Prep Football | 4A:Issaquah hands No. 4 Jackson 48-28 loss

EVERETT — How quickly things change.

A slow start put Issaquah in a deep 21-0 hole, but four touchdowns in a 5:34 span swung the Eagles past No. 4 Jackson and into the second round of the 4A state playoffs. Issaquah's 48-28 victory Saturday at Everett Memorial Stadium sets up a showdown with top-ranked Bothell next week at Pop Keeney Stadium. The Eagles lost to Bothell in the season opener.

"We're excited about going up there," Issaquah coach Chris Bennett said of playing the undefeated Cougars on their home turf. "We obviously know each other pretty well."

On Saturday, the Eagles (8-3) ended the season for another undefeated team. Jackson (10-1) looked the part early, scoring at will but a dramatic shift in momentum that took the Timberwolves from 21 points up to 20 points down left everyone wondering what could have been.

"It's a game of momentum," Jackson coach Joel Vincent said. "It went to their side right before half and they rode it. We couldn't get it to swing back to us."

Grant Gellatly had a monster game for Issaquah, carrying the ball 40 times for 249 yards and three touchdowns. He left the game midway through the fourth with an ankle injury but said he would be fine for next week's game.

Jackson's Doran Lusby made it 7-0 when he stepped in front of a Ryan Bergman pass and returned it 24 yards for a score, dragging defenders about 10 yards into the end zone. Andy Gay and John Wilde hooked up for touchdown passes of 14 and 83 yards to make it 21-0.

A 53-yard bomb from Bergman to Evan Peterson set up the Eagles' first score, a 10-yard pass from Bergman to Adam Dondoyano. Bergman finished 13 of 27 for 211 yards and three scores.

Jackson fumbled its first snap of the ensuing possession, and Issaquah needed just four plays to find the end zone again. Gellatly scored from 2 yards out to make it 21-14 at halftime.

Issaquah got the ball to start the second half, and a big return gave the Eagles excellent field position at the Jackson 41. A miraculous one-handed grab by Peterson covered 30 yards and set up a 2-yard score by Gellatly that tied the score at 21.

Peterson showed his hands on defense, too, intercepting a pass from Gay to further quiet the crowd. A 34-yard run by Gellatly pushed the ball to the Jackson 5, and Gellatly punched it in on the next play to complete the comeback. Issaquah never looked back.

"We had to lay it out all on the line because if we don't we're going home," Gellatly said of falling behind 21-0. "We just had to stay positive."