Offense reigns as King’s Way beats Fort, 66-41

As King’s Way Christian and Fort Vancouver trotted to the locker room, the scoreboard showed 80 total points. The teams had combined for 674 yards of offense.

It was only halftime.

King’s Way beat Fort Vancouver 66-41 Friday in a nonleague game at Kiggins Bowl. It featured a second-quarter offensive outburst rarely seen in Clark County football.

King’s Way outscored Fort Vancouver 45-21 that 12-minute quarter. That included a stretch that saw five touchdowns in 1 minute, 54 seconds.

At halftime, King’s Way led 52-21 and had collected 441 yards of offense.

“I have no words for it,” King’s Way receiver Preston Danberg said. “I’ve never played in anything like that before.”

The game harkened back to King’s Way’s time playing 8-man football, where high-scoring games are common. But in their second year of 11-man football, the Knights showed they can still put up some mind-blowing offensive numbers.

Quarterback Liam Nabors threw for 367 yards and six touchdowns, including four in the second quarter, to give him 20 passing TDs through six games. The Knights finished with 609 yards of offense and have scored at least 41 points in five of six games.

“That second quarter was a lot of fun,” Nabors said. “It was a complete team effort. I felt in a zone. Everyone was clicking out there.”

Danberg kicked off the scoring insanity with a 35-yard touchdown catch to put King’s Way up 21-7 with 8:26 left in the half.

Fort Vancouver fumbled the ensuing kickoff. King’s Way scored on the next play when Nabors threw a 38-yard pass to Danberg for his third TD catch of the game.

But Fort struck back quickly when Thomas Shields scampered 60 yards for the third touchdown in 48 seconds.

King’s Way needed just five plays to score on its next drive, which ended with Nabors running 17 yards for a touchdown.

But Fort scored on the first play of its next drive. Shields threw a halfback pass to Trenton Bagley for a 59-yard touchdown. That was the fifth touchdown in 1 minute, 54 seconds.

Not to be outdone, King’s Way scored six plays later on Sam Brouwer’s 8-yard catch.

But Fort scored on the second play of its next drive when Cody Loyer-Hiebert hauled in a 41-yard pass. That cut the King’s Way lead to 42-28 with 3:16 left in the half.

King’s Way would score 10 more points before the quarter ended.

“That was one of the longest games I’ve ever played it,” Danberg said of the game, which lasted nearly three hours. “It was just back and forth. I loved it.”

King’s Way, which is playing an independent 1A schedule, improved to 4-2.

Fort Vancouver, a member of the 3A Greater St. Helens League, fell to 1-6. Shields led the way with 158 yards rushing on 15 carries. Loyer-Hiebert had 104 yards on three catches and T.J. Willingham had two rushing touchdowns.

KING’S WAY 66, FORT VANCOUVER 41

King’s Way  7 45 7 7 – 66

Fort Vancouver  7 21 7 6 – 41

First quarter

KW – Preston Danberg 24 pass from Liam Nabors (Anthony Huser kick)

FV – Mitchel Cooper 1 run (Kai Campbell kick)

Second quarter

KW – Dustin Johnson 8 run (Huser kick)

KW – Danberg 35 pass from Nabors (Huser kick)

KW – Danberg 38 pass from Nabors (Huser kick)

FV – Thomas Shields 60 run (Campbell kick)

KW – Nabors 17 run (Huser kick)

FV – Trenton Bagley 59 pass from Shields (Campbell kick)

KW – Sam Brouwer 8 pass from Nabors (Huser kick)

FV – Cody Loyer-Hiebert 41 pass from Erik Coppinger (Campbell kick)

KW – Matt Garrison 36 pass from Nabors (Huser kick)

KW – FG, Huser 22

Third quarter

FV – T.J. Willingham 4 run (Campbell kick)

KW – Johnson 5 run (Huser kick)

Fourth quarter

FV – Willingham 7 run (run failed)

KW – Garrison 10 pass from Nabors (Huser kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – King’s Way: Dustin Johnson 21-150, Preston Danberg 5-55, Sam Brouwer 2-minus-1, Liam Nabors 4-20, Riley Danberg 4-18. Fort Vancouver: Mitchel Cooper 4-14, Thomas Shields 15-158, T.J. Willingham 11-55, Erik Coppinger 3-minus-10, Kyron Lowe-Ash 1-minus-1.

PASSING – King’s Way: Liam Nabors 19-27-367. Fort Vancouver: Erik Coppinger 4-14-112, Thomas Shields 1-59.

RECEIVING – King’s Way: Preston Danberg 8-168, Matt Garrison 7-147, Sam Brouwer 3-34, Dustin Johnson 1-14. Fort Vancouver: Kyron Lowe-Ash 1-8, Cody Loyer-Hiebert 3-104, Trenton Bagley 1-59.