Kelso just out of reach of Thunder

Josh Webb’s herculean night was done. The Kelso senior running back gingerly walked off the field.

He’d done all he could, 33 carries and 358 yards in his name as he glanced over his shoulder one last time.

The game, and the Hilanders’ playoff hopes, were no longer in his hands.

They instead sat on a sophomore’s foot.

Mason Smith never faced a moment as big as Friday’s. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound kicker stared down 28 yards and two uprights with 17 seconds left, a game-winner to define his sporting career.

“I was really nervous,” Smith said afterward. “I do it in practice all the time, but I’ve never had a field goal in a game before.”

The snap? Good. The hold? Good. The kick? Pounded down the middle.

Kelso is going to the playoffs after a come-from-behind 29-28 win over Mountain View Friday at McKenzie Stadium sending the Hilander faithful into a frenzy.

“What a drive,” Kelso coach Steve Amrine said. “We finally believed, and got it done.”

Seven minutes earlier, the Hilanders’ hopes were dire.

Mountain View led 28-14, as quarterback Riley McCarthy coolly orchestrated the offense. The junior tallied 307 yards of total offense on the night, but threw interceptions on consecutive drives and his team lined up to punt with 6:42 remaining.

Kelso’s Eli Keithley blocked the punt, chased it down and scooped it up for the score to narrow the Hilander deficit to 28-20. Mountain View’s next drive was a three-and-out.

With 3:55 left, the Scotties needed to go 70 yards for a potential tie. No problem for Webb, who darted 57 yards for his fourth touchdown of the night.

“I stuck my nose in there, and saw everyone on that corner collapse,” Webb described. “I knew if I could get away from an arm tackle, I was gone. So that’s what I did.”

A sideline warning, Kelso’s second of the night, pushed the two-point try to the 8-yard line. Mountain View stuffed the Marshall Coleman quarterback keeper to retain a 28-26 lead.

The Thunder had one more attempt to seal the game after recovering the onside kick, but saw their drive stall at the Kelso 42-yard line. The Hilanders took over with 2:28 remaining.

Smith told coaches the team needed to get to the Thunder 20-yard line to be in his range. In seven plays, the Hilanders (6-2, 2-1 3A Greater St. Helens League)  got to the 12, and Smith punched Kelso’s playoff ticket.

“Hats off to Mason. Just a sophomore, he’s able to put a (27-yard) kick in for us,” Webb said. “It’s just unbelievable.”

Mountain View, which does not have a Week 9 game, will await the outcome of Evergreen-Prairie. The Thunder (5-3, 2-2) will make the playoffs if the Plainsmen beat Prairie Friday, and will be eliminated if the Falcons win.

Key Moments

• Late in the first half, Riley McCarthy found Davis Delmage down the sideline. Delmage spun and made two Kelso defenders miss before rolling down to the 4-yard line on a 33-yard gain. One play later, Alec Cann scored from 4 yards out to put Mountain View up 21-14 entering the locker room.

• The Thunder came out in the second half with a seven-play, 88-yard drive capped by a 42-yard rumbling McCarthy touchdown run to go up 28-14.

• After fumbling a kickoff attempt following McCarthy third touchdown of the game, the Hilanders faced a three-score deficit with Mountain View’s second drive of the half at the 12-yard line. Kelso senior Colby Cooper made the first of his two red-zone interceptions to deny the Thunder more points.

Key Players

Josh Webb — The Kelso senior ran for 358 yards on 33 attempts and touchdown runs of 1, 77, and 57 yards. The mark is close to a school record, coaches agreed, but that wasn’t confirmed late Friday night. “Tonight, we’re going to call it one,” Amrine quipped. Webb ran for 90 yards on the opening drive, which consisted of 14 carries and a 1-yard touchdown run.

Colby Cooper — The Hilander senior had two red-zone interceptions and a key tackle on third down that led to a Thunder punt. All three plays came on consecutive drives.

Riley McCarthy — The Thunder junior ran for 152 yards and touchdown runs of 20 and 42 yards on 24 carries. He also was 10 of 16 passing for 155 yards and a 20-yard touchdown throw to Dominic Stephens.

Quotable

“I just have to thank my line. They blocked like champs tonight. I love them. They’re my family.” — Kelso running back Josh Webb

KELSO 29, MOUNTAIN VIEW 28 

Kelso 7 7 0 15—29

MV 7 14 7 0—28

First quarter

K — Josh Webb 1 run (Mason Smith kick)

MV — Dominic Stephens 20 pass from Riley McCarthy (Jude Mullette kick)

Second quarter

MV — McCarthy 20 run (Mullette kick)

K — Webb 77 run (Smith kick)

MV — Alec Cann 4 run (Mullette kick)

Third quarter 

MV — McCarthy 42 run (Mullette kick)

Fourth quarter 

K — Eli Keithley 4 punt block return (kick fail)

K — Webb 57 run (run fail)

K — FG Smith 27 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing —K: Conner Noah 4-(-3), Marshall Coleman 5-13, Josh Webb 33-358; MV: Alec Cann 10-16, Riley McCarthy 24-152, Alex Hoang 1-5, VA Ili 1-0. 

Passing — K: Marshall Coleman 6-9-0-47, Josh Webb 0-1-0-0; MV: Riley McCarthy 10-16-2-155. 

Receiving — K: Dillon Davis 3-30, Nick Miller 3-14; MV: Alec Cann 5-62, Davis Delmage 2-35, Dominic Stephens 3-58.