Skyline beats Issaquah in roller coaster game
When schools that are located close to each other collide on the football field, the stands on both sides can get loud, and the game may go either way.
Such was the environment on Friday night when the Skyline Spartans hosted the Issaquah Eagles at home.
Issaquah kept it close through four quarters, forcing Skyline to power up its running game and find openings to punch through. After multiple lead changes, the Spartans ended up on top, 24-17.
Things got started when Skyline, receiving the opening kickoff, wasted no time moving down field. Josh Menold took control with a 60-yard run to put the Eagles on high alert from the start. Somehow, the Issaquah defense managed to hold an energized Skyline offense to a 3-point field goal on the opening possession.
Not to be outdone, late in the quarter, the Eagles answered with a field goal of their own, ending the quarter with a 3-3 tie.
The stalemate continued well into the second quarter as the teams traded possessions. With a break in the line on a Spartan possession, Menold finally managed to punch into the end zone, with a bob and weave run, for the first touchdown of the night. A failed 2-point conversion forced Skyline to settle for 9-3 lead.
As before, the Eagles quickly responded with a rushing 57-yard touchdown from Austin Schildt on their next possession. The field goal was good, and Issaquah took the lead, 10-9.
Regaining control on downs, Issaquah found themselves in field goal territory before the end of the quarter. With less than 10 seconds remaining, the Eagles attempted to expand their lead with a field goal but were blocked with no further change to the first half score.
After the break, the Spartans returned to the field invigorated, opening with a 59-yard run around multiple defenders for a dramatic surprise touchdown by Luke Morgan. A successful field goal by Sean Lee put the Spartans ahead, 16-10.
With pressure mounting, it appeared the Eagles had a crack in their armor when they were called for three consecutive penalties — mistakes they could not afford. But the Eagles refused to give up. With Issaquah’s Michah Seiffert breaking the Spartan defensive line for a touchdown, the lead changed hands once again with the Eagles on top, 17-16.
Keeping with the nerve-racking, back-and-forth pace of the night, the Spartans answered the Eagles penalties with a series of their own, stalling hopes for a win.
As the clock ticked down and Skyline felt victory escaping their grasp, they managed one last attempt and found success. Menold, running up the right sideline and outmaneuvering a series of Issaquah defenders, punched through with a 42-yard touchdown, putting Skyline up top, 22-17.
Skyline then decided to take a risk to deny Issaquah any more time to run the field. Coach Peyton Pelluer called for another 2-point conversion.
“Going for two, we gave ourselves a chance to win it. It was ballsy but we knew we needed to have it,” Pelluer said after the game.
The additional 2-point conversion allowed the Spartans a down-to-the-wire, dramatic ending to the back-and-forth battle with a 24-17 victory.
The Skyline Spartans will face the Bothell Cougars at Skyline High School at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27.
