TACOMA — North Kitsap’s postseason run ended with a muddy splash Friday night, as the Vikings fell to Bellarmine Prep at rain-dampened Memorial Field in Tacoma, 36-14.
The Vikings were victimized by four Bellarmine Prep touchdowns, two field goals and a safety. But the numbers that really ended the North Kitsap playoff drive were those that ticked off on the scoreboard.
Bellarmine Prep’s disciplined, ball-control offense resulted in plenty of clock for the Lions and almost none for North Kitsap, whose time of possession in the first quarter was a scanty four plays, during which they had the ball for slightly less than two minutes.
“They had the ball a lot more than we did,” Viking Coach Jerry Parrish said. “Especially in the first half.”
The Vikings, the third-ranked team in the Narrows League Bridge Division, had to defeat the Lions, the first-ranked team in the Bay, in order to reach the state playoffs.
Instead, North Kitsap fell behind early and never recovered, except for one successful drive and one interception return for a touchdown that briefly shifted the momentum the Vikings’ way.
Bellarmine’s first drive, which lasted seven minutes, ended short of the end zone, with the Vikings’ Alex Campagna twirling down the Lions’ Brandon Stout on a key second-and-goal play.
But Bellarmine’s Brian Hale kicked a field goal to make the lead 3-0.
As the first quarter was ending, Bellarmine quarterback Ben Hannula faked a pass to a running back, then turned and hit Sean Kelley on the other side of the field.
Kelley’s 58-yard run set up a 6-yard TD pass from Hannula to Stout, and the Lions had a 10-0 lead.
They added to it twice more before the Vikings scored, once (after another seven-minute drive) when Hannula gunned a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jesse Uddenberg, who had pulled away from the defense; and again, when North Kitsap’s quick kick from their own 1-yard line was blocked and rolled into the back of the end zone for a safety.
As the third quarter was ending, North Kitsap briefly grabbed the game’s momentum when Hannula dropped back to pass, tried the same fake-and-screen that had equalled a long play for Kelley earlier in the game — and was promptly picked off by Reuben Scuffy, who sprinted the ball into the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown.
The two-point conversion failed, so Bellarmine’s lead stood at 19-6. But the Lions added to it quickly, first with a 65-yard touchdown pass from Hannula to Brandon Maul, then with a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown by Kyle Williams.
North Kitsap got to the scoreboard one more time when 64-yard drive ended with a 3-yard touchdown run by Chad Foster.
But it wasn’t enough to save the season.
Bellarmine head coach Mike Baldassin said that the Lions’ quick scoring, especially the long touchdown pass and punt return, helped the team win.
“North Kitsap played hard, but when we had those two quick plays… plays like that may take the life out of a defense — or a team,” he said.
Vikings’ coach Parrish said, “Bellarmine’s best was better than our best.”
He said that next year, North Kitsap’s best will be better.
