Kentwood slips past Tahoma, 21-14

MAPLE VALLEY — Jared Fuller's third touchdown of the evening was the most special. It might go down as a season-saver and definitely one to savor.

It came just in the nick of time for the Kentwood football team.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Fuller went up the middle and crashed into the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown run with 2:26 remaining to lift the Conquerors past host Tahoma 21-14 Friday night in a key SPSL 4A game at Maxwell Stadium.

The score might have saved the Conquerors' playoff lives.

Kentwood (1-1 SPSL, 2-1 overall) used just 1 minute, 25 seconds to snap a 14-14 tie by driving 58 yards in four plays. The Conks' Allain Songco hauled in a 41-yard pass from Tristan Askew, who splits time at quarterback with Shane Green, and two plays later Fuller scored again.

"This helped us a lot, and now we've got to go out and win the rest of our league games and make the playoffs," said Fuller, a junior who carried 14 times for 62 yards rushing.

Songco's catch was Kentwood's first first down in 2 ½ quarters, since late in the second quarter. It couldn't have come at a bigger time. Songco finished with four grabs for 94 yards receiving.

"I try to tell my teammates, it's zero-zero all the time," said Askew, who went 5 of 6 passing for 106 yards and also doubled as a defensive back. "It's zero-zero. If we're up, we're up, but don't worry about the score and play zero-zero football, and everybody gets a touchdown.

"After they came play on us, it was play hard and all in."

The Bears (2-1, 2-1) knotted the score at 14-14 with 3:51 left on Niko Madison's 12-yard touchdown burst over right tackle. The run capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 3:33.

The score was set up when Travis Montoya hit Kyle Clark for 32-yard pass play on third-and-15 from the Bears' own 43 one play before Madison's TD run.

Until that point, Tahoma's defense kept the Bears in the game by limiting Kentwood to minus-five yards rushing and zero overall in the third quarter. The Bears held Kentwood to 65 yards of total offense in the second half, but the Conks found a way.

"I thought it was a playoff game for us, no question about it," Kentwood coach Rex Norris said. "You lose two, and you're on the outside looking in and hoping somebody falls over or something."

Madison led all rushers with 132 yards on 24 carries. Tahoma outgained Kentwood 262 yards to 208.

"We've had a lot of injuries and things to overcome and we have a lot guys still learning to play," Norris said. "When you're Tahoma at their place, it's tough. I thought the defense played well and the offense didn't turn the ball over to cause any problems.

"For the most part, we managed the game."

The Conks ended a four-year losing streak to the Bears after beating them 11 consecutive seasons prior.

Kentwood took the opening kickoff and drove 71 yards in eight plays for a 7-0 lead on Jared Fuller's 17-yard touchdown run on a perfect pitchout from quarterback Tristan Askew. The scoring drive took just 3:14.

Fuller scored again on a similar pitch play, going 11 yards for a 14-0 advantage with 3:07 left in the first quarter. This drive covered 50 yards and five plays and took just 2:37.

The Bears got their offense on track and cut the Conquerors' lead to

14-7 on Riley Owen's 3-yard scoring run with 8:54 to go in the first half. Tahoma used got field position to march 44 yards in seven plays and 3:06.

"Our kids just got locked in a little during the second half," Tahoma coach Tony Davis said. "This a great setting and we're a pretty young team, so to go through this with a full house, we'll be better for it.

"It just kind of hurts right now."

Kentwood senior Joshua Smith, known for his basketball prowess, registered a sack of Tahoma quarterback Travis Montoya — the first sack of the season for the first-year football player.

UW men's basketball coach Lorenzo Romar was in attendance, watching the 6-9 Smith.