SEQUIM — Miguel Moroles stretched the ball over the goal line to give Sequim a 26-20 homecoming win over North Mason in overtime.
The Wolves gained sole possession of third place in the Olympic League football standings heading into this week’s matchup with archrival Port Angeles.
After Sequim’s defense forced a turnover on downs to open overtime, the running of Moroles and Chris Whitaker moved the Wolves’ offense near the goal line.
On third-and-goal, Moroles took the snap and managed to squeeze through a crowd of tacklers and blockers and then dive for the end zone, reaching the ball far enough to barely cross the goal line.
It was close, but after a few seconds, the officials signaled touchdown.
“I wanted the coach to give me the ball,” Moroles said after Friday’s game.
“I trusted myself to get the job done and they called it my way, and the line did a great job, they got that first push.”
Sequim coach Erik Wiker said that the quarterback run by Moroles was a play that gave the Wolves a chance to score without messing up a potential field goal attempt.
“You always kind of think, you know, one of your best playmakers, have the ball in his hands and stuff,” Wiker said.
“But the other part is, with their defense, they were susceptible to some leads, and we don’t have a two-back offense, so [Moroles] would be our guy with Whitaker leading.
“So some of it was, be conservative, yet still try and go score, because if he didn’t score, we were kicking a field goal and hopefully make it.
“I’m glad they called touchdown so we didn’t have to worry about it.”
It was Moroles’ fourth touchdown run of the game. The senior finished with 131 yards rushing on 10 carries. He also completed 13 of 21 passes for 155 yards and two interceptions.
Following a first half that was played to a 13-13 tie, the Wolves opened the third quarter with a well-executed drive that reached the North Mason 10-yard line without experiencing a single third down.
But the drive was completely derailed. Two holding penalties , a delay of game and a sack left Sequim in a fourth-and-goal from the 31, which forced a punt by Moroles that went into the end zone for a touchback.
North Mason took the ball with 8:21 left in the third quarter and didn’t give it back to Sequim until there was 9:37 to play in the fourth.
The Bulldogs went 80 yards in 21 plays — all runs — and picked up seven first downs, converting four third downs and one fourth down.
“That’s what we try to pride ourselves on, to be honest with you, is controlling the ball and controlling the clock,” North Mason coach Jeff Bevers said.
“We want 15-play drives or better and we work on that, and that’s normal for us. We’re a pretty patient football team.”
About a minute later, the Bulldogs looked poised to put the game away after Moroles threw his first interception to Terry Winslow, who returned it to the Sequim 13.
But the Wolves’ defense forced a turnover on downs, giving the offense the ball on its own 5-yard line.
Three plays later, Moroles made his biggest play of the game, keeping the ball on a read option and eluding a few tacklers before sprinting down the right sideline for an 84-yard touchdown run to even the score at 20-20 with 6:20 left in the game.
“I knew I had to beat out one guy, because one guy was staying [back], and once I beat that guy I thought I had a pretty good shot,” Moroles said.
North Mason then drove to midfield, but Matt Becker’s pass was intercepted by Sequim junior Kane Stoddard.
On the second play of the Wolves’ ensuing drive, Winslow jumped in front of another Moroles pass to give North Mason the ball with 1:52 to play.
The Bulldogs appeared content to run the clock out, but they decided to throw the ball on their last two plays of regulation.
The first fell incomplete, but the second was intercepted near midfield by Stoddard, who made a dash for the end zone, before Becker ran him down at the North Mason 17 to send Sequim to its second overtime in as many weeks.
“He was close to gone,” Wiker said. “But, honestly, he’s fast; he probably would have got it, but he got a big hip pointer after getting hit.
“And maybe he wouldn’t have been any faster, the guy had a little angle, but that would have been a nice way to end it.”
The Bulldogs (2-2, 3-3) went back to their running game in overtime, and faced a manageable fourth-and-2 until a false start — only North Mason’s second penalty of the game — pushed them back 5 yards.
That created a passing situation, and Becker’s pass was broken up by, of course, Kane Stoddard.
“I was waiting for the ball,” Stoddard said of his three big defensive plays at the end of the game.
“I was like, ‘No. 10 [Daniel Burggraaf], probably going to throw to him. Stand behind him, let him throw it, jump in front of him.’”
Wiker said Stoddard was Sequim defensive player of the game.
“Stoddard is a really good player,” Wiker said.
“It would be great if you knew him. He’s a kid that never says a word; he’s very unassuming, very super-almost shy, and he goes out there and plays like an animal.
“He’s really good every week, and he tries hard and he studies and he does good stuff.”
Next up for Sequim (2-1, 4-2) is Port Angeles (1-2, 3-3) at Civic Field this Friday.
The Roughriders beat the Wolves last year 37-21, Port Angeles’ first win in the rivalry since 2007.
“There’s definitely a big chip on our shoulders,” Moroles said of playing the Riders.
“Our confidence is up, knowing we can play with them, and we’ll go pretty hard this week in practice and have a good week of practice, and we’ll be prepared.”
Sequim 26, North Mason 20, OT
North Mason 13 0 0 7 0— 20
Sequim 6 6 0 7 6— 26
First Quarter
S—Moroles 6 run (kick no good)
NM—Davenport 3 run (Burggraaf kick)
NM—Becker 57 run (kick no good)
Second Quarter
S—Moroles 8 run (Espinoza kick)
Fourth Quarter
NM—Rinehart 2 run (Burggraaf kick)
S—Moroles 84 run (Espinoza kick)
Overtime
S—Moroles 1 run
Individual Stats
Rushing—NM: Dixon 19-103, Becker 14-97, Grewell 10-22, Rinehart 7-21, Davenport 2-3. S: Moroles 10-131, Whitaker 10-55, Stoddard 3-51, Richmond 4-34, Jones 1-17, Frick 1-13, Nelson 2-3.
Passing—NM: Becker 4-9-2, 64. S: Moroles 13-21-2, 155.
Receiving—NM: Burggraaf 4-64. S: Earley 7-87, Dennis 5-58, Frick 1-10.
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Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
