards and five TDs on 30 carries in the Tomahawks’ 56-22 win over Stanwood.
Jordan Justice, sr., Marysville Pilchuck
Justice rushed for 153 yards and two TDs on just seven carries and also intercepted a pass on defense in the Tomahawks’ victory over Stanwood.
Dillon Kuk, sr., Marysville Pilchuck
Kuk caught four passes for 124 yards and two TDs in the Tomahawks’ win over Stanwood.
Eladio Fountain, sr., Shorecrest
After a rough start, Fountain bounced back to account for all five of Shorecrest’s TDs in a 36-35 win over Snohomish. The senior quarterback completed 20 of 37 passes for 272 yards and three TDs and also ran for a pair of 1-yard scores.
Derreck Williams, sr., Shorecrest
Williams had seven catches for 164 yards and three TDs in the Scots’ victory over Snohomish.
Snohomish running backs
Joshua Vandergriend and Tyler Larson combined for 279 yards rushing and five TDs in the Panthers’ loss to Shorecrest. Vandergriend ran for 140 yards and three TDs on 13 carries, while Larson had 139 yards and two scores on 17 attempts.
Shorewood defense
The Thunderbirds forced five turnovers — three interceptions and two fumble recoveries — in a 27-7 win over Everett. Junior Shirai returned one of Shorewood’s interceptions for a score.
Archbishop Murphy defense
The Wildcats’ defense forced three turnovers and allowed just 77 total yards in a 43-0 victory over Blaine.
John Petrus, jr., Cedar Park Christian
Petrus rushed for 275 yards and seven TDs on just 10 carries in the Eagles’ 55-29 win over Granite Falls.
Jackson Oestriech, soph., Cedar Park Christian
Oestriech ran for 218 yards and a TD on 23 carries in the Eagles’ victory over Granite Falls.
Mason McBride, sr., Granite Falls
McBride caught three passes for 105 yards and three TDs in the Tigers’ loss to Cedar Park Christian.
Cutter Rolfs, fr., King’s
Rolfs ran for 172 yards and two TDs on 13 carries in the Knights’ 52-14 forfeit-shortened win over Raymond.
Gio Fregoso, sr. Monroe
Fregoso completed 15 of 27 passes for 234 yards and five TDs in the Bearcats’ 55-14 rout of Mount Vernon.
NEXT WEEK’S BIG GAMES
Lake Stevens faces Glacier Peak next Friday night in a Wesco 4A clash of unbeatens. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Lake Stevens at Glacier Peak, 7 p.m. Friday at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Top-ranked Lake Stevens takes a 41-game conference win streak into this Wesco 4A clash of unbeatens. Glacier Peak gave the Vikings a rare wire-to-wire league test in last year’s matchup, falling 24-21 to the eventual Class 4A state runners-up.
Snohomish at Edmonds-Woodway, 8 p.m. Friday at Edmonds Stadium. This matchup has massive Wesco 3A South title implications. If Edmonds-Woodway wins, the Warriors would remain unbeaten in conference play and gain the inside track to the league crown. If Snohomish wins, there could be a logjam atop the Wesco 3A South with several teams at one loss in league play.
Archbishop Murphy at Lakewood, 7 p.m. Friday. This matchup between the Northwest 2A Sky Division’s two Snohomish County teams figures to be key in determining the league’s postseason seeding order. In last year’s meeting, Archbishop Murphy rallied for a 36-35 win over Lakewood.
Marysville Pilchuck vs. Marysville Getchell, 7 p.m. Friday at Quil Ceda Stadium. Marysville Pilchuck takes a 5-0 record into the Berry Bowl against crosstown rival Marysville Getchell. The Tomahawks have dominated this annual contest since it began in 2012, winning all seven matchups by an average margin of 33.6 points.
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