High School Sports
Kennedy's win opens Classic

By Sandy Ringer
Seattle Times staff reporter

JAMES BRANAMAN / THE SEATTLE TIMES Kennedy's Nate Williams heads for a 65-yard touchdown after pulling in a pass off a fake punt yesterday in the Lancers' win over Tahoma.

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Jeremy Bland doesn't ask much from Kennedy's big linemen.

"They make room and I'll do the rest," he said.

Bland did plenty yesterday in the opening game of the Emerald City Kickoff Classic at Qwest Field. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound junior rushed for 191 yards on 20 carries and scored two touchdowns as the Lancers beat Tahoma 47-27.

Sophomore Nate Williams added 233 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns, including a 65-yard pass reception off a fake punt for Kennedy's final score with 4:15 left.

Bland was making his debut with Kennedy after playing at Chief Sealth last year. He said he is living with an uncle in Renton because of his mother's poor health. The Lancers, who reached the Class 3A semifinals last year and are ranked No. 5 this season, are happy to have him.

"He's just a great, great addition to our football program," coach Bob Bourgette said. "He runs real hard."

Junior quarterback Tyrese Lopez also had a solid game, completing 6 of 11 passes for 175 yards, including one off the fake punt late in the game — a play Lopez called. He also ran for two short touchdowns.

The Lancers, who feature a huge line anchored by 6-3, 316-pound Drew Hill, finished with 456 yards of total offense against a Tahoma team expected to be a playoff contender in Class 4A.

The Bears, who play in the South Puget Sound League North Division, had plenty of offensive highlights as well. Senior quarterback Matt Hanson completed 12 of 23 passes for 180 yards and two TDs. Daniel Ulrich, an all-league receiver as a junior last year, made acrobatic grabs for both scores, dragging a toe on the sideline.

"Those were unbelievable catches," Tahoma coach Tony Davis said.

Ulrich wound up with seven receptions for 137 yards. He also intercepted a pass with less than a minute to play in the first half. The Bears then marched 71 yards in five plays to cut Kennedy's lead to 20-12 with just four seconds left.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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