Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts

Rob Oxford: Gearing Up for the Rotary Cup

Friday, September 21, 2018

Presentation of the 2017 Rotary Cup
Photo by Rob Oxford


Text and photos by Rob Oxford

If you've not yet made plans for Friday Night September 21st, might I suggest bundling up, bringing a seat cushion and joining your fellow Shoreline residents for what is sure to be an exciting Rotary Cup match up at Shoreline Stadium.

Although it comes only halfway through the high school football season, to the coaches and athletes who play in it, the Rotary Cup can be the distinction between a successful or unsuccessful season.

A "winning" season, one whose wins outnumber losses, can mean little to a player whose team lost the Rotary Cup to a group of friends he's known since Little League. Many of our young athletes grew up as teammates playing Richmond Junior Football together and knew then they would one day be on opposing sidelines. For those players, that day is September 21st.

King TV5's Chris Egan interviewing players for last year's
Big Game of the Week. Local voters made this game the Game
of the Week as well - a new tradition.
Photo by Rob Oxford

Shorewood will host this year, which means their blow up Thunderbird will loom large in the south end zone and although the game is referred to as a "friendly rivalry," make no mistake that once the ball is kicked, for the following 48 minutes the 'friendliness" between these players will be suspended.

The same can also be said for those in the stands. Relatives, former neighbors, work associates and in some cases former classmates all choose a side and the pleasantries between them are kept to a minimum.

The Rotary Cup has significance in that it brings our community together. It will be without a doubt the single largest gathering in Shoreline all year. So if you don't come early or have someone save you a seat, you may find yourself sitting on the "wrong side of the tracks".

The Rotary Cup is a tradition very few communities enjoy. Before the game old friends reminisce, cheerleaders from both teams take selfies with each other and at halftime, both marching bands take the field together to perform and always dazzle those in attendance.

Athletic Director Don Dalziel and photographer
Rod Mar getting ready to take the "family portrait"
The flag teams will perform their routines and when he's not on assignment, former Shorecrest Grad and Seahawk Staff Photographer Rod Mar shoots the entire crowd from high above his lofty perch. Even Big Otis and the Shorewood mascot "T-Bird" will briefly go toe to toe to the delight of their respective fans.

Thanks to the Shorewood and Shorecrest fans who have been voting all week via the station's website, once again the big game will be featured this Friday Night as KING 5's "Game Of The Week." 
Last year KING 5's Chris Egan covered the game and much to the chagrin of T-Bird fans, showed off his legs in a Gordon Plaid kilt. It is possible that this year he may come to Shoreline Stadium in feathers of blue and green?

16 of the last 18 Rotary Cups have been won by the Shorecrest Scots and despite their desire to keep the trophy on the east side of I-5, as we speak the Thunderbird coaching staff are busily devising a plan to spoil those intentions. Both teams have winning records at this point in the season.

The Scots are undefeated at 3 - 0 and the T-Birds are 2 - 1, so it would be safe to say this may turn out to be one of the better games in quite a while. Last years 42 - 22 blowout by the Scots left a bad taste in the mouths of T-Bird fans and having won only 13 of the 48 games played in the series, Shorewood looks to exact a little revenge.

This friends is what we love about football. When the final buzzer sounds, with the exception of some good-natured ribbing, hands are shaken, backs are patted and we all slowly make our way out the gate together .... once again united as the Community of Shoreline.



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Shorewood football falls short versus Snohomish

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

The cheerleaders were high energy


Shorewood Football WesCo South 3A
9-14-18 at Snohomish

Snohomish 49
Shorewood 21

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Snohomish72171449

As with many things in life, one small action can seemingly change a whole interconnected series of events. For the Shorewood Thunderbirds playing at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Snohomish versus the Snohomish Panthers Friday, September 14th, it was giving up a touchdown on the second play of the game. It wasn’t a dramatic play - merely a short go route down the left sideline - the coverage was just a bit off - but enough to give the Panthers receiver a small step - and he was off for a 60 yard score. The small action knocked the wind out of a confident Shorewood team, which came into the game after two solid outings - and the T-birds never fully recovered.

David Snell passes to Joseph Williamson for a big gain


But, even with the score, there was something different about the demeanor of the T-birds. In years past, even getting down by one touchdown would cause the team to totally deflate - heads hanging low - a lack of fight draining from the players on the field. This week was different - a new level of resilience among Shorewood players. Maybe it was the dominate performance the week before over Meadowdale - or maybe it was the core belief that Shorewood could and would compete, no matter who the opponent was - but you would tell the game would continue to be a fight -- and Shorewood would battle till the end.

#5 Joseph Williamson evades a defender


As the game unfolded, Shorewood did not have an answer for the dominate running game put forth by Snohomish - as their tandem running backs were able to find crease after crease grinding the ball down the field on short and medium runs. Eventually, the defense was on the field too long and was just worn down.

On offense - Shorewood had flashes of solid offensive production -- senior Robert Banks sprinting for a 45 yard TD on 4th and 1, or junior Spencer Osborn snagging a 50 yard TD from senior QB David Snell. But in the end - it was minor mistakes - a fumble or a botched reverse on a kick return which gave Snohomish short fields and they capitalized.

SW fans made the trek to Snohomish to support their team!


The bottom line on this game - it will soon fade into memory, but the team should take pride in how they showed heart and fight till the end and use this setback as an opportunity to rebound against Shorecrest this coming Friday night when they play for the Shoreline Rotary Cup.

September 21st -- Shorewood (0-1 / 2-1) vs. WesCo South leading Shorecrest (2-0 / 3-0) - Shoreline District Stadium - 7pm.

--Text by Aaron Bert
--Photographs by Lisa Hirohata



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Shorecrest Scots wrap up an exciting win against division rival Everett

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Coach Brandon Christensen crouches on the sideline
during the Shorecrest - Everett game on Friday
Photo by Rob Oxford

The Scots and Thunderbirds have an opportunity again this year to be featured as KING 5's Game of the week. Click here to cast your vote.

WesCo South 3A Football
9-14-18 at Shoreline Stadium
Shorecrest 27 - Everett 21
Overall SC 3-0

Football coaches talk about "facing adversity"... a lot. They also talk about "stepping up to the challenge" and "giving it 120%." Another popular phrase for many is "next man up." So far this season the Shorecrest Scots have met and handled all that has been thrown their way. Currently sitting at 3 - 0, they played host to the Everett Seagulls Friday night at Shoreline Stadium and again started out strong.

Eladio Fountain congratulates Sammy Seliga
Photo by Rob Oxford

The first score came early when Everett was forced to punt and a bad snap pinned them back near their own 20 yard line. QB Eladio Fountain then hooked up with WR Sammy Seliga for the junior quarterback's first of four touchdowns. Soon after Fountain would tack on 53 of his total 299 yards with another strike to Seliga putting the Scots up 14 - 0.

Antonio Stillwell had another big game for Shorecrest, hauling in four passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns and despite a much bigger offensive line (at least on paper), the Scots defense applied plenty of pressure, allowing the likes of Marcus Selzler and sophomore Elyjah Shultz to record sacks, while Cole Francis and Robbie Oxford teamed up to record 1/2 a sack apiece. 

Elyjah Shultz records a sack
Photo by Rob Oxford

The Scots secondary again showed that they have the ability to smell passes that have been left floating in the air just a little too long. Sammy Seliga snatched two passes from Everett's QB, exhibiting some fancy footwork as he took the ball back up field and Gavin MacFarlane had one interception and the opportunity for a second if he'd been able to find the handle on the football.

Late touchdowns by both teams would send them into the locker rooms at the half with Shorecrest up 20 - 7.

RB Cyris Filoteo, who has yet to reach the end zone, was held to 42 yards on the ground after 17 carries and with five games remaining on the regular season schedule, the odds of eventually breaking things wide open are definitely in his favor.

Penalties on the Shorecrest Defense kept the game a little closer than fans would have liked with a couple of defensive pass interference calls that some may hope the zebra's can overlook during a tighter game. Fortunately however, "the bend but don't break" attitude kicked into gear and the Scots wrapped up another exciting win against a division rival. 

Heading into next weeks big match up, spirits are high and the team will begin the week preparing for their cross-town rivals by watching game film on Monday.

--Rob Oxford

Updated 9-16-2018

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Shorecrest Scots hand Edmonds-Woodway their second big loss in a row

Monday, September 10, 2018


WesCo 3A South Football
9-7-18  Edmonds Stadium
Shorecrest 35 - Edmonds-Woodway 14


If my information is correct, the Shorecrest Highlanders have not beaten Edmonds-Woodway in district competition since 2005. Fortunately for the Scots, streaks are meant to be broken.

The Good Guys wore all white Friday Night as they rode into Edmonds Stadium ready to do battle with the Warriors. Woodway started their season with a crushing 52 - 0 loss to perennial 4A powerhouse Glacier Peak and the coaching staff at Shorecrest had little reason to believe the Scots couldn't hand them their second loss in a row.

Taking the opening kickoff, The Highlanders failed to move the ball during their first offensive series and after just three short plays had to punt. Warrior senior Capassio Cherry (one of WesCo's top running backs his Junior year) seemed to have no problem weaving his way through the Scots' defense, but an errant pass from QB Reed Carr resulted in an interception by Scots' Cornerback, Sammy Seliga.

The first score of the game came after a pass from #19 Eladio Fountain to Junior wide receiver Carlos Torres who found his way into the end zone for a 29 yard scoring play.

Two short minutes later the visitors added seven more when #7 Markus Selzler, who had another big game for the Scots, picked off the Edmonds-Woodway QB and took it to the house. Kicker Gavin Dalziel who can't seem to miss early in the season would add on another PAT and the Scots were soon up 14 - 0 -- a situation in which they've not found themselves in quite some time at Edmonds-Woodway Stadium.

#19 Eladio Fountain has a clear field


With the first quarter winding down, quarterback Eladio Fountain would once again hook up with Carlos Torres for a 43 yard touchdown to put the Scots up 21 - 0.

The only score in the first half for E-W came on a one yard run after several untimely penalties against the Scots kept moving the ball downfield. As the momentum seemed it could be turning in favor of the home team, Scots QB Eladio Fountain threw the perfect touchdown pass, his third of the night, to senior receiver Antonio Stillwell who made a spectacular over the shoulder catch.

The score at halftime Shorecrest 28 - Edmonds-Woodway 7

After an uneventful third quarter of play, the Warriors struck first in the 4th on a 21 yard pass play for a touchdown. A personal foul penalty was called on the Scots defense but eventually declined and the Warriors cut the Scots lead in half.-

Not too long after, the Shorecrest Highlanders would dot the "i" in WIN with a fourth passing touchdown from Fountain to Stillwell, his second of the night and Gavin Dalziel would remain perfect for the season tacking on the PAT.

This year the Scots appear to have all the pieces to put together a successful season, surpassing last years record of 5 and 5.

If the offensive line can stay healthy, open up bigger holes for Cyrus Filiteo and allow him to use his speed and agility, 100 plus yard games for the senior running back could be a regular occurrence come Friday night.

The Scots' biggest challenge so far this season comes this Friday night when they host Everett at Shoreline Stadium.

--Text and photos by Rob Oxford



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Huge win for Shorewood football breaks 17 year losing streak

Sunday, September 9, 2018

TBird and Cheer celebrate the team

WesCo South 3A Football
9-7-18 at Shoreline Stadium
Shorewood 38 - Meadowdale 7

As the student section began to count down the final seconds of the game – 5.4.3.2.1 – a momentary silence fell across Shoreline Stadium as heads turned to look at the scoreboard and the reality of the night sunk in.

The final score was not a mirage and it was not the expected outcome – the 17-year losing streak was over – Shorewood Thunderbirds 38 – Meadowdale Mavericks 7.

Shorewood dominated the game and secured their first WesCo league victory since 2014 and now sat 2-0 for the first time since 1998. Suffice to say – with two solid outings to start the 2018 season, optimism is running high for the remainder of the year.

#3 Robert Banks piles up the yards
Senior Robert Banks led an explosive running attack – slicing and dicing through the Maverick defensive for three touchdowns. Banks ran with an intensity and hunger seldom seen on the turf at Shoreline Stadium. Each time he touched the ball – it had the potential for a score.

The T-bird offensive line, even though outmatched upfront size wise – battled on each play – showing a level of grit and desire to ensure the T-bird spread running and passing attack had the time and the creases to play to the running backs' slashing and quick cutting running style.

#15 Kody Carpenter wraps Meadowdale ball carrier

Further, the offensive effort was led by a mature and poised Senior David Snell at QB. In situations where Snell might have panicked last year, he stood tall in the pocket and made focused and accurate passes to a very sure handed T-bird receiving corp. With the addition of Senior Jaro Rouse - who is an absolute rocket on a pair of cleats – Shorewood finally has a consistent deep threat which will give opposing defenses pause.

On the defensive side of the ball the T-birds showed mental toughness and a bend but don’t break attitude, holding the Mavericks to zero points in the red-zone three times. Employing a new 3-3-5 defense, the T-birds swarmed to the point of attack and played sideline to sideline.

#5 Joseph Williamson returns a kick for a big gain
 
Even in situations where the Mavericks found success on the ground – attacking the center of the defense, the T-birds rallied to the cause and demonstrated a resiliency not seen by the Shorewood Green and Blue in ages. Hard hits were the name of the game and at the end of the night Meadowdale knew the effort put forth was not a fluke.

Said Head Coach Brandon Torrey: "I'm proud of the way the team played together and for one another."

Shorewood (1-0/2-0) plays Snohomish (0-0/0-2) next Friday 7pm, September 14, 2018 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Snohomish.

#2 Jaro Rouse breaks up the pass


Scores

Senior Kevin Hirohata and the team
celebrate with fans
Scoring summary

SHW -- Robert Banks 88-yard run (Alex Lim Kick), 1st.
SHW -- Robert Banks 6-yard run, 2nd.
SHW -- 27-yard field goal (Alex Lim Kick), 2nd.
MEA -- Nate Hebert 5-yard run(Carlos Abad Kick), 2nd.
SHW -- Jaro Rouse 52-yard pass from David Snell, 2nd.
SHW -- Robert Banks 11-yard run, 3rd.
SHW -- Ibrahim Benzina 44-yard run, 3rd.


--Text by Aaron Burt
--Photos by Lisa Hirohata



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Thunderbirds open football season with a shut out against Granite Falls

Monday, September 3, 2018

#12 Spencer Osborn stiff arms a defender--touchdown!
Photo by Lisa Hirohata

Shorewood football 8-31-18
at Granite Falls
Shorewood 42 - Granite Falls 0

QB David Snell (#4) passes to Matthew Bangsberg (#10)
Photo by Lisa Hirohata

The Shorewood Thunderbirds took the field in Granite Falls to open the 2018 season, and came away with a 42-0 win. The shutout was the first for Shorewood since 2006.

Shorewood Cheer support their team
Photo by Lisa Hirohata

The football program, under Head Coach and SW PE instructor Brandon Torrey, is back in the WesCo League this season after playing an independent schedule in 2017.

Offensive lineman Noah Keys (#62) and Phil Ball (#54) push Robert Banks (#3) to a first down
Photo by Lisa Hirohata

Torrey has been rebuilding the program, resulting in a 25% increase in players and over 25 seniors on the roster this year. The now senior core had a very successful freshman season in 2015, with a 8-1 record. They return to make a run to a winning varsity season.

#2 Jaro Rouse evades a defender
Photo by Lisa Hirohata


The opening home game versus Meadowdale High is Friday, September 7 at Shoreline Stadium. Kickoff is at 7pm.

--Lisa Hirohata


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97 yard scramble highlights Scots season opening football win

Coach Christensen has adopted the motto "Winning Is An Attitude"
Photo by s cho

Football 8-30-18
Shorecrest vs Marysville Getchell
at Shorecrest field
Final score Shorecrest 28 - Marysville-Getchel 10.

Sammy Seliga’s 97 yard scramble for a defensive touchdown highlighted the Scots season opening win over Marysville-Getchel 28-10.

September in Shoreline and the Friday Night Lights are once again shining bright at Shoreline Stadium. The Scots first game of the 2018 campaign happened to be on the final day of August and like most Summers in the Pacific Northwest it started out rather uneventful.

The Scots are beginning the season shorthanded, leaving holes in both the offense and defense, especially on the line where size can be a mitigating factor. In his first start as a varsity player, sophomore Jacob Halvorson at 5' 9" 228 lbs. did an admirable job supporting senior lineman Gabe Reyes, Cole Francis and Cole Duthie, while junior linebacker James Huffman was recruited to play guard -- a position for which he is somewhat unfamiliar, but eager to master.

Junior QB Eladio Fountain sat out the first half with an ankle injury and the responsibility fell to fellow junior Dante Recabarren and sophomore Desmond Fox to get the pigskin moving for the Scots. In the first half, despite some tough running by tailback Cyris Filoteo, neither team was able to do much on the offensive side of the ball and it appeared the game would be an extremely low scoring affair.

Junior DE Markus Selzler applied pressure the entire night sacking the QB on several occasions and further proving that the Highlander defense will be hard to beat this season. Safety Des Fox and LB Derreck Williams both recorded interceptions and the defense again stepped up big time when mounting a drive. A Chargers pass was deflected by sophomore LB Robbie Oxford into the arms of junior cornerback Jacob Cruz. Despite a last second field goal by Getchel, the defense kept the Chargers out of the end zone and heading into halftime, Highlander fans' hopes very much alive.

Cheerleaders in half-time performance
Photo by s cho

After a special performance by the Highlander Flag Team and musical entertainment by the Highlander Band, the second half started with the Chargers receiving the kickoff.

The crowd seemed to get energized when Fountain started warming up his arm on the sidelines. However, the mere fact that he had dressed for the game seemed like a good indication that at some point he would see some action and indeed, he did.

Scots storm into action
Photo by R Oxford

The Scots stormed into the second half with 21 unanswered points, the highlight of which was the 97 yard touchdown run by Senior WR Sammy Seliga after stripping the ball from a Getchel receiver at the Scots 3 yard line. Seliga would further pad his stats with a 55 yard touchdown reception from Fountain who also hooked up with Antonio Stillwell for an additional 6. Sophomore kicker Gavin Dalziel added the extra point and was perfect on the night.

Not to be deterred from the adversity they're facing early on, this year Coach Christensen has adopted the motto "Winning Is An Attitude" and so far this year the "attitude" is positive.

Final score Shorecrest 28 - Marysville-Getchel 10.

Next up the Scots travel to Edmonds-Woodway for a conference matchup Friday September 7th.


--Rob Oxford



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110th Apple Cup Saturday at Husky Stadium

Friday, November 24, 2017

Choose your side
Photo by Lee Lageschulte

The 110th Apple Cup - the annual cross-state football game between the UW Huskies and the WSU Cougars -- will kick off at 5pm on Saturday, November 25 at Husky Stadium at the UW.

Photo by Lee Lageschulte
Fox Channel 13 will carry the game, for those of you without tickets.

Both teams are ranked in the Top 20. If the Cougars win, they are still in the running for the PAC-12 title. The Huskies are already out of the running.

It's a tough day for households containing both Huskies and Cougars.




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Football: Shorecrest Scots prevail against league rival Mountlake Terrace, 34-22

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Senior Brayden Victor pulls in the Scot's first TD
 in the opening quarter


Prep Football
Shorecrest 34 vs Mountlake Terrace 22
Friday, 10-27-2017 at Shoreline Stadium
Overall record: 5-4
Conference record: 2-4

In a Wesco 3A South battle full of surprising plays, two point conversions, and officials' yellow flags, the Shorecrest Scots prevailed with a 34-22 victory over the Mountlake Terrace Hawks.

Shorecrest struck first, driving 70 yards on eight plays, with Scots' QB Eladio Fountain hitting Senior Brayden Victor from 12 yards out for the score. Freshman Gavin Dalziel, who has been perfect this season with 11/11 PAT's in the past three games, converted the kick to put the Scots up 7-0. The Hawks took the ensuing kickoff and started a 15 play drive that took the rest of the first quarter to complete, and was capped by a five yard pass, and a two point PAT to put their squad up 8-7.

Chris Lee pulls in a touchdown pass in the first half


Terrace's next play took the Scots by surprise when their onside kick was recovered by the Hawks who took advantage of the fortunate bounce and quickly scored again, converting another two point PAT to go up 16-7.

Then it was Shorecrest's turn. After Senior running back Ricardo Ruiz was stopped for small gains, Fountain took to the air and used his favorite target, Senior Chris Lee, to take chunks of Hawks' territory, finishing with a 35 yard strike that Lee pulled in at the five yard line and carried into the end zone. The 6'3" Lee, who is also a starter for the Scots' basketball team, leads all Shorecrest receivers this season with 659 yards receiving and six touchdowns.

#12 Jacob Cruz forces a fumble

This drive also marked the beginning of a flag frenzy; Terrace was called for defensive targeting, and each team had penalties for personal fouls on this drive. In a game where both teams gained over 300 yards, it was the officials who led in total yardage, penalizing the Scots 15 times for 140 yards and the Hawks 20 times for 215 yards.

The second half opened with the Scots taking the kickoff and driving 60 yards to go up 21-16, earning a lead they would never relinquish. These points came from Fountain, who ran up the right side of the field from 19 yards out for his first rushing TD. Fountain was helped with terrific downfield blocking by Rico Dellaguardia, Lee, and Senior guard Jackson Jones who has been a key player on the Scots' offensive line all season long.

A gang of Scots, including Seniors #70 Max Long and
#55 Mohammed Al-Jabiri, attack the Mountlake Terrace QB

After stopping the Hawks' next drive, Junior Sammy Seliga returned their punt to the Scots 24 yard line and Senior Ricardo Ruiz got his turn to score for Shorecrest. Ruiz, who broke 1000 yards rushing for the season and ended the game with a total of 1066, ran like William the Conqueror with gains of 17, 9, and 13 yards before taking Fountain's short pass and going to the house from the Hawks' 13 yard line. This was Ruiz's second TD reception of the season, taking his team leading TD total to 14. Fountain, who had his most efficient game of the season, ended the night hitting 14 of 16 targets for 172 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Scots will finish their season at home next Friday night at 8:00 in an interleague game against Newport High School, of Bellevue.

--Text and photos by Gordon Stephenson


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Super Bowl winning Highlander returns for Homecoming Week at Shorecrest

Monday, October 23, 2017

Shorecrest graduate Mark McGrath, center
with Shorecrest players
Photo by Rob Oxford

By Rob Oxford

He hadn't been back in 41 years and not surprisingly, things had changed just a little. 1976 Shorecrest Graduate Mark McGrath visited his old high school this week and the team for whom he wore #7 as an outstanding WR. Mark was guest speaker at the weekly Team Dinner on Thursday afternoon, hosted by the Highlander Football Gridiron Group. 

Vice President of a successful software company based in Colorado Springs, Mark spoke of being "undersized" in high school, but having the desire and determination that provided him with opportunities few will experience.

After graduation from High School, Mark received a four year scholarship to Montana State University where a division title was won his Freshman year. He signed his first professional contract with the Seattle Seahawks, then went on to play for the Washington Redskins, winning the 1983 Super Bowl catching passes from the great Joe Theisman.

Mark McGrath during his pro career
On one of those such passes, his first and only score as a Pro, Mark remembers spiking the ball in the end zone and immediately wishing he hadn't. Why? Because it was his first touchdown as a professional.

When asked post game by reporters why he didn't keep the ball for his trophy case, Mark said he "didn't want the scouts who may be watching to know it was his first professional touchdown".

Sadly, it would turn out to be his only touchdown as a Wide Receiver in the NFL. If anyone reading this knows where that ball is today, they can contact Mark through the Shoreline Area News. Lol!

The former Scot also discussed some of the qualities that employers today look for in potential job applicants. Specifically addressing the fact that in hiring, many companies desire athletes and members of the military for their abilities to work in team environments.

Although he still loves the game of football and currently has a young son playing WR in high school, Mark was very direct in addressing the seriousness of TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy). He encouraged parents to be active and involved in the decsions regarding sports injuries and applauded the steps being taken by coaches and trainers to keep our athletes healthy.

Mark is a fine example of the type of student, athlete, and citizen Shorecrest High School can be proud of graduating. It was a true honor to have him once again grace our halls and sincerely thank him for "giving back".



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After electrifying start, Shorewood game ends in 31-26 loss to Blaine

Saturday, October 21, 2017

#13 Josh Lee breaks up the play


Shorewood Thunderbirds 26 Blaine Borderites 31
Shoreline Stadium, Friday, October 20, 2017, 8pm

T-birds Overall Record 3-4

By Aaron Bert
Photos by Lisa Hirohata

Excitement buzzed in the air, as the rain clouds held their payload and a chill settled over Shoreline Stadium Friday night, as Shorewood took on Blaine in a non-league match-up for Shorewood’s Homecoming. With a convincing win last week over Sultan, Shorewood was looking to extend their winning streak and establish a new tradition - winning back to back games - alas, the Thunderbirds would come up short.

Shorewood struck first. The first-half kick-off was a deep ball down to the Shorewood 15 fielded by #10 Mathew Bangsberg (Jr, WR/DB) - Bangsberg began to run right, but on a reverse, gave the ball to #21 DeShawn Alexander (So, RB/DB) who streaked to the sideline, kicked in the afterburners and was gone for a 85 yard kickoff return - the first such play of the year for Shorewood and the crowd jumped to its feet in adulation and joy. The ensuing extra point was blocked, a harbinger of things to come in the kicking game, and Shorewood was up 6-0 with ten seconds off the clock.

Blaine, led by #5 Julian Gonzalez (Sr, RB/DB), answered immediately on the next drive starting on the Shorewood 33 and marching 67 yards in 2 minutes to take the lead 7-6. Gonzalez, listed at 5’8” and 160 pounds proved to be a punishing runner - hardly ever coming down on first contact and often it would take a host of T-birds to stop his momentum. He ran with a purpose - old school, smash mouth football - and seemed to relish in taking hits and dishing out punishment to the defense. Gonzalez would prove to be the key to the Blaine win.

#3 Robert Banks runs the ball with #20 Noah Keys blocking

The next drive had Shorewood starting on their own 29. #3 Robert Banks (Sr, RB/DB) had a solid game at running back - demonstrating brilliant flashes of speed when he would find a crease in the Borderite defense. The first play from scrimmage found Banks bursting for a 27 yard gain and Shorewood was off. Two plays later, #4 David Snell (Jr, QB) connected with #21 DeShawn Alexander for a 45-yard touchdown pass and the T-birds took the lead 12-7 as #54 Phil Ball, the starting right guard on the offensive line and placekicker having his second extra point of the night blocked. Snell got the start at QB for Shorewood as #7 Skylar Hammer (Jr, QB/DB) was out due to a non-football injury sustained earlier in the day.

Shorewood’s defense would step up on the next two series, forcing the Borderites out on downs, to include a stop at the Shorewood 3 when it looked like a touchdown was imminent. Lead by tough-nosed and passionate linebacker #34 Levi ‘Rocky’ Williams (So, OL/LB) and #22 Kaden Graves (Jr, OL/LB) - the T-birds stuffed Blaine’s Gonzalez on a dive over the left side and the Green and Blue of Shorewood was back in business.

#4 David Snell throws a pass
 

On the next drive, Shorewood faced 3 and 13 and Snell dropped back to pass and lofted a lazy toss over the middle which was intercepted by Blaine’s free safety and the Borderites were down to the Shorewood 4 with first and goal. After two unsuccessful gives to Gonzalez, Blaine faked the dive to Gonzales and #82 Cruz Rodriquez, (Sr, TE/LB) released to the left flat and was uncovered for an easy touchdown. With the extra point, Blaine took the lead 14-12 and held it the rest of the game.

As has often been the case with Shorewood all year, failure to execute basic fundamentals have killed promising drives and given the opposing team opportunities to capitalize and score points. Shorewood fumbled the snap on the first play of their drive after receiving the ensuing kickoff and Blaine took the ball down for a field goal, taking the lead 17-12.

#3 Robert Banks got the next drive started with two back to back runs of 21 yards each, but Shorewood stalled by committing two offensive holds and a giving up a sack - denying the T-birds the momentum on a promising drive. Blaine in turn stalled on their next drive and had to punt at the 2:16 mark remaining in the 2nd quarter. The punt fielded by Shorewood's Alexander, danced and cut, causing Borderite defenders to dive for him when he had already swiveled and spun out of the space they thought he was at - and he was off down the left sideline for a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown. With the crowd going wild, a hush soon settled over the ecstatic fans, as once again, a yellow flag rested on the 40-yard line marking the spot where Shorewoods lack of fundamentals - a block in the back - negated the go-ahead touchdown.

#84 Logan Freitas kicks off
 

Blaine opened the 2nd half, starting on their own 35-yard line and behind the power running of Gonzales, and poor tackling by Shorewood took the ball down the field and scored a touchdown. The clocked showed 9:15 remaining in the 3rd quarter and Blaine up 24-12. The succeeding kick-off had #21 Alexander and #10 Bangsberg ready to showcase their return skills once again. Not learning how dangerous this duo was proving to be, Blaine’s #14 Bryce Kamrath (Jr, K) booted the ball deep to Alexander. This time, faking the reverse, Alexander once again hit turbo boost and was off like a rocket and the improbable looked possible as he streaked for another kickoff return for a touchdown. And yet, disappointment would rule out this spectacular effort - with Shorewood getting called for another block in the back, taking the ball back to their own 11 to start the drive.

All was not lost - #3 Banks took the deep handoff from Snell, and like last week, found a crease over the right side for an 89-yard rushing touchdown - Shorewoods longest play from scrimmage all year. With the two-point conversion good, Shorewood pulled within 4 and the scoreboard read Blaine 24 - Shorewood 20.

Blaine immediately answered on their next play - seemingly punching the whole Shorewood defense in the solar plexus - stunning the T-birds and the Homecoming crowd by ripping off a 76-yard touchdown run from scrimmage by who else, but #5 Gonzalez. From the stands, you could see the whole Shorewood sideline deflate and Blaine was up 31-20 with 8:30 remaining in the 3rd.

#20 Noah Keys blocks the punt
 

Shorewood's next three drives resulted in: turning the ball over on downs; a fumble and Snell throwing his second interception of the night after Shorewood started on their own 46. Blaine had three series in a row where they were forced to punt. The defense on those three drives found a more aggressive, ball-swarming mentality and showed glimpses of what they could do when pressure was applied up front and hits on the opposing running back were low - rather than trying to tackle at the shoulder pad level.

Shorewood did make it interesting at the end. Taking the ball over at their own 34 with 5:43 remaining in the 4th, the T-birds took it in for a score on a 10-yard fly sweep to Banks for his second rushing touchdown of the night. The drive was helped by a Blaine pass interference call and a Shorewood botched play which found two T-bird receivers executing a tip drill surrounded by three Borderite defenders and #10 Bangsberg coming up with a huge 45-yard pass catch, which eventually set up Banks for the score. The two-point conversion failed, and the scoreboard read Blaine 31 - Shorewood 26.

Even with various setbacks, Shorewood showed some tremendous spark and talent during the course of the game and have begun to develop building blocks of success. With two games remaining in the season, the question still exists - can Shorewood play four quarters of consistent football?

Next up for Shorewood (3-4), is Sehome High School from Bellingham. Sehome (2-6), who had a 23 game losing streak entering the 2017 season, is now on a 2 game winning streak, beating Granite Falls, 46-28 last night. The Mariners of Sehome will surely be looking to take that momentum into their matchup with the T-birds - Friday, October 27, 2017, 5 PM at Shoreline Stadium.





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Cheer on the Einstein Tigers Wednesday afternoon

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Looking for some fun on Wednesday afternoon?

Come out and cheer on the Einstein Tigers Middle School football team as they take on Meadowdale.

The game starts at 3:45pm, at the Einstein field, 19343 3rd Ave NW, Shoreline 98177.

It’s a lot of fun and a great way to support your local school community. Go Tigers!!!

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Prep Football: Snohomish Panthers whomp Shorecrest Scots, 42-7

Monday, October 16, 2017

Ricardo Ruiz scores the Scot's only touchdown
Photo by Gordon Stephenson


WesCo 3A football
Friday, 10-13-2017 at Shoreline Stadium
Snohomish 42 - Shorecrest 7
Overall record:  4-3
Conference record: 1-3

Things started out swimmingly for the Scots: Shorecrest kicked off to open the game and Ameer Haq dove on a loose ball that was bouncing on the Snohomish side of the field to take possession for his team.

Mohammed Al-Jabiri forces the fumble against a Snohomish running back
Photo by Gordon Stephenson

Later in the first quarter, on the Panther's first drive, there was another bounce that went the home team's way. Snohomish QB Langdon Ordill's pass, which was collected by his receiver Trenton Brown at the Scot's 12 yard line, was fumbled when Jacob Cruz and James Huffman hammered Brown on the five, and the ball was recovered in the end zone by Gavin McFarlane for another turnover and a touchback.

But Shorecrest failed to capitalize on those early turnovers, and by halftime the home team was facing a 35-0 deficit. Snohomish running back Keegan Stich added three touchdowns to his stellar season's stats and led all runners with 184 yards.

Gavin McFarlane recovers a Panther's fumble in the Scot's end zone for a touchback
Photo by Gordon Stephenson

Ricardo Ruiz finished with 92 yards for the Scots, which puts his total of 897 yards so far this season among the leaders in the conference. His 45 scoring run, a counter trap led by pulling right guard Jackson Jones, and assisted by a well-executed downfield block by Antonio Stillwell, was the offensive highlight of the night for Shorecrest.

Shorecrest's next game is Homecoming! Come root on the Scots this Friday night, at 5:00pm at Shoreline Stadium as they face the Warriors of Edmonds Woodway.

--Gordon Stephenson



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Shorewood rolls to victory on the play of DaShawn Alexander, 35-7 over Sultan

Saturday, October 14, 2017

#21 DaShawn Alexander goes up for the touchdown pass
(left, background) Photo by Lisa Hirohata
Shorewood Thunderbirds 35 - Sultan Turks 7
Friday, October 13, 2017, Shoreline Stadium
T-birds overall record: 3-3

On a clear and cool Friday the 13th, the only thing scary afoot at Shoreline Stadium was the outstanding effort by Shorewood’s #21, Sophomore DaShawn Alexander.

Taking the field for only the second time this season, Alexander proved to be the spark the T-birds needed to get their offense into high gear and cruise past the outmatched Turks of Sultan from the 2A Cascade Conference.

Shorewood, playing an all non-league schedule as part of a rebuilding process, took the lead early and never looked back.

After trading punts to start the 1st quarter, Shoreline quarterback Skylar Hammer connected with DaShawn Alexander on a go route down the right sideline for a 52-yard touchdown pass, putting the T-birds up 7-0.

Shorewood has struggled this season in establishing a consistent passing game, but the prior play was a 26-yard completion by Hammer which got the drive rolling.



#31 Brandon Main runs the ball up the sideline
Photo by Lisa Hirohata

Sultan struggled all evening with turnovers and their drive stalled out with a fumble on the Shorewood 16. The Turks had been driving and a score looked imminent as they started their drive on their own 31 and had reached the T-bird 11. The fumble would be the first of three turnovers in the first half alone.

Coach Torrey of Shorewood showed an element of trickery, bringing in Hammer on 4th and 12 on the T-bird 41. Hammer converted a fake punt, throwing down the right sideline for a 16-yard conversion. Shorewood’s efforts were for naught, as they then fumbled the snap the next play and turned the ball over on the Turk’s 44.

#7 Skylar Hammer punts the ball away
Photo by Lisa Hirohata
The next two Sultan drives were stopped by interceptions from the T-bird defense. The Shorewood defensive line was able to get pressure on the Sultan QB for the majority of the game, which caused some poor passing decisions.

#31 Brandon Main (Jr, RB/LB) had his first interception of the year, and #23 Colin Anderson’s (Sr, WR/DB) stopped another promising Sultan drive.

Shorewood ended the half when quarterback #4 David Snell (Jr, QB) connected with Alexander for his second touchdown by lofting a fade into the right corner of the endzone from the 6.

Alexander leaped into the air and hauled the pass down to put the T-birds up 14-0.

#4 David Snell throws the ball downfield
Photo by Lisa Hirohata


The second half opened with Hammer connecting with #10 Matthew Bangsbert (Jr, WR/DB) for a 32-yard touchdown pass at the 9:48 mark in the 3rd.

Sultan did get on the board in the 4th quarter as their drive was kept alive by Shorewood penalties on 3rd down - roughing the passer on 3rd and long and then a questionable pass interference which moved the ball down the Shorewood 12. Sultan pounded the ball in for a score 30 seconds later bringing the game to 28-7.

#28 Ibrahim Benzina runs the ball
Photo by Lisa Hirohata

The Thunderbird effort was capped off by a 52 yard run over the right tackle by #28 Ibrahim Benzina (RB/DB). Shorewood’s offensive line showed elements of consistency tonight, opening up running lanes for Shorewood’s slashing running attack. Following RG #54 Phil Ball (Jr, OL/DL) and RT #52 Tom Bert (Fr, OL/DL), Benzina took the handoff from Hammer, read the pressure from the left side and then cut right, finding the crease and streaking for the touchdown.

#8 Kevin Hirohata recovers the fumble
Photo by Lisa Hirohata
Next Friday is Homecoming for Shorewood, as they play Seton Catholic of Vancouver at 8pm at Shoreline Stadium.

Shorewood has not scored 35 points in a game since a victory over Squalicum in November 2011.

The margin of victory is the largest for Shorewood since a victory over Lakeside in October 2010 when they won by 35.

The last season with three wins in a season was in 2007 when they went 3-7. With two games remaining, they should be able to surpass that number.


--Aaron Bert




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