Central Kitsap suddenly is in the thick of the Narrows League playoff race.
Sparked by senior Howard McDonald, who rushed for 193 yards and four touchdowns, the Cougars dismantled Mount Tahoma 35-0 on Homecoming Night at Silverdale Stadium on Friday, moving into a three-way tie with the Thunderbirds and South Kitsap for third place in the Narrows League.
The Cougars (4-3 overall, 4-2 league,) now own a tiebreaker advantage over both Mount Tahoma and SK, having beat SK 14-13 earlier this season.
And with just two regular season games remaining, against winless Stadium and Wilson (4-4, 2-5), CK expects to win out and lock up a playoff berth. The top five Narrows League teams advance to the postseason.
“It puts us in a good position,” McDonald said of the win, CK’s third in four games. “We still have two games to play — don’t get me wrong — but if we win out like we should, we’ll finish in third place (in the Narrows League).”
Beneficiaries of numerous Mount Tahoma turnovers, CK needed little more than McDonald’s feet to beat Mount Tahoma, struggling on both sides of the ball.
After a scoreless first quarter, McDonald put CK ahead at the 9:19 mark of the second, scoring from four yards out to make it 7-0. The touchdown was setup by a Thunderbird fumble in Cougar territory, which CK recovered at its own 28-yard-line.
McDonald’s second touchdown, a 9-yard-run, made the score 14-0 with 45 seconds left in the half.
Then, Mount Tahoma quarterback Josh Lord was flushed out of the pocket toward his own sideline on the second play of the ensuing possession and with a defender on his back, flipped the ball about five yards forward. The desperation pass was intercepted by CK’s Cameron Anthony at the 29-yard line. And two players later, Jason Simonis scored on a quarterback sneak to make it 21-0.
Two McDonald touchdowns left the score 35-0 after three quarters before coach Mark Keel pulled the starters, handing the game over to his second team.
McDonald, a senior, credited his offensive line for opening holes and making big blocks to help him find the end zone.
“The line, they were blocking all night, and I was just hitting creases,” he said.
The Cougars now appear to be on track after a 1-2 start in league play, losing 31-7 against Gig Harbor and 6-0 against Bellarmine Prep.
“It was kind of ugly for the playoff picture … Earlier in the season, everyone was kind of flat.” McDonald said. “The team’s getting more confident, there’s more excitement in the locker room. Everyone is motivated to get after it.”
Friday’s game is at Stadium, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. CK returns home for the season finale against Wilson at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30.
Mount Tahoma 0,
at Central Kitsap 35
First Quarter
None
Second Quarter
CK-Howard McDonald 4 run (Christian Berg kick), 9:19
CK-McDonald 9 run (Berg kick), 0:45
CK-Jason Simonis 1 run (Berg kick), 0:05
Third Quarter
CK-McDonald 20 run (Berg kick), 9:06
CK-McDonald 2 run (Berg kick), 5:12
Fourth Quarter
None
