TACOMA – There’s no way the South Kitsap High School football team could’ve seen this freight coming down the tracks.
A perfect 10-0 team shouldn’t get run off the field like this.
Skyline’s passing-receiving combination of BYU-bound Jake Heaps and junior Kasen Williams floored the Wolves early. If this one had been a boxing match, it would’ve been stopped in the first round.
The punches were staggering. So were the numbers.
Skyline didn’t just jab, the delivered haymakers right and left until finally backing off by removing their starters to start the second half in a 63-14 knockout in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs on Saturday night at Mount Tahoma Stadium.
Jakes Heaps threw seven touchdown passes (photo by Shawn Jonas).
The damage was done early with South Kitsap staggering from behind 56-14 at halftime.
“I think (South Kitsap) had a couple of big plays, but this was as complete of an effort as we’ve played this year,” said Skyline coach Mat Taylor, whose team rolled up 500 yards of total offense. “It was great. Jake was on point and it was nice to has Kasen out there. We wanted to work our intermediate [passing] game, and we did.
"Sometimes when you have Jake and Kasen you want to go deep a lot. But we have some good basic stuff.”
The damage was all done in the first half and both Heaps and Williams were on the sidelines after ntermission.
Their job was done.
Heaps fired seven touchdown passes and went 20 of 27 for 303 yards. Williams secured four of those TD passes and snagged eight catches for 108 yards before the halftime break.
In just one half of play, two school records for TDs fell.
“Individually this was best I’ve played, and it’s not only me … this was the best team effort we’ve had as a team the entire year,” said Williams, a junior, who teamed with the BYU-bound quarterback Heaps for the bulk of the big plays. “We needed that, so we can get that momentum going for the further games and game after this. They were a 10-0 team for a reason, so we weren’t going to take them lightly.
Kasen Williams, one of the country's top junior prospects, caught eight passes for 108 yards and four touchdowns. (photo by Shawn Jonas).
“We wanted to come out and put the lumber to them. We wanted to have a big blowout game and this was perfect for us.”
Skyline (9-2) advances to play No. 5 Curtis next Friday or Saturday in the quarterfinals.
Heaps hiked his passing TD total to 29 and without a mistake on Saturday. He has just four interceptions this season.
South Kitsap finished the season 10-1 and lost for the third consecutive time in the first round of state after bowing out in the round of 16 in 2002 and 2007.
The Spartans marched 64 yards in five plays to take a 7-0 lead on their first possession. Nick Washburn waltzed around left end for a 2-yard TD run to cap the drive, which took just 1:17.
Heaps hit Jordan Simone for a 31-yard pass play and Washburn ripped off a 22-yard run on the scoring movement.
On its second set of downs, Skyline drove 54 yards in seven plays to extend the advantage to 14-0. Heaps found Connor Brandt open in the right flat on a swing pass for a 6-yard score just 4:47 into the game.
The lead grew to 21-0 when Heaps scrambled left to find a leaping Kasen Williams for an 11-yard scoring strike with 4:20 to go in the first quarter.
It didn’t look good for South Kitsap as it went three-and-out on its first three possessions.
Williams hauled in a 10-yard scoring pass from Heaps at the 9:30 mark of the second quarter to hike the Spartans’ lead to 28-0.
The Heaps-to-Williams magic didn’t stop as the Skyline duo teamed up for 4-yard scoring pass play for a 35-0 lead with 8:27 before halftime. A sack and fumble recovery at the South Kitsap 21 set up the score just two plays later.
The Wolves averted the shutout on the next play from scrimmage with a 77-yard pass-and-run from Gordy Anderson to Isaiah Davis to make it 35-7 at the 8:07 mark of the second quarter.
Williams made his fourth TD grab and Heaps fifth scoring toss when the two hooked up again for a 20-yarder and a 42-7 margin with 4:32 left in the first half.
“We’ve connected this year, but not as good as we wanted,” Williams said. “This was what we wanted.”
The four-time state champion Spartans are making their eighth showing at state. Skyline won last year’s 4A title 20-15 over KingCo rival Issaquah after taking the 3A crown in 2007 with a 42-35 in over KingCo rival Woodinville.
The Spartans, in the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons, also won the 4A title in 2005 and the 3A championship in 2000.
South Kitsap was in the state mix for the 25th time, wining the 4A state title in 1994 and reaching the championship four times.
Scoring summary
At Mount Tahoma High School
Skyline 63, South Kitsap 14
SKYLINE 21 35 7 0 — 63
SOUTH KITSAP 0 14 0 0 — 14
Skyline – Nick Washburn 2 run (Sean Penberthy kick)
Skyline – Connor Brandt 6 pass from Jake Heaps (Penberthy kick)
Skyline – Kasen Williams 11 pass from Heaps (Penberthy kick)
Skyline – Williams 10 pass from Heaps (Penberthy kick)
Skyline – Williams 4 pass from Heaps (Penberthy kick)
South Kitsap – Isaiah Davis 77 pass from Gordy Anderson (Aaron LaDeaux kick)
Skyline – Williams 20 pass from Heaps (Penberthy kick)
South Kitsap – Leon LaDeaux 85 kickoff return (A. LaDeaux kick)
Skyline -- Brandt 5 pass from Heaps (Penberthy kick)
Skyline – Jordan Simone 31 pass from Heaps (Penberthy kick)
Skyline – Kai Jandoc 7 run (Shawn McDonald kick)
Jordan Simone goes up to catch the ball just before halftime against South Kitsap (photo by Shawn Jonas).
South Kitsap defenders try to prevent Jordan Simone's catch and touchdown (photo by Shawn Jonas).
But Jordan Simone hung on for the 31-yard touchdown catch (photo by Shawn Jonas).
Comments: