Wildcats pull off ugly win
Published 9:40 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008
Mount Si traveled to Issaquah last Friday for what has always proven
to be a tough football game. An offensive first half and tough defensive
second half allowed the team to escape with a 25-20 victory despite
several fumbles.
The Wildcats scored quickly in the first quarter as they put together
an impressive 69-yard drive. Mike Dollinter started the offensive
efforts with an 18 yard run to the Mount Si 49-yard line. He added three
more runs to move the ball into Issaquah territory. After a stuff behind the
line of scrimmage by quarterback Byron Dill, Tyler Osborn exploded out of
the backfield on a reverse and sprinted his way to the Issaquah 12-yard
line. From there, Dollinter moved the ball to the Issaquah one-foot line.
Two Issaquah penalties later, from just inches out, Austin Bachelder
pushed his way up the middle for the score. The point after run failed leaving
the score 6-0 with 6:22 left in the first quarter.
On the Indians first drive, a combination of penalties and great
defensive efforts, including a quarterback sack by Brad Connor, left the
Indians staring at fourth down and a whole bunch of yardage. The Wildcats’
Jeff Stone took the Issaquah punt at the 50-yard line and made his way to the
39 where the Wildcats took over with 3:31 left in the first quarter.
The Indians got the ball back in short order, though. On first and
ten, the ball squirted loose from the hands of Bachelder with Issaquah
recovering on their own 39. But again, the Wildcat defense proved too much
and the Indians were forced to punt.
Mount Si went three and out on the next series and were forced to
punt. As punter Tim Holen kicked the ball, an Issaquah defender got a hand on
it and blocked the punt. Issaquah recovered the ball on the Mount Si
39-yard line.
But the Wildcats’ fortunes turned once again to the positive. On
second and five, at the Wildcat 17-yard line, the Indians fumbled, stopping a
potential scoring opportunity and giving the ball to Mount Si with 11:18 left
in the second quarter.
From there, quarterback Dill went to work. Runs by Dollinter moved
the ball to the Issaquah 48-yard line. Then a nicely placed pass from Dill to
the big man, Steve Botulinski, moved the ball to the Indian 40-yard line.
Finally on third and 10, Bachelder broke free from the pack 39 yards out
and scrambled to the end zone. Brett Bergstrom’s extra point kick
was added, making the score 13-0 with 7:59 left in the second quarter.
Mount Si added another Bachelder touchdown midway through the
second quarter to make it a 19-0 ballgame, after the extra point attempt failed.
Issaquah added a touchdown of their own with a draw play by
Brandon Stark from 14 yards out. The extra point attempt pierced the
uprights to make it a 19-7 game with 41 seconds left in the first half.
Issaquah, hoping to add one more score before the end of the half,
lined up and kicked onsides. After seeing the ball shoot out of a pile in
the middle of the field, a quick-thinking Chad Mills scooped it up and ran
65 yards for the touchdown. But after an end zone celebration a lone flag
lay on the field near the pile. Looking as though the touchdown might
come back, a tense Wildcat sideline waited for the call. Facemasking on
Issaquah was the call, which the Wildcats declined, letting the touchdown
stand. Again, Mount Si tried a two-point run for a point after attempt but again,
it failed, giving the Wildcats a 25-7 lead at halftime.
The second half was a defensive struggle for Mount Si. Issaquah
scored quickly to open the half as Stark broke free and ran 74 yards for a
touchdown. The extra point attempt was good, making the score 25-14 with 10:44
left in the third quarter. Another Wildcat fumble midway through the
third quarter gave the Indians great field position again at the Mount Si 23.
The defensive unit worked hard and pushed the Indian offense back
with each play. Finally, the Wildcats took over the ball on downs, at their
own 25-yard line.
Issaquah added another touchdown after several
unsuccessful drives, capitalizing on another Wildcat fumble. From six yards out,
quarterback Dane Woldseth scored on an option. But the two point
conversion attempt was thwarted, making the score 25-20 with 4:31 left in the game.
The Indians got one more attempt at the end zone late in the game.
Starting from their own 45-yard line they moved the ball to the Mount Si
41. Finally on fourth and five, with Woldseth looking for an open
receiver, the Wildcats crushed the Indians last gasp of offense with tight
coverage. The stunted drive ended the game as Mount Si ran out the clock. The
win moves Mount Si to a record of four wins and three losses with two
games remaining in the season.
“Issaquah played with a lot of heart and I am proud to say I am an
Issaquah alumnist,” said Coach Charlie Kinnune. “But the Wildcats did
some damage too, we played with a lot of character.”
“Again, we could have folded when we were down. The
defense came through and did wonders. We are winning more than we are losing
right now and I am so darn proud of these kids,” he added. “This is the time
of year when you know you are not going off to the playoffs but you have
to find something to play for other than the playoffs. In our case its pride
and its Wildcat pride. We are playing for the grandpas and uncles and dads
that have been Wildcats, all of our alumni and their families.”
Mount Si takes on Newport at home this Friday at 7:30.
