EVERETT — M-P stands for Marysville-Pilchuck, but based on how the school’s football team played on Sept. 3 it should also stand for Massive Perseverance.
After losing three fumbles in the first half and falling behind 14-0, things looked grim for the Marysville-Pilchuck High School football squad. But behind the strength of its offensive line and resilient running backs, the Tomahawks rallied for a 27-22 win over the Jackson Timberwolves.
Running back Andre Pina scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown on a 35-yard run with 40 seconds to go.
Pina, a junior and first-year starter, rushed for 76 yards on 11 carries. But M-P backs Kyle Miller (132 yards rushing) and Tyler Thompson (127 yards) carried most of the load for the Tomahawks.
Before Pina’s TD run, Jackson scored a TD and a two-point conversion run that gave the Timberwolves a 22-21 lead with 1:24 remaining. Austin O’Keefe caught a 21-yard TD pass from Jackson quarterback Sam Brown, and running back Trai Patrick plowed in for the crucial two-point run.
M-P wasn’t finished.
On its next possession, M-P used runs of 18 yards and 15 yards by Thompson to get to Jackson’s 35-yard line. Then Pina busted loose off the right side and sprinted to the end zone, electrifying the huge M-P crowd.
Jackson began its final possession with 38 seconds on the clock but failed to get past its own 21-yard line.
M-P’s stunning comeback overshadowed a strong performance by Patrick, Jackson’s burly back. Last season Patrick was a superb fill-in, but this year he is the main man in Jackson’s backfield.
The powerful yet quick 220-pound junior rushed for two first-half touchdowns and helped Jackson build a 14-0 lead by halftime. Patrick also made some big hits from his linebacker position on defense.
With 1:24 remaining, Patrick took a direct snap and his relentless effort on a two-point conversion run gave Jackson its final lead of the game.
Mike Cane writes for the Herald in Everett.
The highly anticipated Week 1 matchup pitted the team that won the past two Western Conference South Division titles (Jackson) against the two-time defending Wesco North champ (M-P). Early on it looked like Jackson would prevail and mistake prone M-P would start the year with a disappointment.
But M-P was a totally different team in the second half. More confident and seemingly more physical on the line of scrimmage, the Tomahawks moved the ball well, held onto the ball and wore down Jackson.
“I just think it was a confidence thing,” coach Carson said of M-P’s first-half mistakes. “We have a lot of first-year varsity players out there.”
M-P QB Tylor Klep, one of the team’s many new starters, had just 21 yards rushing but he sneaked into the end zone for two short TD runs in the second half.
This week both teams have another non-league game. Jackson plays at Arlington and Marysville-Pilchuck plays at Edmonds-Woodway, local coaches’ pick to win the South.
In a preseason coaches’ polls, Marysville-Pilchuck was picked to finish first in the North and Jackson was selected second in the South.
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