Lake Stevens High School Athletics
Grante Falls High School Athletics
Purple and Gold Pigskin

Editor’s Note: Our own Lake Stevens Vikings football team has encouraged the nation and even the world this week with their inspiring and heart-warming display at last week’s football game against Snohomish.

This act of kindness has made everyone in Lake Stevens proud to be called a Viking.
 

We at the Lake Stevens Journal also applaud our Viking team for being an essential part in making 17-year-old, special needs Panther football player, Ike Ditzenberger’s lifelong dream of scoring a touchdown, come true.
 

We were proud of the Junior Varsity team last year when they took it upon themselves to invite Ditzenberger to play in the last few seconds of their game.
 

Both the Publisher and myself have siblings with special needs and realize what a special moment this was for Ike and his family. Unfortunately, we also feel we need to apologize to those who may have been offended by the article in the Sept. 29, 2010 Journal which reported the game.
 

Our Sports writer of over 30 years, Mike Anderton, also apologizes for anything he wrote that may have been construed as offensive.

“I am sorry if anyone has been offended by my article in this week's Lake Stevens Journal regarding Ike Ditzenberger's participation in the Lake Stevens/Snohomish football game played last Friday.  I had no interest in creating any controversy with my game report,” Anderton said. “Please read the words of my article carefully and within the context of the entire article, and you will see that I said that Ditzenberger deserves credit for being a part of the Snohomish team and for being an inspiration to his teammates and to others and that in no way was I criticizing Ditzenberger himself for taking part in the staged touchdown at the end of the game.”

 

Our sincerest apologies go out to Ike Ditzenberger, his family and anyone else who may have taken offense to the Journal article.

 

The Journal applauds Couch Tom Tri for teaching his players more than just football. Helping them to understand that doing good is part of being a member of society in this great country.

Our hearts go out to the Vikings at this time, for the loss of one of their own, Tyler Reside, who died tragically last Sunday.
 

We are certain that once again, our Vikings will be seen as men with class and heart and we pray for them in this time of sadness.

 

 

---

 

 **This online story was updated by Journal Staff at 1:32 pm Sept. 28

More about that asterisk at the end of this article.  Most important is that Lake won last Friday’s football game at Snohomish in very dominating fashion and the score that will go into the Viking records is 35-0.

Quarterback Jake Nelson was once again on target to several receivers, finishing with 17 completions in 26 attempts for 217 yards and four touchdowns.  Nelson was accurate on virtually every one of his passes—a few were dropped and Snohomish knocked a few out of the hands of Viking receivers.

Duke Dolphin caught a pair of Nelson’s touchdown passes, covering 51 and five yards, and contributed 147 net rushing yards in 19 carries including another TD.

But if the Viking offense (408 total net yards) rated a B-plus (penalties kept Lake off the scoreboard in the first quarter) the Viking defense merited an A-plus, holding Snohomish to 81 total net yards -- 72 rushing in 30 carries and nine yards passing on 3 of 12.

Lake allowed the Panthers a measly four first downs (LS had 18).  The “deepest” Snohomish penetration into Viking territory was the 46 yard line in the first quarter, the 48 in the second quarter, its own 37 in the third quarter (in which Lake outgained Snohomish by 115 yards to zero), and the 50 in the fourth quarter.

Yes, we know that some sources credit Snohomish with a 51-yard touchdown on the game’s final play, but that will be corrected at the end of this article.

Midway through the first quarter Nelson connected with Quincy Carroll on a short pass up the middle which Carroll accelerated into a 67-yard touchdown (untouched).  Nifty play, but unfortunately it was negated by a holding penalty.
Later in the quarter three consecutive Nelson to Brandon Preslar completions covering 33 total yards gained Lake a first down on the Snohomish 41, but that drive ended when Nelson was sacked on third down by Nolan Shilling.

Lake put three TDs on the board in the second quarter, the first one launched by Brandon Belcher’s 26-yard punt return to the Snohomish 31 (key block by Chandler Ireland).

Nelson’s four-for-four passing including three straight to Preslar, the final one for a five-yard touchdown, together with Shawn Morgan’s PAT kick, gave Lake a 7-0 lead 7:06 before halftime.

Two plays later Taylor Metzger and Bryson Daggett knocked the ball away from Snohomish running back Conner McDonald, with Gunnar Eklund recovering for the Vikings on the Panther 27 (Lake’s first fumble recovery of the season).
Lake took immediate advantage, via Nelson’s 27-yard touchdown strike to Carroll.  14-0, with 6:02 left in the half.
On fourth and one on the Viking 48 Snohomish’s rush for a first down was smothered for a one-yard loss by Belcher, Cody Tupen, and Eklund.

Again, Nelson took instant advantage, scrambling around in the backfield before connecting with an absolutely wide-open Dolphin deep left for a 51-yard touchdown.  21-0, with 3:09 left in the half.

Lake nearly scored again before halftime.  Dolphin’s 27 yard run gave Lake first down on the Snohomish 44 with 38 seconds left.  Nelson’s 20-yard pass to Carroll netted another first down on the 24 with 10 seconds left.  But Nelson’s final two passes of the half, though on target to his receivers, were stripped away by Snohomish defenders.

Lake totally dominated the third quarter via the rush.  Determined to stuff the ball down the Panthers’ throats, Lake took the kickoff and marched 84 yards in eight plays, all on the ground, with Dolphin gaining 52 yards in six carries and Nelson adding a 27-yard keeper.  Dolphin’s six-yard touchdown (key block by Korey Young) made it 27-0 at 6:02 but Morgan, after succeeding on all 12 of his previous PAT kicks this season, had his try blocked.

Snohomish recovered the bobbled subsequent kickoff return on its own 14, and only went backwards from there.  Belcher, Tupen, Daggett and Young smothered McDonald for a four-yard loss on second down, and on fourth and 19 Snohomish’s attempt at a punt in its own end zone was fumbled, with the punter illegally kicking the ball while it was on the ground, resulting in a two-point safety.  29-0, with 5:39 left in the third quarter.

Lake’s final TD came at the 7:40 point of the fourth quarter, on four-for-four Nelson completions—14 yards to to Christian Gasca, 20 yards to Preslar, nine yards to Colter Swords, and a five yard touchdown to Dolphin.  Lake’s try for a two point conversion failed when Daggett’s pass was incomplete.  35-0—the final score (see below).

Preslar’s eight receptions covered 84 yards, Carroll’s four were good for 50 yards.

Once again Young led Lake in tackles, with 11.  Belcher and Eklund had 8 each, Tupen and Kody Dinh 7 each, Metzger 6.
Lake played without its outstanding wide receiver junior Brady Pahukoa, who broke his arm late in the game vs. Inglemoor the previous week and will probably miss the rest of the season.  Carroll stepped up to help fill some of the void, as did Dolphin who has assumed Pahukoa’s punting duties.

The Snohomish win sets up a classic confrontation this Friday when Lake (4-0 overall, 1-0 in Wesco North) hosts Arlington (3-1 and 1-0) in a game which could go a long way towards deciding the league title.  Get there early because Lake’s new stadium will be packed for what looks like a high-scoring shootout.

Now about that asterisk and the 35-0 final score.  Some sources list the final as 35-6, but that is not how it will go into the Viking records book.

With 10 seconds left Snohomish called a timeout and inserted special needs player Ike Ditzenberger into the game, and Snohomish Head Coach Mark Perry asked Lake Stevens Defensive Coordinator Joe Cronin to let Ditzenberger run ten or so yards.

Ditzenberger emerged from the backfield, then circled to the sidelines where he stepped out of bounds at the 50, for a one-yard gain - at least with respect to the official Viking statistics. However, the memory many in attendance will carry with them is the image of Ditzenberger completing his run to the end zone, accompanied by Snohomish and Lake Stevens players.

Many will recall a similar story from a year ago, when Lake Stevens junior varsity players decided to of their own volition to allow Ditzenberger to score a touchdown at the end of the JV contest. The play was caught in Viking video highlights and picked up by local media, creating an outpouring of goodwill towards Lake Stevens and Snohomish players and coaches.

The undefeated Vikings return to the field Friday at 7:00 pm, hosting 3-1 Arlington at the revamped Lake Stevens High School stadium. For more information log on to Purple and Gold Pigskin at lakesports.blogspot.com.