Mount Si stunned in final seconds of playoff game
November 14, 2008
By Ryan Piersol
The Mount Si sideline was in a frenzy, the opponent was hanging its collective head and the Wildcat football fans were already making plans to watch their team in the Class 3A state quarterfinals.
There was just one problem – a measly 58 seconds.
Matthew Bankston dives at Eastside Catholic
In that amount of time, Eastside Catholic was able to mount a dramatic comeback and stun Mount Si, 13-12, in a first-round 3A state playoff game at Seattle Memorial Stadium Friday night.
The Wildcats seemingly had the game in control when Sean Snead scored from three yards out to make it 12-7 with 58 ticks of the clock left. But Crusader senior Marion Bactol returned an ensuing kickoff to the Mount Si 16 yard line. Two plays later, Eastside Catholic quarterback Zach Cueresma found Spencer Esau for a 14-yard touchdown pass on a fade play with just 18 seconds left in the game.
Shocked, upset, heartbroken – a myriad of emotions showed on the face of the Wildcats at the end of this one.
“It’s tough. It’s very difficult,” Mount Si head coach Charlie Kinnune said. “Right now, my job is just to get with the kids and get them through this. We have kids on this team who put their heart and soul into this.”
Losing in the state playoffs is never easy. Losing in the final seconds can make the situation worse. But what made the Wildcats’ loss to Eastside Catholic even harder to take was the fact that Mount Si seemingly dominated the game, outgaining the Crusaders 333-157 in total yardage.
Snead once again topped the 100-yard mark, getting 101 rushing on 24 carries. Wildcat quarterback Tyson Riley also threw for 146 yards.
Mount Si set the tone early, taking its second possession 65 yards for a score and an early lead. The touchdown was a 9-yard pass completion from Riley to tight end Alex Hiebert. The extra-point attempt, however, was missed – a miss that would come back to haunt the Wildcats – and the score remained 6-0.
Eastside Catholic had just 49 yards of total offense when it got the ball on its own 43 with 52 seconds to play before halftime. After converting a fourth-down with a 15-yard pass, the Crusaders decided to heave one toward the end zone. Their heave was caught and was good for a 35-yard touchdown reception with only six seconds remaining in the first half, helping make it 7-6 at the break.
Three times in the second half, Mount Si moved the ball into Crusader territory without scoring. They turned the ball over on downs two of those times, once at the Eastside Catholic 38 and another at the 13.
With 2:29 remaining in the game, the Wildcats received the ball at the Eastside Catholic 45, still trailing 7-6. Riley completed passes of 6, 9, 11 and 10 yards to move the ball to the 3, where Snead punched it in for the go-ahead touchdown with just 58 seconds left.
On a first kickoff attempt, Mount Si actually kicked the ball out of bounds. The Crusaders opted to make the Wildcats re-kick, and on that second attempt, Bactol found a seam up the right sideline and nearly scored, before being pushed out of bounds at the 16.
Eastside Catholic then ran to the right side for 2 yards on first down and rushed to the line. For a moment, it appeared the Crusaders might spike the ball to stop the clock. Instead, Cuersesma threw over the defense on the left side of the field for the game-winning touchdown.
Mount Si finished with 184 yards rushing, while the Crusaders were limited to just 65.
Eastside Catholic, now 10-1, moves into the state quarterfinals to face Lakes. The Wildcats end the season at 6-5.
“It’s been a great season. We’ve got guys out here who don’t want to leave the field,” Kinnune said. “We played the toughest schedule in the state. I don’t know anyone else who played five ranked… I don’t have anything else to say.”
Reach editor Ryan Piersol at editor@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.
Comments
Got something to say?
Before you comment, please note:
- These comments are moderated.
- Comments should be relevant to the topic at hand and contribute to its discussion.
- Personal attacks and/or excessive profanity will not be tolerated and such comments will not be approved.
- This is not your personal chat room or forum, so please stay on topic.
