Skyline Spartans crush Arlington Eagles in 33-13 victory
On Friday, Nov. 7, the Skyline Spartans defeated the Arlington Eagles in a playoff victory, 33-13, at Skyline High School.
Off to a rough start, it looked like the Spartans were going to struggle through the night. While they prevented the Eagles from scoring a touchdown, they could not stop the field goal on their first possession, falling behind 3-0 to start the game.
Despite aggressive play that chewed up the field, including a long bomb to Luke Morgan, the Spartans took some time to settle into a rhythm. Just as they were about to clinch the lead, Ben Odom threw an interception in the end zone, ending their drive.
But the Eagles, now working from their own 20-yard line, suffered two back-to-back sacks from Caleb McBride and James Ryu, forcing a punt to Skyline. A quick run from Colin Shamp put the Spartans on the board, and Skyline took the lead, 7-3.
Undaunted, Arlington once again had a strong drive. Even though the Skyline defense was able to stop them again, another field goal brought the score to 7-6, with the Eagles just one point behind.
Ahead by the slimmest of margins, the Spartans moved quickly to advance their cause. Unfortunately, their haste led to another interception as Eli Rae stopped the momentum and gave possession back to Arlington. However, the Spartans were not out of luck yet, and a bobbled pick from Hunter Hixson led to a reversal of fortune and another surprise Skyline touchdown. The Spartans suddenly held a more comfortable 14-6 lead.
With a quick three-and-out, Skyline regained possession and drove down field. A perfect pass from Odom to Seyler Jones in the end zone added to the home team’s score. Although Arlington was able to stop the two-point conversion, the Spartans held a 14-point lead, 20-6, at the close of the first half.
The home team, following the break, returned ready for battle and wasted no time moving the ball. Evading several tackles, Morgan found the end zone to add another six to the Spartan lead for a 26-6 advantage. The Eagles managed to thwart the two-point conversion for a second time but still trailed by 20 points.
Adding insult to injury, Odom found Bupe Chisanga for a long bomb that gave the Spartans another touchdown before the third quarter closed, 33-6, Skyline.
Though time was running out, the Eagles continued to fight. Quarterback Hunter Gese managed to find a hole in the Spartan defense before the final buzzer for Arlington’s only touchdown of the game. The extra point-after-touchdown ended the game, 33-13, for a Skyline victory.
“We’re ready to keep rolling,” Jeffery Walker said, excited for the next playoff round.
The Skyline Spartans will play the Camas Papermakers on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 2 p.m. at Doc Harris Stadium in Camas, WA.
