In a game of offensive firepower, Oak Harbor displayed the biggest arsenal in a 56-33 win over Shorewood at Wildcat Memorial Stadium Friday, Sept. 16.

The win upped Oak Harbor’s record to 3-0 and set up a tussle of unbeatens when the Wildcats travel to Everett, also 3-0, next Friday at 5 p.m. The Seagulls overcame a 24-6 deficit to defeat Lynnwood 41-32 last Friday.

The Oak Harbor-Shorewood game featured 13 touchdowns, 1,025 yards of offense, 17 plays (11 by the Wildcats) of over 20 yards and not much defense.

After Shorewood scored on the game’s first drive, the Wildcats received little resistance as they scored on their first four possessions and it looked like a big – a very big – win for the ‘Cats. Up 28-6 with 7:39 left in the half, the first rout was on.

However, Shorewood refused to follow the script. Taking advantage of Wildcat turnovers and penalties and a potent offense of their own, the Thunderbirds cut it to 35-26 with 9:01 left in the game when a missed a two-point conversion try would have trimmed the gap to seven points.

Oak Harbor revved its engine again. Forty seconds later, Peter Franssen zipped 43 yards through a gaping hole for a touchdown. Then on the first play after the kick off, Josiah Miller intercepted an Aaron Miller pass and returned it 30 yards for another TD. Suddenly, with just 50 seconds ticking off the game clock, Oak Harbor was comfortably up again, 49-26.

After Shorewood went three-and-out, Oak Harbor scored again. Jack Richter, who had a 21-yard run earlier in the drive, scored from the one and it was 56-26.

Shorewood, with the help of a 54-yard run against the Wildcat reserves, finished the scoring with 28 seconds left.

Oak Harbor coach Jay Turner said, “Our offense played really well. Our defense, well, that one is on me. Shorewood played a good game, but we can do better.”

Turner, who is also the defensive coordinator, said, “I will take responsibility for the D. We will get where we need to be. We shot ourselves in the foot. We played hard but we didn’t play smart. We have good group of kids who respond well to coaching and we will fix this.”

Shorewood finished with 474 yards of offense in 70 plays. Eugene Holley rushed for 102 yards on 25 carries and two scores, and Aaron Miller completed 14 of 31 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns; he threw two interceptions. Chris Namba caught 10 passes for 134 yards and two TDs.

Oak Harbor piled up 551 yards in only 44 plays. Brent Ryan rushed for 143 on 11 carries, Josiah Miller rushed for 130 on 13 carries, and Ian Kolste completed five of seven passes for 95 yards, a touchdown and one interception.

The Wildcats’ first score was set up by a 42-yard kickoff return by Isaiah Trower. In less than two minutes, Oak Harbor was on the board on a one-yard run by Ryan. Franssen kicked the first of eight-straight extra points and Oak Harbor led 7-6.

After a Thunderbird punt, Oak Harbor quickly scored. Kolste threw to Miller for 25 yards, Ryan ripped off a 28-yard run and Franssen scored from 14 yards out.

A Franssen interception set up the next score, which took only two plays. Miller ran for 14, then Trower slalomed threw the T-bird defense for a 61-yard TD. It was 21-6 with just over a minute left in the first quarter.

Shorewood punted again. Ryan highlighted the next drive with a 46-yard run and Trower scored on a 20-yard reception tossed by Kolste.

Shorewood scored just before the half to make it 28-12 on a drive that included two dropped interceptions by Oak Harbor, a pass interference call on the ‘Cats on a fourth-and-11 play and a holding penalty.

The Wildcats scored on their first possession of the second half.  After Ryan carried for five yards, Miller had runs of 32 and 28 to reach the end zone.

An Oak Harbor fumble set up the next T-bird scoring drive, and Shorewood trimmed the lead to 35-20 with 3:01 left in the third quarter.

Oak Harbor drove 50 yards, but then Kolste had his one mistake and was intercepted at the 30. From there, with the help of a 55-yard pass from Aaron Miller to Namba, Shorewood sliced the lead to 35-26 before Oak