Next up for Wildcats is a red-hot Issaquah team
September 11, 2008
By Ryan Piersol
Mount Si head coach Charlie Kinnune, left, talks with quarterback Tyson Riley between snaps last week. Photo by Ryan Piersol
From one 4A power to another.
A week after falling in its season opener to defending 4A state quarterfinalist Eastlake, the road appears to be getting anything but smoother for the Mount Si football team.Issaquah, which was expected to only contend for a playoff spot in KingCo 4A, is already looking like one of the better teams in the class.
In its season-opener last week, Issaquah handed two-time defending 4A state runner-up Bothell its first home loss since 2005 in a 24-13 decision. The victory pushed the Eagles into the top five in 4A’s newest poll.
So, there appears to be no question Mount Si will have its hands full. The only real question is how the Eagles will play, one week after such a big win.
“When teams are coming off a big win, they usually either keep climbing or they have a big let down. You’ll see time and again where teams have a big win and don’t show up the next week,” Wildcats head coach Charlie Kinnune said.
“Still, we can’t worry too much about them. We have to get better ourselves. We need to learn from our mistakes. If a team doesn’t learn from a loss, then it deserves to keep losing.”
After jumping ahead of Eastlake early, Mount Si gave up 24 straight points in its season-opening 24-12 loss last week. The Wildcats had chances to catch up late, but turned the ball over on its final three possessions.
“We might not be as good as we think we are. And maybe the worst thing that could’ve happened is for us to be as successful as we were against Bothell back in the spring,” Kinnune said. “We learned a lot from (the opener). I think we’ll look back and find that we grew up quickly.”
Issaquah had a much different experience last week. The Eagles held Bothell’s high-powered offense to only 45 yards in the second half. Issaquah overcame a 13-10 halftime deficit to earn the win.
Running back Grant Gellatly rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-sealing score in the fourth period. The Eagles were without another standout running back.
The Eagles are breaking in a new quarterback in junior Joey Bradley. He’s supported by an offensive line that has several of its members getting looks from Division I colleges. The leaders include Dillon Reagan, a 6-3, 290-pound monster, and left tackle Christian Rennie. Issaquah also has a talented two-way player at tight end in Sean Stuby.
Gellatly rushed for 755 yards in only seven games last season. Returning Issaquah receiver Brennan Miller also had 404 yards receiving a year ago.
The Eagles finished 6-4 overall last season, falling in the qualifying round of the Class 3A playoffs to Lakes. Issaquah has moved up to KingCo 4A for this season.
Reach editor Ryan Piersol at editor@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.
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