Skyview’s defense doesn’t like to get scored on.
The Storm’s opponent, Kamiak of Mukilteo, came into Saturday’s Class 4A state preliminary round averaging 44 points per game. On Saturday, the Knights tallied 356 yards of total offense, including 249 passing, but had only seven points to show for it in a 28-7 Skyview win.
As the saying goes, the Storm defense was able to bend, but not break.
Kamiak was denied points on four of five trips inside Skyview’s 25-yard line, including 103-yard interception return from Skyview’s Gavin Packer with five minutes left in the fourth quarter that sealed the Storm’s bid for the state playoffs.
Trailing 21-7, Kamiak threatened to move within one score by marching to the Skyview 11-yard line. That was, until Teddy Beaver tipped a Kamiak pass headed for the end zone, ending up in the arms of Packer.
“I had to come through for our seniors,” said Packer, who got the start at cornerback in place of injured senior Jaydin Knapp. “I didn’t want it to be our last game with them.”
While the Skyview defense retooled with Knapp absent, his running mate in the backfield, Gabe Martin, delivered 188 rushing yards on 18 carries with an increased workload as the Storm’s primary ball carrier.
On Skyview’s fourth play from scrimmage, Martin hit a huge hole created by his offensive line and ran untouched for a 67-yard touchdown, giving the Storm a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
“Jaydin Knapp, hands down the best and hardest worker in the league,” Martin said, “and knowing that he’s not here, I knew I had to step, I knew I had to carry the load and run hard. I knew it was going to be tiring and it was going to be exhausting, but I had to just fight through that … and my line did a heck of a job.”
Skyview scored twice in the final 1:15 of the first half on a pair of Niko Arriola touchdown passes to Beaver (34 yards) and Tanner Beaman (15 yards).
The latter touchdown occurred after Kamiak bobbled a punt snap and was met by a gang of Skyview tacklers, giving the Storm the ball inside the Knights’ 30-yard line. Beaman scored with three seconds left on the clock.
Wesley Garrett scored Kamiak’s lone touchdown, an 11-yard run that included several broken tackles en route to the end zone, tying the game at 7-7.
Kamiak’s four other drives in that area of the field ended as follows: missed field goal, turnover on downs, turnover on downs and lastly, the interception return from Packer.
“The guys, they don’t like people scoring on us,” said Skyview head coach Steve Kizer, also crediting the game plan put together by defensive coordinator Ken Wiggins. “I thought they gutted it up and never quit. … It was huge, a huge part of the game.”
4A STATE PRELIMINARY ROUND
SKYVIEW 28, KAMIAK 7
Kamiak 0 7 0 0—7
Skyview 7 14 0 0—28
First quarter
S — Gabe Martin 67 run (Fedya Henrichs-Taraskenov kick)
Second quarter
K — Wesley Garrett 11 run (AJ Winsor kick)
S — Teddy Beaver 34 pass from Niko Arriola (Henrichs-Taraskenov kick)
S — Tanner Beaman 15 pass from Arriola (Henrichs-Taraskenov kick)
Fourth quarter
S — Gavin Packer 102 interception return (Henrichs-Taraskenov kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Kamiak: Julian Notoa 11-58, Wesley Garrett 7-11, T’Andre Waverly 1-6, Jimmy Garmire 2-3, Samuel Shigematsu 1-4, Ben’tre Worthy 5-10, Nolan Martin 1-0; Skyview: Gabe Martin 18-188, Niko Arriola 3-14, Trey Jacob 5-9.
PASSING — Kamiak: Ben’tre Worthy 15-26-2-249; Skyview: Niko Arriola 8-16-0-80.
RECEIVING — Kamiak: T’Andre Waverly 3-67, Wesley Garrett 5-66, Chance Loudenback 3-74, Nolan Martin 3-37, Jimmy Garmire 1-7, Julian Notoa 1-0; Skyview: Tanner Beaman 4-25, Teddy Beaver 3-55, Gabe Martin 1-0.
