Storm stay positive after loss to Woodinville

Skyview coach Steve Kizer amended a long-standing football theory Friday night after his team’s loss to Woodinville.

It is often said that teams improve the most from Week 1 to Week 2.

“We’re going to delay that a week,” he said with a smile.

That’s all he could do after Woodinville got the best of the Storm 28-16 at Kiggins Bowl. Both teams fell to 1-1.

The Storm, though, made a promise to their fans, to themselves.

“Next week, we’ll come back harder,” linebacker Blake Ingram said. “This team has heart and talent.”

The Storm still believe in themselves.

“When it’s all said and done, we’re going to be one of the best teams in the league,” running back Josh Emmy said. “It takes time, sometimes. We just gotta keep working.”

Woodinville’s Brad Roland and Nick Fouch accounted for most of the yards, and Mitchell Jones scored all four of his team’s touchdowns, leading the Falcons to a 28-16 victory.

Jones carried the ball nine times for just 18 yards, but the short-yardage specialist found the end zone in each of the four quarters. Roland gained 104 yards on 22 carries, and Fouch, the quarterback, threw for 108 yards and rushed for 76.

Skyview was never out of the game until the closing minutes — but also never led in the contest.

“We did some great things, but we shot ourselves in the foot,” Kizer said. “Offsides. Dropped balls. Running wrong routes. Running the wrong blitz.”

Emmy rushed for a game-high 116 yards. His 40-yard touchdown run in the second quarter made it a 14-9 game at the half.

Skyview quarterback Zac Shomler was 14 of 31 for 188 yards. He found Bryson Enge for an 8-yard scoring play midway through the fourth quarter to make it 21-16.

Still, the Skyview passing game struggled for much of the night. Kizer said there were issues all over the field. Shomler, though, took the blame.

“A lot of miscues. That’s me,” Shomler said. “I have to play better, make more plays.”

The Storm have scored three offensive touchdowns in two games.

“Even if we had six touchdowns, we’re not satisfied,” Shomler said.

Woodinville opened the game with a nine-play, 58-yard drive capped by Jones’ 1-yard touchdown run.

The Storm were in position to tie the game, inches from the end zone, but a false start penalty pushed them back. Instead, Skyview got a short field goal from Braden Hadfield to make it 7-3 early in the second quarter.

The Falcons then went 51 yards on 12 plays, with Jones in on a 3-yard run.

Two plays from scrimmage later, Emmy was free on a 40-yard touchdown run.

Woodinville struck first in the second half — a 2-yard TD run from Jones to make it 21-9.

In the fourth, Shomler connected with Enge with 7;34 to play in the game. The Falcons kept the pressure on, though, with a seven-play, 56-yard TD drive. Jones from a yard out gave the Falcons a 12-point lead.

The Falcons scored three touchdowns immediately following all three Skyview scores.

“We’ll learn from it,” Shomler said, noting this is non-league action.

“This is the game we can afford to lose. We’ll learn from it, and we’ll get better every week.”

Woodinville 28, Skyview 16

Woodinville 7 7 7 7–28

Skyview 0 9 0 7–16

First quarter

W — Mitchell Jones 1 run (Chad Zaback kick)

Second quarter

Sky — Braden Hadfield 22 FG

W — Jones 3 run (Zaback kick)

Sky — Josh Emmy 40 run (PAT failed, fumbled snap)

Third quarter

W — Jones 2 run (Zaback kick)

Fourth quarter

Sky — Bryson Enge 8 pass from Zac Shomler (Hadfield kick)

W — Jones 1 run (Zaback kick)

Individual statistics

RUSHING — Woodinville: Brad Roland 22-104, Sean Campton 1-3, Mack Minahan 1-2, Jones 9-18, Andre Dang 3-2, Bryce Messner 2-5, Zaback 1-4, Nick Fouch 8-76, Ben Sifuentes 5-19. Skyview: Josh Emmy 18-116, Blake Ingram 2-5.

PASSING — Woodinville: Fouch 10-15-0-108. Skyview: Zac Shomler 14-31-0-188

RECEIVING — Zaback 2-19, Campton 3-22, Sifuentes 1-11, Michael Roth 1-28, Micah Hamilton 2-28, Messner 1-0. Skyview: Marcus Lord 2-66, Nate Rider 3-36, Bryson Enge 4-56, Jeremiah Wright 2-11, Emmy 1-(minus 1), Cameron Sissel 1-9, Parker Baker 1-11.