Eastlake locks up No. 3 spot in KingCo Crest, hosts Roosevelt

The Eastlake Wolves secured the third spot in the Crest division football standings Friday, beating Garfield 56-20 on the road.

The Eastlake Wolves secured the third spot in the Crest division football standings Friday, beating Garfield 56-20 on the road.

The Bulldogs kept the contest close through one quarter, knotting the score at 14-14. Eastlake rattled off 28 unanswered points in the second and third quarters to pull away.

Running back Stephen Nasca rushed for four TDs, and quarterback Drake Furcini ran for a touchdown and passed for another. Kelby McCorkle rushed for a TD, and receiver Paul Wright caught a pass for a touchdown and intercepted another for a score.

Eastlake wrapped up its regular season with a 3-2 league record and 5-3 overall record.

Skyline routes Redmond

Skyline cruised to another big victory Friday, beating Redmond 41-6.

Junior quarterback Jake Heaps passed for 271 yards and four touchdowns — all in the first half.

He connected on an 84-yarder to Gino Simone, a 36-yarder to Jake Knecht, and passes of 38 and 13 yards to Kasen Williams. Nick Washburn added a 32-yard run for a touchdown, and Brian Schwartz booted two field goals through the uprights to round out the scoring.

The Spartans’ first-team defense held the Mustangs scoreless, as Redmond’s only score came on a 2-yard run from quarterback David Gilbertson in the third quarter. Skyline outscored opponents 337-14 in eight regular-season games, going 5-0 in league and 8-0 overall. The Spartans hosted Bothell last night in the KingCo 4A championship game and will begin the playoffs next Friday or Saturday.

EC tuned up

for Metro title

Marion Bactol returned two punts for touchdowns, and the Eastside Catholic defense earned a touchdown and safety, as the Crusaders cruised to a 37-2 victory over Seattle Prep Thursday night.

Bactol, who has five kick returns for touchdowns this season, busted loose for a 71-yard score with 5:53 to go in the first half. He added a 65-yard return for a TD with 1:50 left in the second quarter.

Zach McKiernan recovered a fumble in the end zone, and Tommy Boguch recorded a safety.

Kellen Matsuno and Mike Bush added first-quarter rushing touchdowns as the Crusaders jumped out to a 37-0 halftime lead. Eastside Catholic totaled 203 total rushing yards, led by Bush, who had nine carries for 79 yards.

Seattle Prep got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter when EC punter Trevor Moshier recovered his own blocked punt in the end zone and threw it away. He was called for intentional grounding on the play, and a safety was awarded to the Panthers.

Eastside Catholic ended its regular season at 5-0 in the Metro Mountain Division and 7-1 overall. The Crusaders will face West Seattle in the Metro Championship. The game will take place at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Seattle’s Memorial Stadium.

Eastlake vs. Roosevelt

Kickoff: 7 p.m. tonight at EHS

Quick look: Roosevelt evenly distributes the ball on offense by running and throwing the ball. Running back Kalliy Ceesay has more than 800 yards rushing, and quarterback Nick Foster has thrown for more than 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Rough Riders. Roosevelt finished fourth place in the KingCo Crown, with a 2-3 league and 5-3 overall record.

Prediction: Eastlake competes in a much tougher KingCo Crest division, finishing with a 3-2 league and 5-3 overall record. The two teams share two common opponents in Garfield and Woodinville. Both earned big wins over Garfield, but Eastlake played a much closer game in a 10-7 overtime loss to Woodinville. The Rough Riders lost 42-13 to the Falcons. Final score: 35-10 Eastlake.

Eastside Catholic vs. West Seattle

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. tonight at Seattle’s Memorial Stadium

Quick look: West Seattle (6-0, 8-0) focuses heavily on the run behind running back T.J. Lee. The senior has rushed for more than 1,000 yards, and has 18 touchdowns. Eastside Catholic also brings a strong running attack behind the duo of Mike Bush and Marion Bactol. The two have combined for more than 1,200 yards this season.

Prediction: This should be a back-and-forth contest. Both teams beat Metro powerhouse O’Dea this season — the first time in 15 years for Eastside Catholic and the first time ever for West Seattle. It will be close, but the Crusaders have more experience in tight games. Final score: 28-24 Eastside Catholic.