Skyline dominates Auburn
November 25, 2008
By Ryan Piersol
Early in Skyline’s Class 4A state quarterfinal game with Auburn on Saturday, the Spartans had a pair of long touchdowns called back because of penalties.
Skyline's Nick Washburn during second quarter run. Washburn had 101 yards rushing and a touchdown against Auburn on Saturday. Photo by Jim Simpkins
If Skyline was a double-barreled shotgun, that might have proved disastrous.
But this Spartan team? It’s more like an Uzi.
Utilizing all of its weapons, Skyline overcame those early miscues and an early deficit to easily romp by Auburn, 38-2, at home Saturday. The victory propels the defending state champion Spartans into a state semifinal match with Ferris Nov. 29 in Spokane.
“It was a little rough at the beginning,” Skyline senior Gino Simone said. “Sometimes that can stunt a team’s momentum, but we kept at it and kept working.“We just like to stay confident with what we have. We have the best coaching staff in the state and we’re really confident that they’re going to put us in the right places to make plays.”
Simone both returned a punt for a touchdown and hauled in a touchdown catch in the rout.
However, his first score — a punt return for a touchdown — was called back because of a penalty. Three plays later, with the Spartans backed up to their own goal line, sophomore Kasen Williams scooped up a teammate’s fumble and raced 98 yards for a touchdown. However, that score was also negated when it was ruled that a player illegally touched the ball in the end zone, which resulted in a safety.
Instead of leading 14-0, Skyline trailed 2-0.
The Spartans never panicked, though, and bounced back to lead 24-2 at halftime. They came alive with a variety of threats, as they forced four turnovers on defense and scored on the ground, through the air and with special teams.
“That was big,” Skyline head coach Mat Taylor said. “It was a total team effort and that’s what we want in games like these.”
Junior quarterback Jake Heaps finished 17-of-24 for 204 yards and two touchdown passes. Nick Washburn rushed for 105 yards on 14 carries. On defense, both Simone and Jon Davidson intercepted passes, while Michael Stead and Tommy Aarts recovered fumbles.
Trailing 2-0, Skyline took its second possession 63 yards in 10 plays to set up a 23-yard field goal that made it 3-2. The next time the Spartans got the ball, they went 52 yards in 11 plays, as Heaps ran into the end zone from 2 yards out to bring the score to 10-2.
Before the end of the first half, Simone returned a punt 55 yards for a score and Washburn managed a 4-yard touchdown run to cap an 80-yard drive that put Skyline in full control at 24-2.
In the third quarter, Heaps hooked up with William Chandler for a 4-yard touchdown pass and Simone for a 41-yard touchdown pass as the gap spread to 38-2.
Skyline finished with 145 yards on the ground. Auburn, which depended mostly on its rushing attack, finished with 172 yards rushing and 37 yards passing. The Trojans entered the game averaging 382 yards rushing and 37 points a game.
The Spartans will now face a Ferris team that has advanced to the state playoffs four times in school history. Ferris lost in the semifinals to Bothell, 14-7, last season. It also was a state semifinalist in 1988.
Editor Ryan Piersol can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 246 or editor@snovalleystar.com.
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