FORKS — Forks missed making the playoffs by the slimmest of margins.
In a battle for the SWL-Evergreen Division’s fourth and final playoff spot, the Spartans lost to Elma 15-14 in a game that featured a go-ahead touchdown and missed field goal in the game’s final 80 seconds.
With Forks leading 14-9, the Elma quarterback, Layne Sutten, hooked up with Todd Swinhart for a 9-yard touchdown pass to put the Eagles on top with 1:19 seconds.
The Spartans then drove from their own 25 to the Elma 7-yard line before missing a 25-yard field goal as time expired that would have given Forks the win.
The game was mostly a battle of defenses.
James Salazar and Mitch Leppell picked off passes for Forks and Mark Jacobson blocked a punt. The Spartans also recovered a fumble.
Elma (3-2, 4-4) recovered two fumbles and intercepted one pass.
After a scoreless first period, the Eagles scored the first nine points on a 1-yard run by Brian Maslen and a 21-yard field goal from Reynaldo Ayala.
Forks quickly responded with a 7-yard run by Dmitri Sampson and a two-point conversion by Braden Decker to cut Elma’s lead to 9-8.
The Spartans then took a 14-9 lead in the third quarter on a 9-yard run by Decker.
Forks (2-3, 4-4) will travel to Hoquiam (5-0, 8-0) on Friday night. The Grizzles, ranked No. 4 in 1A, beat up Tenino 42-3 to remain undefeated on the season.
Elma 15, Forks 14
Elma 0 9 0 6— 15
Forks 0 8 6 0— 14
Second Quarter
E—Brian Maslen 1 run (kick failed)
E—Reynaldo Ayala 21 FG
F—Dimitri Sampson 7 run (Braden Decker run)
Third Quarter
F—Decker 9 run (kick failed)
Fourth Quarter
E—Todd Swinhart 9 pass from Layne Sutten (conversion failed)
Chimacum 47,
Vashon 0
VASHON ISLAND — The Cowboys ran over the Pirates (0-4, 1-7) in this non-divisional Nisqually League match-up.
Mel Thornton had another stellar game for Chimacum, rushing for 225 yards on 15 carriers, including touchdown runs of 39, 52 and 57 yards.
Derek Ajax also eclipsed 100 yards for the Cowboys, gaining 103 on 11 carries. As a team, Chimacum ran for 364 combined yards.
After a scoreless first period, the Cowboys erupted for 28 points in the second quarter.
Colton Shaw dealt the first blow on a 12-yard scoring scamper.
Thornton followed with two touchdown runs and then quarterback Alex Morris connected with Drew Yackulic on a 24-yard touchdown pass.
The third quarter featured big plays.
Thornton scored from 57 yards out and Ajax ran one to the end zone from 66 yards away.
Morris put the final touches on the drubbing with a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Chimacum (1-2, 3-5) faces Port Townsend in the Quimper Quarrel rivalry game at Memorial Field next week.
Chimacum 47, Vashon 0
Chimacum 0 28 12 7— 47
Vashon 0 0 0 0— 0
Second Quarter
C—Colton Shaw 12 run (kick failed)
C—Mel Thornton 39 run (Derek Ajax run)
C—Thornton 52 run (Alex Morris kick)
C—Drew Yackulic 24 pass from Morris (Morris kick)
Third Quarter
C—Thornton 57 run (kick failed)
C—Ajax 66 run (kick failed)
Fourth Quarter
C—Morris 2 run (Morris kick)
Individual Stats
Rushing— C: Thornton 15-225, Ajax 11-103, Shaw 6-39, Morris 2-(-3).
Passing—C: Morris 2-6, 31.
Receiving—C: Yackulic 1-24, Thornton 1-7.
Tacoma Baptist 28,
Port Townsend 20
PORT TOWNSEND — The Crusaders put a damper on the Redskins’ homecoming game when Taylor Martindale tossed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Hughey that broke a 20-20 tie with seven minutes remaining in the game.
The touchdown finished off a hectic start to the fourth quarter in which the two teams combined to score 30 points in five minutes of the period.
Jeff Seton, filling in for injured starting quarterback Jacob King — who was out with a deep thigh bruise — scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to give Port Townsend a 14-12 lead.
The Crusaders responded quickly with a 27-yard touchdown run by Martindale.
Port Townsend’s Matt Cain returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to even the score at 20 before the decisive touchdown by Hughey, which was Martindale’s third touchdown pass of the game.
Following a scoreless first half, all of the game’s points were scored within a 14-minute stretch that covered the third and fourth quarters.
Layne Zack got the first points on a 30-yard run to give the Redskins a 6-0 lead.
Martindale gave Tacoma Baptist (5-3) a lead going into the fourth quarter with touchdown passes to Drew Jordan and Morgan Wood.
Seton did well in place of King, running for 30 yards and passing for 106. All of those passing yards went to Skyler Coppenrath, who had six catches.
Port Townsend (3-2, 4-4) will next face rival Chimacum in a Nisqually League crossover match-up.
Tacoma Baptist 28, Port Townsend 20
Tacoma Baptist 0 0 12 16— 28
Port Townsend 0 0 6 14— 20
Third Quarter
PT—Layne Zack 30 run (kick failed)
TB—Drew Jordan 25 pass from Taylor Martindale (pass failed)
TB—Morgan Wood 23 pass from Martindale (run failed)
Fourth Quarter
PT—Jeff Seton 1 run (Dillon Ralls kick)
TB—Martindale 27 run (Martindale run)
PT—Matt Cain 100 kickoff return (Ralls kick)
TB—Brandon Hughey 25 pass from Martindale (Hughey pass from Martindale)
Individual Stats
Rushing— PT: Mitiku Little 8-71, Layne Zack 8-65, Wesley Wheeler 9-41, Tim Russell 3-18, Seton 3-14, Cain 6-14.
Passing—PT: Seton 6-9-1, 106.
Receiving—PT: Skyler Coppenrath 6-106.
