SHORELINE — Port Townsend’s superb season ended with a 24-7 loss to King’s in the first round of the 1A state football playoffs.
“It was a great game, it really was,” Redhawks head coach Nick Snyder said.
“Just like we thought, they were extremely fast and had some really talented athletes.”
The Knights (9-1) scored quickly, as QB Koa Wilkins connected with Cole Mitchell on a 68-yard catch-and-run for an early 7-0 lead.
Port Townsend (10-1) responded, putting together an 18-play, 80-yard drive capped by a two-yard TD pass from Berkely Hill to Carson Marx on fourth-and-goal late in the first quarter.
“David Sua was running people over on that drive,” Snyder said.
King’s added another big-play TD on its ensuing possession. Caleb Perry ran 56 yards for a score and a 14-7 lead after one quarter.
Port Townsend’s defense put together a goal-line stand in the second quarter.
“They had about three yards to go on fourth down, and Keegan Khile just stuffed him,” Snyder said.
“He plugged the gap and absolutely leveled him.”
The Redhawks had a chance to tie the score before halftime, but a controversial call on a Detrius Kelsall run gave the ball back to the Knights.
“Detrius got through a hole on third down and probably got 20 yards on the play,” Snyder said.
“He was stretching for extra yards as he went down and he bounced it on the ground and they called it a fumble.”
The Knights opened the second half with a clock-churning 17-play, 79-yard drive that included a successful fake punt run.
King’s Jack VanDyke ended the drive with a 19-yard field goal for a 17-7 lead.
The Redhawks’ run game was held down in the second half, unable to sustain drives.
Perry scored again for King’s on a 12-yard run in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
“Defensively, at times we held our own, but we couldn’t control the edge,” Snyder said.
“They just had a lot more depth and speed.”
Sua led the team with 15 carries for 93 yards.
The Redhawks finished the season with the program’s best record since 1977, a second-straight Olympic League 1A title and the school’s first state playoff berth since 2004.
Snyder said the team’s talented group of seniors all addressed the team after the game.
“I was so impressed with them,” Snyder said.
“They all took turns standing up in the locker room and they didn’t talk about this game, they talked about the future of Redhawks football and how much work it takes to be a champion.
“I was incredibly proud of all those guys. To me it was like watching a group of coaches get up and talk.
“When you put that much time and effort into something, the foundation of what you are really made of comes out.
“And that’s right. These kids are made of some pretty strong stuff.”
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Compiled using team reports.
