Meadowdale outruns Glacier Peak in OT

EDMONDS — Priority No. 1 was obvious for Glacier Peak in Friday’s Wesco 3A showdown: Contain Naji Moore-Taylor.

Last year Moore-Taylor of Meadowdale High School devastated the Glacier Peak football team, piling up 266 yards rushing and five touchdowns in Meadowdale’s 13-point win over the Grizzlies. So it was easy to understand why Glacier Peak coach Rory Rosenbach said earlier this week that the key to beating sixth-ranked Meadowdale was slowing down Moore-Taylor.

For four quarters, Glacier Peak did an admirable job of containing Meadowdale’s star back. But in overtime, Moore-Taylor had his way.

Capping an incredible back-and-forth Western Conference 3A clash at Edmonds Stadium, Moore-Taylor dived into the corner of the end zone on a 4-yard touchdown run in overtime. It lifted unbeaten Meadowdale to a 34-28 triumph over Glacier Peak.

Moore-Taylor finished with 29 carries for 112 yards rushing and two short TD runs. Glacier Peak stifled the speedy senior in the first half, limiting him to 17 yards. But Moore-Taylor warmed up in the second half and came through in OT.

Glacier Peak (0-1 Wesco 3A, 3-2 overall) got the ball first in the extra session, starting from Meadowdale’s 25-yard line. But a penalty and a 10-yard tackle for loss by Kyler Larsen put the Grizzlies in a deep hole. Then on second-and-25 Riley Pearson pressured quarterback Zach Richter, who lofted a fluttering pass that was intercepted by Robert Belt, ending Glacier Peak’s possession.

Needing a field goal or TD to win, Meadowdale (1-0, 5-0) got the ball at the Glacier Peak 25. Following a 7-yard run by QB Danny McDonald, Moore-Taylor carried four straight times, pounding tired defenders. On second-and-goal from the 4, Moore-Taylor squirted outside and leaned across the goal line. Meadowdale players and cheerleaders swarmed the field in celebration.

Meadowdale, No. 6 in the Tacoma News Tribune 3A rankings, trailed 21-7 at halftime. But the Mavericks played better on both sides of the ball after that. They made four interceptions and generated several long, clock-eating drives (converting on key third- and fourth-downs) that temporarily quieted Glacier Peak’s no-huddle, spread offense.

It was the first league game of the season for both teams. With just four league contests per team in the Wesco 3A, Meadowdale secured a huge win. Last year Meadowdale and Glacier Peak went 3-1 and shared the conference title.

Besides Moore-Taylor, another Meadowdale standout was McDonald. The QB was 20 of 24 passing for 216 yards and two TDs. He also rushed for a 9-yard score in the fourth quarter. His top receivers were Sam Werner (six catches, 86 yards, one TD), Sam Thomas (five catches, 74 yards, one TD) and Connor Hamlett (eight catches, 54 yards).

Glacier Peak’s defense frustrated Meadowdale for most of the first half, tallying lots of sacks and tackles for loss. John Darling, John Froland and Nick Sage helped lead the way.

Thanks to an incredibly accurate performance by Glacier Peak QB Richter and its impressive defensive effort, Glacier Peak was on top 21-7 by halftime. Using a mix of quick, short-range passes, a few mid-range throws and a 48-yard bomb, Richter picked apart Meadowdale’s D. The senior was 19 of 22 for 160 yards and two TDs. Luke Westburg made a 3-yard TD reception and Alex Stepanchenko took a short pass for an 18-yard score.

Richter scored Glacier Peak’s third TD on his own, zipping along the sideline for an nifty 8-yard TD run. It gave Glacier Peak a 21-7 advantage with 14 seconds to go in the first half.

But Meadowdale hounded Richter after halftime. He finished with 277 yards passing but tossed four interceptions, including one in OT.

At Edmonds Stadium

Glacier Peak714070—28

Meadowdale071476—34

Glacier Peak—Westburg 3 pass from Richter (Miller kick)

Glacier Peak—Stepanchenko 18 pass from Richter (Miller kick)

Meadowdale—Thomas 19 pass from McDonald (Werner kick)

Glacier Peak—Richter 8 run (Miller kick)

Meadowdale—Werner 50 pass from McDonald (Werner kick)

Meadowdale—Moore-Taylor 2 run (Werner kick)

Meadowdale—McDonald 9 run (Werner kick)

Glacier Peak—Bonner 5 pass from Richter (Miller kick)