Skyline defeats Eastlake in “Battle of the Plateau”
In a drastic shift from the results of last year’s “Battle of the Plateau,” the Skyline Spartans reigned triumphant with a score of 21-7 against the Eastlake Wolves during Friday’s football game.
The game began tensely, with strong defenses preventing either team from gaining much ground. It was not until the last two minutes of the first quarter that wide receiver TJ Crandall made it to the endzone, giving Skyline a 7-0 lead.
The Wolves inched their way forward through the start of the second quarter, looking to even the score with a pass to wide receiver Eli Deguzman in the endzone. But the pass went too far. The ball was turned over to Skyline.
Despite a 15-yard penalty, the Spartans pushed their way up the field. Mirroring Eastlake’s earlier attempt, the pass to wide receiver JT Weir skirted the edge of the endzone – and yet remained within bounds, bringing the score to 14-0.
When next on the offensive, Skyline’s gains were even quicker. A 35-yard pass brought the Spartans to the 15-yard line and TJ Crandall made it to the endzone to thunderous cheers, until the crowd noticed the flag on the play.
A 15-yard penalty pushed the Spartans back to the 36-yard line.
As the second quarter came to a close, Skyline struggled to repeat that earlier touchdown. In the end, they made a last-minute field goal attempt that failed to add any points to the board.
Beginning in the second half, the Wolves’ strategy seemed to rely on putting running back Blake Borup on the carry. This approach was successful, pushing the team to the 10-yard line, until a penalty brought them back to the 25-yard line.
An interception by Skyline defensive back Nate Fischer turned the Spartans back on the offensive as they made their way up the field. With eighteen seconds left in the third quarter, wide receiver Nahmier Robinson was able to make his way to the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown.
With one quarter left and a score of 21-0 Skyline, the Wolves knew that long passes would be necessary to counter Skyline’s lead. After two successive turnovers, wide receiver Colby Marsh scored Eastlake’s first and only touchdown with 5:56 left in the game. Skyline’s returning offensive drive only made it to the 32-yard line, but as the last minutes ticked down, Eastlake was unable to score any further points.
Skyline (2-1) will play away at Mount Si on Sept. 23 at 7:00 p.m., while Eastlake (2-1) will play Issaquah at home.
