BELLINGHAM – The Storm used a balanced offense and an aggressive defense in their decisive 56-21 victory over Oak Harbor at Civic Stadium on Saturday night.
Squalicum scored on its first three possessions, and moved the ball with relative ease behind its superior offensive line. Sophomore phenom Djouvensky Schlenbaker got most of the yardage early on the ground, but it was junior quarterback Mason Binning who found junior Bryce Pennock and sophomore Kai Posey on touchdown strikes in the first quarter.
Binning completed 15-of-20 passes for 182 yards.
Junior running back Steven Owens also scored on a 2-yard run in the first quarter.
The Wildcats quickly answered Owens’ touchdown on a 75-yard double-pass trick play, but tricks wouldn’t be allowed any longer as the ensuing surprise onside kick was sniffed out by Storm coach Nick Lucey who yelled out to his players only moments before the kickoff, “Be ready for surprise onside, surprise onside!”
Oak Harbor’s tricks turned into Squalicum treats as the short field resulted in the first of Schlenbaker’s three touchdown runs. He finished the game with 205 yards rushing on 22 carries. Senior running back Elliott Aslan also scored a touchdown before halftime.
In the third quarter, it was senior corner back Dedrick Mitchell that made the play of the game. He read the quarterback and receiver perfectly on a quick hitch pattern, broke on the ball, and intercepted it at full speed before taking it 62 yards for a touchdown. It was Mitchell’s second interception of the game, to go along with his team-high five receptions for 53 yards.
The Wildcats scored on two more passing touchdowns, and both were on 4th-and-goal plays.
The Storm defense, led by Bryson Lamb, Adam McCluskey and Cesar Vazquez, sacked the Oak Harbor quarterback six times, and held them to just 50 yards rushing on 33 carries.
The win allows Squalicum (6-2) to host Edmonds-Woodway (5-3) this Friday at Civic Stadium in a post-season crossover match up.
Oak Harbor 21
Squalicum 56
OH 7 7 0 7 – 21
SQU 21 14 14 7 – 56
SQU – Pennock 13 pass from Binning (Shrock kick)
SQU – Posey 10 pass from Binning (Shrock kick)
SQU – Owens 2 run (Shrock kick)
OH – 75 yard touchdown pass (kick good)
SQU – Schlenbaker 9 run (Shrock kick)
SQU – Aslan 16 run (Shrock kick)
OH – 9 yard touchdown pass (kick good)
SQU – Mitchell 62 interception return (Shrock kick)
SQU – Schlenbaker 28 run (Shrock kick)
OH – 10 yard touchdown pass (kick good)
SQU – Schlenbaker 26 run (Shrock kick)
OH SQU
33-50 Rushing Att-Yards 34-241
14-26-3 Comp-Att-Int 15-20-0
177 Passing yards 182
Individual Leaders
RUSHING – SQU: Schlenbaker 22-205, Aslan 4-23, Thompson 3-15, Mitchell 1-13, Owens 2-5, Nielsen 2-(-20). OH: N/A.
PASSING – SQU: Binning 15-20-0-182. OH: N/A.
RECEIVING – SQU: Mitchell 5-53, Pennock, 3-38, Posey 3-31, Vazquez 2-38, Jabbora 1-13, Schlenbaker 1-9. OH: N/A.
