By ERICK WALKER
The Reporter
Another week, another hero.
That proved to be the case again last Friday night at French Field for the Kentwood football team.
This time, it was Robbie Morris’ turn. Morris, a 5-foot-11, 165-pound wide receiver/defensive back, caught one touchdown pass and supplied a key fourth-quarter interception, leading the Conquerors past Kentridge in a South Puget Sound League North Division game, 14-11.
Despite the win, Kentwood’s fifth straight, the Conquerors (5-2 in league, 6-2 overall) still remain on the playoff bubble.
The top four teams in the SPSL North advance to the postseason. Auburn (7-0 in league, 8-0 overall), Federal Way (5-2, 6-2) and Tahoma (5-3, 5-3) have already clinched playoff berths. Kentwood plays host to Kentlake (4-3, 4-4) tonight at 7 p.m. at French Field in a loser-out game.
“If they beat us we’re out,” said Kentwood coach Rex Norris.
Kentlake came up big on Saturday, blanking Auburn Riverside 21-0 to remain alive for a playoff berth. If Kentwood beats Kentlake tonight, the Conquerors would nab the division’s No. 2 berth. If Kentlake wins, the Falcons will take the division’s No. 4 playoff berth.
“We said, ‘You know what, we’ve got to win tonight and we’ve got to win next week and wherever the cards fall is where they fall,” said Kentlake coach Mike Shepard. “All we want is an opportunity.”
Which is exactly how Kentwood felt as well last Friday night against Kentridge. And Morris, one of the team’s many key role players this season, delivered.
“We’ve just had role players (step up). Last week, it was Bryan Carlson,” Norris said. “It’s a no-name group of kids who just love playing football.”
Morris made a name for himself in the second quarter against the Chargers. With Kentwood up 7-3 and less than 1:30 left in the half, Morris lined up at left guard, then found himself wide open on a 43-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Luke Angevine. Morris, completely alone in a sea of green turf, caught the ball at the 20-yard line and cruised in for the score, which proved to be all the Conquerors needed.
“I lined up at left tackle, but I was eligible (to receive),” Morris explained. “I split the seam and they didn’t see it coming. It was a great play, a great call by our coach.”
Morris came up equally big on defense during the final minute of the game, cutting in front of a Kentridge receiver at midfield for an interception on a 4th-and-5 play. That thwarted Kentridge’s final drive of the night and sealed the victory for the Conquerors.
“Coach came out in the timeout and said, ‘This is our season right here,'” said Morris, a senior. “It was big to get that.”
The loss eliminated the Chargers (3-4, 4-4) from playoff contention.
“It’s a tough loss,” lamented Kentridge coach Marty Osborn. “We felt like we had the horses to get it done, and the kids battled. We just came up a little short.”
But it was Morris’ touchdown reception to close the first half that left Osborn and the Chargers scratching their heads.
“I am going to have to watch the film,” Osborn said. “I don’t know how the guy ended up being not covered. I don’t know if they did a different formation or what they did. Generally, we don’t let guys run free.”
The final result overshadowed another solid performance from the Kentridge defense, which has allowed just 27 points in its last three games combined. The Chargers limited Kentwood to just 150 yards of total offense and seven first downs. The Conquerors didn’t manage a single first down in the second half and mustered just 14 yards of total offense during the final 24 minutes.
“Our defense played great tonight. We just struggled to get into the end zone,” Osborn said.
Kentwood played nearly as well defensively, forcing four Kentridge turnovers and keeping the Chargers outside of the red zone for almost the entire night.
It was that same defense that helped the Conquerors take an early lead.
Defensive back Devin St. Clair set the early tone for Kentwood, intercepting an errant pass from Kentridge quarterback Brandon Reiter, giving the Conquerors the ball at the Charger 16-yard line just three minutes into the game.
Five plays later, Angevine plunged in for a 1-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 lead.
Kentridge cut the deficit to 7-3 on a 30-yard field goal by Wes Concepcion at the end of the first quarter.
Kentwood didn’t answer until Angevine connected with Morris to end the second quarter, giving the Conquerors a 14-3 lead.
With 5:42 remaining in the game, Kentridge running back Devin Topps responded, escaping two Kentwood defenders in the backfield, then skirting down the right sideline for a 52-yard touchdown. Reiter then found Brandon Inman on the two-point conversion, pulling the Chargers within a field goal at 14-11.
But that was as close as KR could get.
It was Kentwood’s fifth straight win since opening the season 1-2.
“We’ve had must-win games the last five weeks,” Norris said. “We’ve been in the playoffs the last five weeks, that’s what I’ve told the kids.”
And each week, another hero seems to emerge.
KL GETS IT DONE
Facing a must-win situation, Kentlake delivered Saturday with its 21-0 shutout of Auburn Riverside. The win helped the Falcons snap a four-game losing streak and remain alive for a playoff berth.
Running back Tayler Angevine rushed for 127 yards on 20 carries while linebacker Stephen Morse paced another stingy defensive performance, racking up a team-high 14 tackles and forcing a fumble.
“Morse was huge,” said Kentlake coach Mike Shepard. “Defensively, they’ve been the strong part of our team all season long.”
In its four wins, Kentlake has allowed just 28 combined points.
Travis Felchlin gave the Falcons a lead in the second quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run. Lewi Larson added a 5-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 14-0. Larson then hit wide receiver Tyler Wright for a 19-yard touchdown late in the third, giving the Falcons an insurmountable 21-0 lead.
Larson completed 10 of 15 passes for 102 yards and the one touchdown.
“We’ve been trying to put it together all season and they finally delivered,” Shepard said.
