Second half rally vs. Oak Harbor sends Vikings to playoffs

Riecks and Tupen set school receiving records MIKE ANDERTON | CONTRIBUTING WRITER Lake Stevens overcame a lethargic first half to score 28 points after intermission, subduing visiting Oak Harbor 28-13 last Friday.

The win, in Lake’s last regular season home game of the year, cinched a Playoff spot for the Vikings. If Lake wins at Snohomish this week it will finish in second place in Wesco North, earning it a home game in the first round of the State Playoffs the following week.

A loss to the Panthers puts Lake on the road for a first round game.
In the process of beating the Wildcats (2-3 in league and 3-5 overall), the Vikings (4-1 and 6-2) added two more names to their record book.

Receivers Trevor Riecks and Colton Tupen have now caught 49 passes apiece this season, breaking the previous record of 43 set by Mike Holguin in 1982.

Likewise, quarterback Nick Baker, who had already established almost every Viking passing record, added to his totals.

Lake couldn’t get anything going against Oak Harbor in the first half, which saw the latter take a 137-88 yardage advantage into intermission. Lake’s normally potent offense was held to a mere four first downs in the first two quarters, due in part to four Viking penalties totaling 45 yards.
Oak Harbor was the sharper team at the outset, with only Jesse Porter’s recovery of a Wildcat fumble on the Viking 10-yard line halting an early scoring threat.

The Wildcats did cash in 1:48 before halftime, on consecutive completions by quarterback James Jordan of 15, 50, and 23 yards.

The 50-yarder was to Derrick Clarit, who made an acrobatic juggling catch, and the 23-yarder was to Donavan Hunt, who took it into the end zone for a touchdown. Sean Stickney blocked the PAT kick, leaving the score at 6-0.

Lake thoroughly controlled the second half. After holding Oak Harbor to three and out on the latter’s first possession of the third quarter, Lake drove 88 yards in 11 plays to take the lead for good.

Baker completed four passes to Riecks in the drive, of 20, 10, 7, and 11 yards, the latter for a touchdown. Baker also contributed three rushes covering 32 yards, each of them good for a first down.

An out-of-bounds hit on Baker, for a 15-yard penalty on the Wildcats, also helped. Arvid Isaksen’s PAT kick gave Lake a 7-6 lead at 5:36 of the quarter, and the Vikings poured it on after that.

Less than a minute after that, Riecks’ one-armed interception set up Lake on the Oak Harbor 25, and four plays later Dylan Youngblood rambled in from the 4 to make it 14-6, with 3:04 left in the quarter.

Chameron Lackey’s 18-yard punt return put Lake on the Wildcat 41 yard line, swiftly followed by a 25-yard Baker scramble and the latter’s 13-yard scoring toss to Tupen. 21-6, just 12 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Oak Harbor’s last hurrah was an ensuing nine-play, 63-yard scoring drive, all on the ground, capped by Jordan’s six-yard run. Kevin Flavin added the PAT kick. 21-13, with 5:58 remaining.

Lake wrapped up the game with a five-play, 81-yard touchdown drive which featured a 26-yard Lackey run and a 40-yard Baker to Riecks bomb which saw the latter sneak past the defense and score untouched. 28-13, with 3:30 left.

Brandon Preslar’s interception half a minute later put the icing on the cake for the Vikes.

Lake’s domination of the second half is revealed in the stats: 240-61 after halftime.

Contributing to the Playoff-cinching win were two quarterback sacks each by Eric Huswick, Zach Teuber, and Chase Crowley, and a solo sack by Aaron Britton.

Baker led Lake in rushing with 61 net in nine carries, followed by Lackey with 53 net in seven carries. The Vikings out-rushed O.H. by 129 net yards to 71. Riecks caught eight passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Baker finished with 18 completions in 29 attempts, with two interceptions, for 194 yards. O.H. completed seven of 13 passes, with two interceptions, for 127 yards. Jacob Huddle, with nine tackles, was high in that department for the Vikings.

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