Rogers ends Viking football season, 55-14

By Mike Anderton
Journal Contributing Writer
Lake Stevens' records-strewn football season came to its end at Puyallup's Sparks Stadium on Nov. 8 where Rogers (Puyallup) rolled to a 55-14 win in the opening of the State Football Playoffs.

Lake, which finished 6-4, had hoped to outduel Rogers (9-1, South Puget Sound League co-champions) in a shootout, instead was shot down by the Rams' superior versatility.  The Vikings surrendered touchdowns via turnovers and by special teams and could not halt the Rams' big-play offense. 

Lake was outgained by only 335-324, and piled up 20 first downs to Rogers' 13, but its potent passing game was kept off-balance all evening.  Rogers did a great job of pressuring Nick Baker and covering his receivers. 

Baker was sacked 6 times and although he did pile up 208 yards through the air he completed just 18 of 38 passes and was intercepted 3 times, two of them resulting in long touchdown returns.

For the second straight week the Vikings' opponent didn't need to launch a single punt. 

Key to Lake's hopes in this game was grabbing an early lead but that wasn't in the cards when Rogers' Wes McCann, after falling to the ground just before getting up to grab the opening kickoff, suddenly found himself free to run 93 yards up the left sideline untouched for a touchdown.  McCann's fall seemed to "freeze" the Viking defenders, many of whom apparently assumed he was down at that point.  Sean Tollen's PAT kick gave Rogers the lead 7-0, just 15 seconds into the game.

It got worse from there.
Baker was sacked on Lake's first offensive play of the game, leading to a Viking punt to the Rogers 8.   Ten plays later, the Rams were in the end zone again.  Consecutive completions of 13 and 16 yards by quarterback Tyler Van Sligtenhorst to Jake Steedman fueled the drive, which was finished by Von Sligtenhorsts' one-yard plunge.

Three plays into Lake's subsequent possession Van Sligtenhorst snared a Baker pass and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown.   21-0, with 3:48 left in the first quarter.

Lake had twice overcome 21-point deficits this season, but not against a team the caliber of Rogers.  But the Vikings seemed to be on the comeback trail when they drove 53 yards in seven plays midway through the second quarter.  Bo Dickinson made a great cutback though a big hole provided by the Viking line to gain 25 yards to the Rogers six and two plays later he scored a diving touchdown from the two.  Arvid Isaksen's PAT made it 21-7 with 7:03 left in the half.

Rogers put an end to hopes of a Viking rally when on its first play after the kickoff Van Sligtenhorst hit Steedman for a short completion which the latter took all the way for a 72-yard touchdown, breaking tackles along the way.

McCann's interception set up another Rogers touchdown shortly after that, leading to Terrence Stubblefield's 30-yard run on a pitchout.
Lake rallied to score a touchdown late in the half, on a 71-yard, eight-play drive capped by Baker's 48-yard scoring pass to Colton Tupen, the latter wrestling the ball away from two Rogers defenders.

Rogers poured it on in the second half.  Van Sligtenhorst's 35-yard pass to Steedman (Rogers' only pass of the second half) set up the quarterback's one-yard touchdown on the Rams' first possession after intermission.

DeShawn Saxton's 65-yard return of a Baker interception made it 48-14 with 7:47 left in the third quarter.

Rogers' final TD came at 4:42 of the fourth quarter, on Bennett Bontemps' 60-yard run.

Lake had two drives stopped on downs deep in Rogers’ territory late in the game.

Bo Dickinson ended his fine Viking career with another good outing, gaining 70 yards in 11 carries, together with three receptions for 25 yards. 

Tupen polished off his season and career with seven catches for 101 yards, adding to his Viking records for catches and yards gained in a single season.

Baker's 208 yards gave him 2785 for the season and his touchdown pass was number 30, both marks obliterating the old records.

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