The North Kitsap defense doesn’t get enough credit.
Most of the attention this undefeated season has gone to standout quarterback Colton Bower.
But the Viking defense has been outstanding, getting its sixth shutout of the year Saturday in the first round of the state playoffs, blanking Shadle Park of Spokane 42-0. On the 10-game season, NK has outscored its opponents 486-78.
Third-seeded North Kitsap will take on sixth-seeded Steilacoom at home Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the WIAA Class 2A State Football Championships.
Steilacoom advanced after beating 11th seeded Othello Saturday 30-13 at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.
The winner of Saturday’s game will play the winner of second-seeded Lynden vs. seventh-seed Prosser at a time, date and place to be named later. The title game will be at 4 p.m. Dec. 4 at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup.
Against Shadle Park, NK’s defense came up with an interception, a fumble recovery on a QB sack, and held the visitors to 122 yards – 65 through the air and 57 on the ground. Plus, Shadle Park was only 2 of 12 on critical third-down plays.
As usual, Bower and the offense also excelled. The senior QB threw for 209 yards and four touchdowns, three to Logan Sloman.
Bower got NK on the board in the first quarter with a 22-yard TD pass to Lincoln Castillo. The running back lined up wide, ran straight down the field, and Bower delivered a strike over the head of one defender and in front of another.
After a sack and fumble recovery, NK took over on SP’s 35-yard line. A few plays later Bower hit Sloman, who blasted through three defenders at the 5-yard line and went in for the score.
Those two hooked up again in the third quarter on a 10-yard pass. Again in the shotgun, Bower through another strike to Sloman, this one between defenders on both sides,
Still in the third period, Sloman lined up far to the right and streaked straight down the field. Bower lobbed a bomb, and Sloman ran under it, scoring untouched as a defender dove to try to stop him from 38-yards out.
Backup quarterback Beau Pahrmann got in on the fun in the fourth period. He hit Jorden Reece on a slant pattern. Reece broke through two hard tackles to score from 30 yards away.
The Vikings managed 351 yards in total offense – 244 through the air and 107 on the ground. They were also 8 for 15 on third downs.
Sloman and Castillo each caught four passes – the former for 69 yards and the latter for 29 more.
