POULSBO — After losing their first league game since 2015, the Vikings needed to respond in a big way Friday night against Bremerton.
Isaiah Kahana scored a pair of touchdowns, and Noah North ran for 90 and a score on seven carries. The defense limited the Knights to just 144 yards from scrimmage. The result was a 49-0 thrashing of Bremerton.
“The kids responded to some challenges this week, stepped up and played really hard football,” North Kitsap head coach Jeff Weible said.
Last week’s loss to Sequim served as a wake up call for the players, conjuring up images of last year’s quarterfinal loss to Archbishop Murphy. Much like that game, the Vikings felt they should have beaten the Wolves last week.
“It was terrible. It brought back [memories of] the Archbishop game,” senior Blake Wetzsteon said.
Wetzsteon was a big part of the rout. He caught seven passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns and also intercepted a pass on defense.
The Vikings also had not one, but two quarterbacks play extremely well. Senior John Jones came off the bench in the second quarter and executed the two-minute drill to perfection, connecting with Wetzsteon for a five-yard score just before halftime. Jones completed 9-of-10 passes for 103 yards. Andrew Blackmore went 5 for 9 for 70 yards and a score.
“He’s a really unselfish kid. He just wants to win. He just wants to play,” Weible said of Jones. “He got a chance to come out tonight and threw the ball really well. I thought Andrew Blackmore threw the ball really well, too.”
Kahana opened the scoring with a 19-yard scamper in the first quarter and struck again in the second, crashing through the line for a five-yard score. Noah North also broke free for a 23-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
“We really challenged the offensive line this week to finish blocks, make sure we know our assignments and stay on the block,” Weible said.
The offensive momentum continued on into the third quarter. On the Vikings’ first drive, Riley Solis bounced off a defender and reached the end zone from 37 yards out.
Alex Glydewell capped the scoring, picking up a fumble and returning it 49 yards for a touchdown.
Hopefully for the Vikings, they are back on track. Sequim’s win over North Mason keeps them in the driver’s seat for the top spot in the Olympic League, so they will need a little help to grab a share of the title. Their next game is a non-league contest away at Clover Park before returning home to face in-district rival Kingston.
“Every week, just take the next step up the ladder,” Weible said.
North Kitsap 49, Bremerton 0
BM 0 0 0 0 — 0
NK 7 21 21 0 — 49
First Quarter
NK — Kahana 19 run (Bower kick)
Second Quarter
NK — North 23 run (Bower kick)
NK — Kahana 5 run (Bower kick)
NK — Wetzsteon 5 pass from Jones (Bower kick)
Third Quarter
NK — Solis 37 run (Bower kick)
NK — Wetzsteon 12 pass from Blackmore (Bower kick)
NK — Glydewell 49 fumble recovery (Bower kick)
Individual Stats
Rushing — NK: North 7-90, TD; Williams 5-58, Kahana 6-55, 2 TDs; Solis 1-37, TD; Bower 3-36, Jones 2-19, Blackmore 3-15, Shipp 2-9. BM: Dejesus 9-56, Logova 12-48, Joiner 8-15, Reyes 2-8, Parish 1-2.
Passing — NK: Jones 9-10-103, TD; Blackmore 5-9-70, TD. BM: Logova 1-6-23.
Receiving — NK: Wetzsteon 7-91, 2 TDs; Bower 2-18, Jones 2-18, Solis 1-14, North 1-8, Castillo, 1-6. BM: Brown 1-23.
