Oak Harbor High School’s football team took the second step in
defense of its Class 4A state championship and ended Olympia’s seven-game winning streak defeating the Bears 30-21 Saturday night at
Ingersoll Stadim in Olympia.
With the victory, the 11-0 Wildcats next opponent is Bothell, the
team Oak Harbor defeated 21-14 in last year’s state championship game.
The first quarter of Saturday’s matchup pitted Olympia’s rushing
attack aganst Johnny Encinas and the Oak Harbor aerial game.
Olympia took the opening kickoff and drove the ball 71 yards for a
touchdown with quarterback Kramer Chapman punching the ball in from 1-yard out with 6:14 remaining in the quarter. Sam Bingaman’s kick
made the score 7-0, but that was only the beginning.
Following the Bears’ kickoff, Encinas directed an eight play, 67-yard dive capped by Chris Valencia’s 3-yard touchdown run with 3:46 remaining in the opening period.
During the drive, Encinas completed four-straight passes for a total of 54 yards.
Mike Johnston’s extra point kick tied the score and the game remained knotted 7-7 as the first period ended.
Oak Harbor scored a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 21-7 lead.
On the second play of the period, Encinas hit Stephen Johnson with a 28-yard scoring strike and after the second of two Olympia fumbles in the period, Valencia scored his second touchdown with six seconds remaining until halftime.
Olympia began to mount a rally in the third quarter putting a
touchdown on the board at the 6:27 mark on a 7-yard run by Casey
Sherwood, and tied the game 21-21 with 10:18 remaining in the contest on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Chapman to Garrett Hall.
With 5:48 remaining in the game, Kevin Flavin nailed a 28-yard field goal to put the Wildcats back in the lead.
Valencia recovered an Olympia fumble at the Bears’ 41-yard line with 4:30 remaining in the game, and Johnson put the final Wildcats’
touchdown on the board with 2:13 left on a 2-yard run.
The Wildcats recovered three Olympia fumbles in the game and Jordan Young picked off a Chapman pass with 1:40 left to seal the victory.
