The fates were smiling on Oak Harbor’s football team at Snohomish Friday night.

Oak Harbor overcame a few bad breaks, created a little luck of its own and when Tony Thulin pounded the ball into the end zone from 4-yards out with 38 seconds remaining in the game, the Wildcats were 26-22 winners over Skyview.

The next stop on the road to the Class 4A state championship will be at Spokane Saturday afternoon against Gonzaga Prep.

This will be the Wildcats’ first-ever trip to the state semifinals. Only four teams remain in the 4A division.

Coach Dave Ward summed up the victory in four words. “We are living right,” he said.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Wildcats scored the initial touchdown when quarterback Marshall Lobbestael hooked up with Jeff Lamont on an 18-yard scoring strike at the 9:11 mark of the second period.

The play was just the first of many big ones for Oak Harbor during the game, and came on a fourth-and-three situation.

“That was an amazing game,” Lamont, who caught a key 41-yard pass with 1:47 remaining in the game to set up Oak Harbor’s winning score, said. “We never gave up for a moment when we were down. We got some breaks and we lost some breaks, but we were able to overcome them.”

Mike Johnston’s extra point kick was blocked and the Wildcats were ahead 6-0.

The Skyview Storm, who came into the game undefeated at 11-0, came right back mounting a 10-play, 46-yard drive capped by a 5-yard run by Micah Lape to tie the score with 4:45 remaining before halftime.

Riley Rosvold kicked the extra point for a 7-6 lead.

Completely unaffected and on the first play from scrimmage, Lobbestael hit Rodrick Rumble with a pass on the go pattern up the sideline in front of the Wildcats’ bench. Eighty yards later, the junior swingback crossed the goal line to put Oak Harbor back in the lead, 12-7.

Lobbestael was 20 for 32 in passing for 343 yards and two touchdowns. He now has 2,427 total passing yards and 30 touchdowns on the season.

The 2-point conversion try failed and the score remained 12-7.

In the second quarter, unusual happenings began taking place both on and off the field.

Clock problems at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium resulted in four breaks in the action when the clock had to be reset and at the 2:11 mark, the first of several controversial calls by the officiating crew went against Oak Harbor.

After being forced out of the pocket while trying to pass,

Lobbestael was knocked out of bounds right in the middle of the Wildcats’ bench — only to be hit again.

When Ward questioned one of

the referees why a flag wasn’t thrown, he was flagged himself for unsportsmanlike conduct and the Wildcats were penalized 15 yards.

“I just had to say something to them, Marshall was clearly out of bounds,” Ward said.

Later in the period, Chris Valencia recovered a punt that had obviously hit a Skyview player, only to have the referees give the Storm possession of the football after a 10-yard holding penalty was assessed against them.

In the waning moments before halftime with Oak Harbor driving toward Skyview’s goal line, Rumble was knocked out of bounds after catching a pass — but the clock continued to run without interruption.

The score remained 12-7 through the third quarter and entering the final 12 minutes of play, the contest got even wilder.

After an Oak Harbor fumble, Skyview took the lead, 15-12, on a halfback option pass from Lape to Rosvold covering 18 yards with 6:22 remaining.

The Wildcats battled back, helped along by a pair of 15-yard penalties and with 4:51 left, Lobbestael ran for a 13-yard touchdown.

Johnston’s point-after kick made the score 19-15.

Then it was Skyview’s turn, and the Storm put together a 63-yard drive capped by a 27-yard Lape run to take a 22-19 lead with 3:01 left in the game.

Taking possession at their own 13-yard line after the kickoff, the Wildcats had their backs to the wall.

It was then the controversy really started.

On a third-and-two situation at

the 21-yard line, Michael Bell grabbed a Lobbestael pass good for a 21-yard gain and a first down at the 42.

“I don’t know what to say,” the soft-spoken Bell said after the game. “It was great to win, now we have to get ready so hopefully we can beat Gonzaga Prep next weekend.”

On the next play, a Lobbestael

pass glanced off Thulin’s hands right into the arms of Skyview defensive back Jacob Burkey for an apparent interception.

There was 1:40 showing on the clock and the game appeared to be over.

But wait!

The officials flagged Skyview for a personal foul penalty, gave Oak Harbor possession of the ball plus 15 yards, and the Wildcats were back in business at the Storm’s 43-yardline.

Lobbestael was philosophical

after the game regarding the call. “I felt good because on that play we got picked off it was wide open and it worked,” he said. “We got an unlucky break and the ball went through his hands, sometimes the ball just bounces that way. We got lucky and came right back and capatilized. Once we got the ball back, I was confident we were going to be able to pull it out.”

On the first play, Lamont hauled in a 41-yard pass giving Oak Harbor a first-and-goal and two plays later, Thulin scored the winning touchdown.

“As soon as I got the ball I just wanted to concentrate on not fumbling it,” Thulin said. “I had that missed catch and I wanted to make up for my team. It was a great block on my right side to get me in the end zone.”

Thulin carried the ball five times for 14 yards. Valencia was the

Wildcats’ leading rusher with 49 yards on 14 carries.

“That was a crazy game and it even beat the one we had with Mariner,” senior lineman Steve Schultz said. “I thought we lost it after that interception, but it worked out in the end and that’s all that matters.”

With only 38 seconds remaining, the Wildcats went into a prevent defense and held off Skyview to claim the victory.

“We just feel like if we can have the ball with a little bit of time left, Marshall is going to find an open receiver and put the ball right in his hands,” Ward said. “It is fun to be able to coach great leaders like that. We had a great crowd down here tonight, Oak Harbor people travel well. It’s fun to have our fans cheering us on letting the referees know just how they feel about things.”

The Wildcats square off in Joe Albi Stadium against 11-1 Gonzaga Prep at 1 p.m. Saturday in Spokane.