By Karrington Kincaid, The Seattle Medium
Saturday’s playoff finale between 13U Heir and the 14U Lake Stevens did not disappoint at all. Both teams are extremely familiar with one another as they played each other twice during the regular season. Prior to the game, both coaches were fired up about the opportunity that lies ahead and the respect that they have for each other’s team.
“Heir’s a good team, and we know we played them twice, the first time we played they kind of spanked us a little bit,” said Lake Stevens 14U Head Coach Rob Pugmire. “They’re a very talented team and they are very well-coached, but I’m expecting my kids to come out and fly around and be physical and make a statement early.”
“Overall, we feel good and we’re hungry,” said Heir Head Coach Scott Halasz. “They beat us twice in a row, and that’s just something we’re not really used to at all. They have a great team over there, and it’s our job to limit them as much as possible.”
Heir started off with the ball first. Led by Jaiden Williams and Kaicen Carter, HEIR’s offense quickly went to work.
HEIR’s sideline got pumped up when Carter had a 20-yard run, where he hurdled an opposing tackler in the process. The play was followed up by a 29-yard run by Williams to the Lake Stevens’ 18-yard line, which led to an 18-yard touchdown pass from Brennan Abbott to Carter for the first touchdown of the game, making the score 6-0 in favor of HEIR.
After a rough start, Lake Stevens defensive back Deuce Wilson made his presence known by getting an interception on Heir’s second offensive drive of the game. However, the ensuing drive by Lake Stevens would eventually stall.
Heir would overcome Lake Stevens’ in-game adjustments by scoring on a 15-yard touchdown run by Jaiden Williams, making the game 12-0. Lake Stevens would respond by scoring on a 20-yard touchdown run by Deuce Wilson, making the game 12-6 with just a few minutes left in the half.
Coming out of halftime, Heir planned to chew up as much of the clock as possible to prevent giving Lake Stevens much time on the clock. On their first offensive possession, Heir took nearly 7 minutes off the clock with efficient runs by both Carmelo Madden and Jaiden Williams, with Madden punching in a 1-yard touchdown run to make the score 18-6 Heir.
As both defenses played hard, Lake Stevens’ Ryder Sandstrom broke loose on a 20-yard run and finished off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to cut HEIR’s lead to 12-18.
As the teams started to wear down and get tired, Jaiden Williams’ 27-yard touchdown run sealed the deal for HEIR as they advanced to the championship game with a 24-12 win over Lake Stevens.
After a great season for his team, Lake Stevens 14U Head Coach Rob Pugmire reflected on what he saw in the game.
“I think this is one of those games where I don’t think everyone was all here, and it was evident in the way we played tonight,” said Pugmire. “That’s what happens against a good team like HEIR. They take advantage of your mistakes.”
After the game, Coach Halasz was very happy with his team’s performance.
“This was the kind of game that I wanted our team to be a part of,” said Halasz. “I didn’t want to see a blowout because I wanted to see some adversity with this team. The fact that they came out and adjusted to what we were doing and we found ways to overcome that shows why we belong here and why we’ve been champions multiple times before.”
