PORT TOWNSEND — Port Townsend weathered some adversity along the way, but came up with two fumble recoveries in the last 3:21 of the fourth quarter to hold off Klahowya 27-19 in a key Nisqually-Olympic League contest.
The second recovery, caused by a low center snap to Eagles quarterback Dylan Zuber, was pounced on by defensive tackle Jackson Foster with 1:24 to play, and the Redhawks (4-0, 5-2) were able to run out the clock and take a big step toward the school’s second consecutive 1A state tournament appearance.
The game was moved to Monday after being postponed last Friday due to weather.
Port Townsend’s senior quarterback Berkley Hill rushed 28 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone, the second score coming on a 3-yard QB sneak with 37 seconds before halftime to put the Redhawks up 14-0.
Hill finished with 42 carries for 180 yards on the game.
“He does what we ask of him and beyond,” head coach Alex Heilig said.
“It’s nice to have a senior leader like that, who when needed, can pick it up and put it on his back and say ‘lets go.’ ”
On the ensuing kickoff, Klahowya’s Gabriel Wallis picked up a squib kick and found a lane on the right side of the field, rushing past an injured Port Townsend player, Gabe Apker-Montoya, on the way to an 85-yard kickoff return score.
Apker-Montoya stayed down on the Memorial Field grass before East Jefferson Fire-Rescue arrived and stabilized his neck before transporting him to Jefferson Healthcare.
Redhawks athletic director Scott Wilson said postgame that Apker-Montoya had not suffered any broken bones, and his mother Heather Apker posted “He’s doing good, just sore and stiff,” on Facebook Tuesday morning.
“Gabe’s injury really could have been an easy folding point for us, but we had some guys who stepped up and answered the call,”
Klahowya clawed closer after halftime, as quarterback Dylan Zuber’s 46-yard run on 4th-and-1 set the Eagles up at the Port Townsend 1-yard line.
Two plays later, Gabriel Wallis scored to cut the Redhawks’ lead to 14-12.
Despite a pass interference call on Port Townsend on Klahowya’s first try at a 2-point conversion attempt, the Redhawks defense stiffened on the next play and held Wallis out of the end zone to preserve the two-point advantage.
The Redhawks answered, converting twice on fourth down on their next drive, including a 14-yard touchdown pass and run from Hill to Gerry Coker for a 20-12 lead with 5:55 to go in the third.
“[Klahowya] brought people down on the line and they blitzed a little more [in the second half],” Hill said.
“They had a guy following me on the end, so we went to the passing game.”
Big play on defense
From his safety position, Hill made a perfect read on a Zuber pass on the Eagles’ next possession, intercepting the pass near midfield.
“I watched a lot of film and I knew the routes they were going to be running,” Hill said. “I broke on it early and got the interception.”
Two plays later, Hill rolled to his right and found Kyle Blankenship all alone on a crossing route for a 39-yard catch-and-run to the Klahowya 10-yard line.
Hill then found Blankenship in the flat for a 9-yard TD pass and a 27-12 Redhawks’ lead with 3:40 left in the third quarter.
Klahowya fought back, putting together a 10-play, 55-yard drive capped by Wallis’ third TD of the game, another 1-yard run, to pull within 27-19 with 11:04 to play.
The team’s traded possessions in the fourth quarter, before Port Townsend forced and recovered a fumble to take over on offense with 3:21 to go.
The Redhawks ran three plays before Hill fumbled at the Eagles’ 41-yard line with less than 3 minutes to play.
Klahowya efficiently moved the ball to the Port Townsend 30, using the sideline to get out of bounds and preserve time while pushing upfield.
But the Redhawks pass rush broke through on the Eagles’ final two offensive plays from scrimmage — a sack by Jonathan Smith and a fumble recovery by Foster after a low snap with 1:24 to go.
“We had some guys step up and make some plays for us in that fourth quarter,” Heilig said.
“Detrius Kelsall did that for us with some tough runs. Jon Smith and Jackson Foster made some big stops defensively.
“I have to give it to Jackson Foster for coming in for Gabe and going both ways [offensively and defensively.]”
Port Townsend faces Vashon (1-2, 1-5) on Friday.
A Redhawks win sets up a showdown for the Nisqually-Olympic League title when Port Townsend visits No. 5 Cascade Christian (4-0, 7-0) on Saturday, Oct. 28.
Port Townsend 27, Klahowya 19
Klahowya 0 6 6 7— 19
Port Townsend 7 7 13 0— 27
First Quarter
PT— Hill 4 run(Coker kick)
Second Quarter
PT— Hill 3 run(Coker kick)
K— Wallis 85 kick return (run failed)
Third Quarter
K—Wallis 1 run (run failed)
PT—Coker 14 pass from Hill (kick blocked)
PT—Blankenship 9 pass from Hill (kick good)
Fourth Quarter
K—Wallis 1 run (Scarborough kick)
Individual Stats
Rushing—K: Wallis 23-95, Zuber 11-68. PT: Hill 42-180, Kelsall 14-46, Blankenship 4-9.
Passing—K: Zuber 5-12-2, 28; PT: Hill 10-14-1, 121, 2 TD.
Receiving—K:
PT: Blankenship 3-54, Coker 5-49, Kelsall 1-10, Winegar 1-8.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
