Wildcats trounce Mercer Island in football
October 10, 2008
By Ryan Piersol
With the race for postseason spots heating up, the Mount Si football team is taking nothing for granted.
For the second straight week, the Wildcats took the field against an outmatched opponent. And for the second straight week, Mount Si drilled them early and often.
The Wildcats rolled up 325 yards in the first half and scored six unanswered touchdowns in a 41-16 beating of Mercer Island at Mount Si Stadium Friday night.
After starting out 1-3, Mount Si is now 3-3 overall, 2-1 in the league and reminding everyone why it was selected as a contender in KingCo 3A/2A before the season.
“Sometimes you play to the quality of your opponent, and that’s not a good thing. So, I’m proud of the guys for coming out and playing hard,” Wildcats head coach Charlie Kinnune said. “We’ve been guarding against (playing down to the opponent). Our practices have been really hard. Our practices have been tougher than our games on Friday night.”
Mercer Island, 1-5, forced Mount Si to punt just once in the first half. On four other first-half possessions, the Wildcats had little trouble finding the end zone, including a possession that went 96 yards in 10 plays.
Sean Snead had another big night running the ball for Mount Si, as he finished with 180 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. The Wildcats led 41-0 before Mercer Island finally scored. All of it came one week after pasting Evergreen, 55-0.
“It was a good night for us,” Kinnune said. “Our offense is really running on all cylinders right now. Our defense, for the most part, is doing a good job with the big plays. People are testing our young corners.”
Mount Si scored first when it went 57 yards on six plays for a 2-yard touchdown run by Snead. The Wildcats’ second drive was 96 yards and included a 31-yard run by quarterback Tyson Riley, who finished the possession with a 2-yard touchdown dive to make it 14-0.
On Mount Si’s third drive, Snead had a 21-yard run, Brandon Smith had an 11-yard run, Riley completed a pass to Robert Sharps for 13 yards and Matthew Bankston scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run to make it 21-0.
With 7:34 left in the half, Snead scored again — this time from 7 yards out — to make it 28-0. Then, on the Wildcats’ first drive of the second half, the senior running back broke loose for a 50-yard gain to set up an 8-yard scoring run by Bankston that made it 35-0.
Mount Si can now turn its attention to a late-season stretch that includes three straight contests against league foes. They travel to Sammamish Friday night, before playing host to Juanita and playing at Liberty.
“We knew we had a tough, early schedule. But, we’re 3-3 now, so we’re back to even,” Kinnune said. “Our goal has always been to play a meaningful 10th game and get into the playoffs.”
Reach editor Ryan Piersol at rpiersol@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.
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