EDMONDS — Chances are pretty good that the Shorewood football team needed more than Advil to erase the pain and memory of the all-out trouncing brought upon by Edmonds-Woodway.
The Warriors dominated the Thunderbirds both offensively and defensively en route to a 29-7 Western Conference South Division victory Oct. 8 at Edmonds Stadium.
Running backs Travis Smith and Josh Heard stepped up big to help the Warriors (4-2) break a two-game losing skid. Smith rushed for 208 yards on 24 carries and scored two touchdowns, while Heard ran for 126 yards on 10 carries and had one trip to the end zone.
Winning the battle in the trenches was key to the Warriors’ victory. In providing a strong push up front, the offensive line consistently created gaps for both Smith and Heard.
“Our line stepped up, and we had to come back from the last game, which we were kind of in a slump,” Smith said. “Everyone stepped up and did their part and there weren’t very many mistakes.”
Because of Edmonds-Woodway’s ground game, which provided 388 of the team’s 425 yards, the Warriors were able to keep the clock running and create a distinct time of possession advantage over the Thunderbirds (2-4). The Warriors had the ball just under 30 minutes.
“We held the ball for a long time and made sure they couldn’t pass,” Smith said. “We just tried to shut that down as much as possible.”
Edmonds-Woodway was able to wreck havoc on Shorewood’s passing game, coming up with six sacks and only allowing five first downs.
Defensive back Jeff Ball led the team with seven tackles, while defensive linemen Jesse Ballou and Mike Szmytkowski both had a pair of sacks.
“As the game went on, (the defensive line) really took over the game,” Warriors coach John Gradwohl said. “The third quarter they were pretty good. Fourth quarter they were great. Six sacks and batted passes. (Shorewood quarterback Sean Tracey) was running for his life. The D-line was a big deal in this game.”
On the game’s opening drive, the Thunderbirds came up with their only two effective passes of the night. Tracey hooked up with Will Barker for a 45-yard gain and another 40-yard shovel pass that saw the senior tailback cut through the heart of the Edmonds-Woodway defense for a touchdown to give Shorewood an early 7-0 lead.
From there, it was all Edmonds-Woodway.
The Thunderbirds were forced to punt on their next possession from the Edmonds-Woodway 42-yard line and due to a botched kick that sailed straight out of bounds, the Warriors started with prime field position.
Edmonds-Woodway then constructed a 10-play drive behind the push of its offensive line, culminating in a 5-yard score from Smith that tied the game.
Shorewood answered with a 52-yard drive before Warriors defensive back Nate Bennett picked off Tracey at the Edmonds-Woodway 3-yard line. The turnover led to junior kicker Grady Harmon’s 23-yard field goal.
Tracey was sacked twice by defensive lineman Jesse Ballou on Shorewood’s next possession, setting up another short drive by the Warriors.
Smith led the march and punched in his second touchdown of the night from seven yards out with 4:13 remaining in the second quarter to give the Warriors a 17-7 halftime advantage.
The second half was an offensive nightmare for the Thunderbirds, who didn’t convert a single first down.
Edmonds-Woodway increased its lead with a pair of field goals from Harmon from 23 and 27 yards out and a 40-yard touchdown run from Heard that punctuated the win.
“I was proud of my kids the way they came back because sometimes after a tough loss, you come out flat,” Gradwohl said. “Two tough losses in a row can be very draining … not to take anything away from Jackson or Everett, but the games could’ve gone either way.”
The Warriors are in a four-way tie for second in the Wesco South and will need a strong finish to the season to keep their playoff hopes alive.
“We got Shorecrest, Kamiak and Mariner,” Gradwohl said. “We’ve got a tough road. We’ve got a long way to go still.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
