East uses size advantage to hand West 28-9 loss in All-Star Football Game

EVERETT — Sometimes, coaching isn't all about the X's and O's. Sometimes, it's about common sense.

Dave Miller knew his football team had very capable receivers with unusual height. And once he saw firsthand in practice how his quarterbacks could throw, his game plan became much clearer.

Miller exploited that advantage early and often as his East team beat the West, 28-9, at the Class 3A/4A East-West All-Star Football Game at sunny Everett Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Mitch Saylor, a 6-foot-6 receiver from Union High School near Vancouver, made the biggest impact of all in the showcase game played by the state's best players from the Class of 2010.

Saylor caught seven passes for 118 yards, including two for touchdowns, as the East quarterbacks kept lobbing the ball in his direction.

"When you have a 6-6 receiver, it's pretty easy to throw the ball up there when you know he's going to come down with it," said East quarterback Austin Dodge from Skyview in Vancouver.

Not always.

Saylor, who's headed to the University of Montana, dropped one potential long touchdown pass from Dodge in the third quarter but made up for it when the two hooked up on a 10-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Saylor and Dodge connected on a 56-yard touchdown pass to open the game's scoring in the first quarter.

"They're a pretty lethal combination," said West coach Mark Stewart of Meadowdale. "And they probably live about five minutes from each other."

It was a big day for Vancouver-area players. Saylor's Union teammate, running back Nathaniel Penaranda, caught a 67-yard touchdown pass from Travis Ward of Mount Spokane late in the second quarter to give the East a 14-7 halftime lead.

The West cut the lead to 14-9 when Cascade's Brandon Blinn blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety. But two fourth quarter touchdowns sealed the game for the East.

"We wanted to use our size advantage," said Miller, who coaches at Lakes. "We actually had four or five pretty good receivers. Christian Wesley (6-4 receiver from Central Kitsap) didn't get the ball his way very much but he's a very good receiver. Greg Logan (from Graham-Kapowsin) made a couple of big catches for us."

But, clearly, the focus was on getting the ball into the long arms of Saylor, who was named the East's Most Valuable Player.

"I just came here to have fun," Saylor said.

Miller said Montana is lucky to get him. Miller's son, Drew, is a former Grizzlies quarterback.

"They're getting a great receiver," Miller said. "He's a great player and an even better kid. These kids are all talented but they're even better character people."

The West's MVP was Oak Harbor defensive end Nick Rouser.

The East won for the third year in a row. The 2011 game is in Spokane.