Oak Harbor’s run is over.
The last time the Wildcats squared off against the Bothell Cougars was in the 2006 Class 4A state championship game at the Tacoma Dome and in that matchup, Oak Harbor was a 21-14 winner and was crowned state champion.
This time around, it was an entirely different story.
Around Bothell the team is known as the Blue Train and the Wildcats had a difficult time stopping the evening express.
Oak Harbor had trouble moving the ball on offense and the defense couldn’t stop the Cougars’ high-powered offense that netted 397 total yards, 254 on the ground and another 143 through the air.
The result was a 42-14 blowout victory by the Cougars in the quarterfinal game of the Class 4A high school football playoffs Friday evening at Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell.
The loss before a huge contingent of traveling Wildcat fans ended Oak Harbor’s 18-game winning streak. The Wildcats finish the season with an outstanding 11-1 record.
“We didn’t play as well as we played last week and we had to play even better this week,” Oak Harbor coach Dave Ward said.
Bothell dominated the action for the majority of the game and didn’t punt the ball once during the 48 minutes of play.
The Cougars opened the game by driving the ball 80 yards for their first touchdown, with Patrick Ottorbech scoring on a 15-yard run. Johnny Hekker hit the first of his seven extra point kicks to give Bothell a 7-0 lead.
During the drive Hekker, the Cougar quarterback, was a 3-for-3 in passing for 65 yards.
The way Bothell moved the ball with ease on its first series of downs was an omen of things to come.
Oak Harbor ran three plays on its first possession and was forced to punt, but caught a break.
Mike Bressler jarred the ball loose from Bothell’s Cory Burk and Rashad Smith recovered, putting the Wildcats in business at the Cougars’ 16-yard line.
After an incomplete pass, senior running back Chris Valencia scored and Mike Johnston’s extra point kick tied the score 7-7.
Unfortunately, this would be the last Wildcats’ last touchdown until the fourth quarter.
“It was definitely a tough game and they must have pulled something out that we didn’t expect,” Valencia said. “Obviously there were multiple mistakes that we could have done better with and maybe turned the game around, but they took it to us and we weren’t able to step up.”
Hekker connected with Perry Conricode on a 48-yard scoring strike at the 4:46 mark of the first quarter putting Bothell ahead to stay, 14-7.
The Cougars added two more touchdowns in the second quarter on a pair of Ottorbech runs. The first was a 10-yard dash at the 10:48 mark and the second came on a 36-yard draw play with 55 seconds left to give Bothell a 28-7 halftime lead.
“They came out fast and we just got outplayed tonight,” said senior defensive end Jake Rouser.
The Wildcats hung tough early in the third quarter when Joe Raymond intercepted a pass at the goal line to stop a Cougar drive, but Bothell returned the favor when Kurt Stottlemyer picked off an errant Johnny Encinas throw four plays later.
“They were a really good team and you have to take your hats off for that,” Raymond said. “I’m proud of everyone on our team.”
Bothell scored a pair of touchdowns within a 12-second span late in the third period.
Jonathan Kirchner scored on a 4-yard run with 3:06 remaining in the quarter and after Oak Harbor fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Hekker hit Conricode with a 24-yard scoring pass on the first play from scrimmage to up the lead to 42-7.
Three Oak Harbor turnovers in the game resulted in the Cougars’ touchdowns.
With 8:52 remaining in the contest, Valencia capped off a 49-yard Oak Harbor drive scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run to put the final points on the board.
Valencia led the Wildcats’ rushing attack, carrying the ball 12 times for 47 yards. Rouser caught two passes for 33 yards and Rodrick Rumble had three catches for 27 yards.
Ottorbech had 12 carries for 130 yards and Kirchner had 103 yards on 14 carries for Bothell.
“It’s been a great group of guys and they’ve been through a lot together,” Ward said. “These seniors have had three amazing seasons, reaching the quarterfinals twice and winning the state championship. They can hold their heads high, it’s been quite a run.”
Bothell 42, Oak Harbor 14
First quarter
B — Patrick Ottorbech 15 run (Johnny Hekker kick) 8:19
OH — Chris Valencia 16 run (Mike Johnston kick) 6:18
B — Perry Conricode 48 pass from Hekker (Hekker kick) 4:46
Second quarter
B — Ottorbech 10 run (Hekker kick) 10:48
B — Ottorbech 36 run (Hekker kick) :55
Third quarter
B — Jonathan Kirchner 4 run (Hekker kick) 3:06
B — Conricode 24 pass from Hekker (Hekker kick) 2:54
Fourth quarter
OH — Valencia 4 run (Johnston kick) 8:52
Game stats Oak Harbor Bothell
First downs 9 18
Rushes-yards 23-83 32-254
Passing yards 89 143
Comp-Att 12-24-2 10-13-2 2
Sacks-yards lost 1-10 0-0
Fumbles-lost 3-2 1-1
Penalties-yards 2-15 3-15
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING— Oak Harbor: Chris Valencia 12-47, Jordan Young 3-19, Stephen Lewis 3-15, Donovan Hunt 2-1, Johnny Encinas 3-minus 1. Bothell: Patrick Ottorbech 12-130, Jonathan Kirchner 14-102, Jake Munro 5-21, Jake Arzola 5-20, Colby Burk 1-13, Casey McDaniel 2-6, James Korn 3-munus 7.
PASSING — Oak Harbor: Encinas 12-24-2 89. Bothell: Johnny Hekker 10-12-1 2 143, Ottorbech 0-1-1.
RECEIVING— Oak Harbor: Jake Rouser 2-33, Rodrick Rumble 3-27, Hunt 2-14, Michael Bell 2-13, Young 1-2, Valencia 1-1. Bothell: Perry Conricode 4-81, Ben Moschel 3-39, Cory Burk 2-17, Evan Hudson 1-4.
Class 4A playoff scores
Friday, Nov. 16
Bothell 42, Oak Harbor 14
Saturday, Nov. 17
Ferris 49, Graham-Kapowsin 14
Edmonds-Woodway 24, Eastlake 21
Lewis and Clark 35, Inglemoor 0
