By Karrington Kincaid, The Seattle Medium
A highly anticipated football matchup between the Eastside Catholic Crusaders and the Kennewick Lions did not disappoint, as the teams battled down to the final minutes of their state 3A football quarterfinal game at Memorial Stadium. The raucous crowd helped create an atmosphere one would expect for a playoff game, as both teams were eager to step onto the field for an epic showdown.
Right out of the gates, the Lions faced a formidable challenge as they went three and out, courtesy of the Crusaders’ tenacious defense.
The Crusaders marched down the field on their first offensive possession of the game. However, the drive ended abruptly when Kennewick’s Dane McClure intercepted a pass by Eastside Catholic quarterback Jake Tiryakioglu at the Lions’ five-yard line.
The rest of the first quarter turned into a smash-mouth defensive battle, with both teams shutting down each other’s running and passing games.
The second quarter was very much the same, with great defense from both sides. Kennewick’s bad snap on a 4th down punt resulted in a turnover on downs that set the Crusaders up with great field position at the 50-yard line.
A few plays later, Tiryakioglu would throw his second interception of the game, as his pass was picked off by the Lions’ Canaan Hays. The rest of the second quarter featured more outstanding defense from both sides as heavy hits and strong tackling were the stalemating factors in keeping the game tied at 0-0 at halftime.
The third quarter signaled a shift in momentum for the Crusaders, as they unleashed a relentless and efficient run-heavy offense led by running back Jeremiah Burroughs. Eastside Catholic methodically marched down the field, culminating in a 10-yard Wildcat touchdown run by David Lene.
The touchdown seemed to ignite the Crusaders’ defense, as they began to put tremendous pressure on Kennewick quarterback Dominic Driver and the Lions’ offense. The Crusaders got a timely interception by Ambrose Marsh, giving the Crusaders another offensive possession to work with. However, Kennewick got the ball back as Dane McClure got his second interception of the game. But under immense pressure, Driver later threw an interception to David Lene, who returned it for 18 yards deep in Kennewick territory.
Kennewick regained possession of the ball, as a bad exchange between Tiryakioglu and receiver Jayden Reyes resulted in a fumble that was recovered by the Lions’ David Wacenske.
Three plays later, Driver threw another interception to David Lene for his second interception of the game, giving the Crusaders the ball with great field position. The Crusaders took advantage of the field position with a 39-yard field goal, extending their lead to 10-0.
The fourth quarter was make-or-break for Kennewick, as time was no longer on their side. Driver improvised and scrambled for a first down on 3rd and 11 to keep the chains moving for his team. On a 3rd and 15 from midfield, Driver connected with receiver David Wacenske on a clutch pitch-and-catch on a bootleg to the right, moving the chains into Crusader territory.
The Lions capitalized on this possession with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Driver to Kyler Witkowski, closing the gap to 10-7 in favor of the Crusaders.
With time dwindling, the Crusaders consumed valuable minutes on their next possession but ultimately had to punt as the Lions’ defense stiffened.
On their ensuing offensive possession, Driver threw another costly interception to Ambrose Marsh on a tipped pass with just over four minutes remaining in the game.
Needing just a few first downs to secure the win, Eastside Catholic began their final drive of the game with momentum clearly on the side of Kennewick.
On a crucial Eastside 3rd down play, the Crusaders sealed the game with a 41-yard touchdown run by Jeremiah Burroughs, making the score 17-7 with just minutes on the clock.
On the play, Burroughs eluded and broke a few tackles near the line of scrimmage before finding a crease on the left side and outrunning the Kennewick defenders to the endzone.
“We needed a score,” said Burroughs after the game about the play. “My brother lost to this team two years ago in the semifinals, [and I didn’t want us to lose to them again this year]. We needed a first down and God gave me more.”
On the next possession, Driver’s last-ditch pass attempt met the same fate as his previous ones, as Marsh intercepted him for the third time in the game, securing a 17-7 victory for the Crusaders.
While the game may not have been a picture of perfection, Eastside Catholic Head Coach Dominic Daste was extremely proud of the way his guys battled against a stout Kennewick team, especially in their run game.
“First of all, I definitely want to clean up those turnovers going into next week,” said Daste. “I was really pleased we were able to run the ball, especially when we were struggling to throw a little bit.”
“Our defense, we couldn’t ask them to play any better,” added Daste.
Daste also noted the game-changing plays of David Lene and Jeremiah Burroughs, as both players continue to show week after week that the moment is never too big for them as they constantly make plays that contribute to their team’s success.
“I don’t think for any of our kids that the moment is too big,” said Daste.
“Dave has played so much football for us. He’s our captain on defense in terms of getting everybody lined up and knowing everyone’s job,” continued Daste. “JB (Burroughs) is one of the hardest working people I’ve been around, I couldn’t be happier for him.”
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Kennewick Lions Head Coach Randy Affholter was proud of how his team fought to the very end of the game.
“One of the things we’ve always taught our kids is to never worry about the scoreboard, but worry about giving our best effort,” said Affholter. “We’ve had some injuries, our number one quarterback got hurt three weeks ago, that was his little brother playing tonight. Despite the injuries, this team has fought and kept rolling.”
With the win, Eastside Catholic advances to the state 3A football semifinals, where they will go on the road to take on the number one seed and defending state champion Tornados of Yelm on November 25.
Pictorial Highlights of Eastside Catholic vs Kennewick
