For a football program that prides itself on success, the Kentwood Conquerors entered the new season Saturday at Qwest Field with more than their usual share of question marks.
The most prominent of those questions was obvious: Who takes over in the backfield for graduated star Dimitrius Bronson?
That question was answered emphatically by Darrius Coleman and a host of other Conquerors Saturday evening.
Coleman rushed for 80 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries, leading the Conquerors past Class 3A Kennedy, 28-14, in the fourth contest of the five-game Emerald City Kickoff Classic.
“We had a lot of question marks coming into the season … especially in our backfield,” Kentwood coach Rex Norris said. “They answered those questions. We didn’t panic (after getting behind 14-0), didn’t turn the ball over a lot and didn’t have too many penalties.”
The nonleague victory sets up a key early-season showdown for Kentwood, which will travel to Auburn for a 7 p.m. SPSL North opener on Friday night. The Trojans, who moved up from the SPSL 3A this season, upset seventh-ranked Federal Way last Thursday, 21-14.
Tahoma 51, Jefferson 32
Preseason talk on the Tahoma High School football field centered around returning to tradition.
Consider it done.
Behind a dominating all-out performance, the Bears blasted Jefferson on last Friday night, 51-32, in their South Puget Sound League North Division opener.
Offensively, Tahoma rushed for 385 yards and six touchdowns on 57 carries. But it was defense that got the Bears on the board first, when linebacker Jordan Rehwaldt returned a fumble 12 yards for a first-quarter touchdown. Tahoma’s Tucker Murrey delivered the hit on Jefferson quarterback Kama Frank, jarring the ball loose and resulting in Rehwaldt’s score.
“The ball bounced our way a couple times,” Tahoma coach Tony Davis said. “It got out of hand pretty quick.”
Tahoma also got it done on special teams, when Kyle Phippen recovered Marc Ragan’s blocked punt in the end zone late in the second quarter, helping the Bears go into halftime with a 42-0 advantage.
Jefferson scored 26 of its 32 points during the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Niko Madison led all running backs with 105 yards on nine carries. Kurt LaFranchi added 72 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries while Chris Marangon chipped in 70 yards and a touchdown on six carries.
“We really clicked,” LaFranchi said. “It was amazing.”
Tahoma (1-0) will play host to Auburn Riverside (1-0) at Maxwell Stadium at 7 p.m. on Friday. Jefferson (0-1) travels to Kentridge on Saturday for a 7 p.m. showdown at French Field.
Kentlake fends off Kentridge, 7-2
It wasn’t pretty.
But after dropping four games by eight or fewer points last season, Kentlake football coach Mike Shepard couldn’t help but be at least somewhat pleased by last Friday night’s 7-2 South Puget Sound League North Division season-opening victory against rival Kentridge.
“Last year, we found a way to lose games like this,” said Shepard. “We found a way to win in a tough, hard-fought game.”
It’s the first time since 2003 that Kentlake has beaten Kentridge.
Not surprisingly in a game that was an offensive struggle throughout, it was Kentlake’s defense that came up with the biggest play of all.
With less than four minutes remaining in the first quarter, Kentlake defensive back Taylor Angevine scooped up a Kentridge fumble and went 18 yards for what proved to be the game-winning score.
“We knew they were going to be running a lot of screens. My coaches told me to watch for (running back Devin) Topps coming out of the backfield,” said Angevine. “I saw him drop it … and the ball basically fell into my hands.”
Added Shepard, “We had been (practicing) that all week long. Once he got it in gear, nobody was going to catch him.”
Angevine also led the Kentlake backfield, rushing for 86 yards on 12 carries.
Kentlake (1-0) will try and keep the momentum going when it plays host to Kent-Meridian (0-1) at 7 p.m. on Friday at French Field. Kentridge (0-1) hosts Jefferson (0-1) at 7 on Saturday night at French Field.
AR outlasts K-M in double-OT
The timing was there. And it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Auburn Riverside football team.
Stuck in a 7-7 double-overtime deadlock last Thursday night, Auburn Riverside quarterback John Hakala found Dalton Thomas on a 24-yard fade, lifting the Ravens past the Royals in the South Puget Sound League North Division opener for both teams, 14-7.
“We’ve been working on the timing pattern on that for a while,” Auburn Riverside coach Bob Morgan conceded. “It’s something we felt pretty confident about throwing.
“We’re just lucky to get that one.”
Maybe so. But there certainly wasn’t a better way for the Ravens to return to the Class 4A SPSL North.
“It’s big,” Morgan said. “Both teams made a lot of mistakes, but we have to look at it in a positive light.”
Kent-Meridian’s Artise Gauldin, a Kentwood transfer, gave the Royals an early lead with a 1-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. Gauldin went on to rush for 129 yards and the one touchdown on 13 carries. He also had a 60-yard touchdown run called back on a penalty.
“He was a highlight reel,” second-year K-M coach Trevor Roberts said. “He definitely carried the load. He actually would have had close to 200 yards. He had a 60-yard run called back and a 30-yarder called back.
“It’s brutal when you make mistakes like that.”
Auburn Riverside’s Jake Pele, who rushed for 105 yards on 17 carries, tied the game 7-7 late in the first quarter with a 26-yard touchdown run.
