With a 6-0 win in a shortened half of play at Silverdale Stadium, Port Angeles’ Roughriders have ended Sequim’s season Tuesday evening.
Sequim needed to knock off both Port Angeles and Kingston Tuesday night in a pair of tiebreakers to advance to the West Central District tournament, but — for the second time this season — Port Angeles was six points better than their Olympic Peninsula rivals.
Roughrider Nathan Angevine scored the only touchdown on a 1-yard run with 4:14 remaining.
Sequim had chances to even the score, but the Wolves’ first drive ended when quarterback Miguel Moroles was intercepted by Caleb West.
Sequim’s final drive was set up by a 49-yard punt return by Gavin Velarde, but on a fourth downMoroles fumbled and the ball was recovered by Kris Seierup at the 37-yard line with 34 seconds remaining.
Kingston advanced to districts following a 7-0 win against Port Angeles in the tiebreaker nightcap, scoring with just 44 seconds to go in the tiebreaker-shortened half.
A three-way tie for the league’s fourth and final berth to districts forced Tuesday’s three-way tiebreaker.
Knights edge Wolves in thriller
On Oct. 30, Sequim’s football team was hoping for a victory and to add extra time to their season.
The Wolves got the extra time, but not in the way they intended.
A penalty and an ensuing missed extra point proved the difference in Sequim’s 14-13 loss to the visiting Bremerton Knights Thursday.
Sequim could have secured a playoff spot with a win and, with Port Angeles’ loss, eliminated both teams in the aforementioned tiebreaker, but wet conditions and a resilient Bremerton defense kept the Wolves from the win column.
The Wolves and Knights battled to a sloppy, scoreless first quarter that featured two Knights fumbles and a Sequim turnover on downs. In the second quarter, after forcing a Bremerton punt with five minutes until halftime, Sequim fumbled on its own 5-yard-line, setting up Calvin Cardwell’s 3-yard scoring plunge with 3:51 left in the half.
Bremerton looked to add to their 7-0 lead when quarterback Connor Mahoney ran into the end zone from 32 yards out on the Knights’ next possession, but an inadvertent whistle brought the play back and Sequim’s defense forced a Bremerton punt.
Down 7-0, Sequim got the equalizer on their second possession of the second half when quarterback Miguel Moroles found lanky wide receiver Bailey Earley from 35 yards out. The 6-foot 4-inch Earley leapt over a Knight defender to help knot the game at 7-7.
“That corner was playing good some good coverage,” Earley said, “but (the play) worked.”
Bremerton responded immediately, as Cardwell and Mahoney maneuvered the Knights downfield. On third-down-and-12, Mahoney passed an open Ty Haley from 37 yards out for a touchdown and 14-7 Bremerton lead a minute into the fourth quarter.
After the teams traded punts, Sequim mounted a 10-play drive capped by a Moroles-to-Earley 5-yard fade pass into the end zone with just two minutes in regulation. However, Sequim was called for snapping the ball too early on the extra point and SHS kicker Adrian Espinoza’s effort from 22 yards out in a downpour was wide. Bremerton clung to a 14-13 lead.
Bremerton looked to run out the clock, but Sequim’s defense forced a three-and-out. Starting from their own 15-yard line, the Wolves mounted one last comeback, ignited by a Moroles-to-Earley 42-yard pass play. After a penalty and two incompletions, Moroles once again found Earley for another 44 yards.
Following a 10-yard Sequim penalty, the Wolves lined up for a 46-yard field goal try. Espinoza slipped on the kick and the attempt fell well short and wide right.
“Really frustrating,” Earley said of the loss. “There were a lot of little things we could have done better.”
Moroles finished 14-of-22 for 204 yards and added 21 yards on the ground. Early had 140 yards on five receptions and Stamper led the Wolves with 56 rushing yards.
Caldwell led all rushers with 166 yards on 24 carries, including a 50-yard scamper on the game’s opening play. Mahoney was 3-of-7 passing.
