Grant Engel let out a ferocious yell, pumping his fists toward the hundreds of Skyline faithful who traveled across the state to watch the Spartans play.
Finally, with 4 minutes left in the game, a Skyline defender wrangled Ferris’ slippery quarterback, Connor Halliday, and tossed him to the turf of Spokane’s Joe Albi Stadium — and it couldn’t have come at a more crucial time.
“We just had to make a play. And plus, I was a little mad at myself for not making any plays before,” said Engel, a 6-foot-1, 270-pound lineman. “When I do something good, I just love looking at my sideline because the fans are unbelievable. They get me fired up more than just me yelling.”
Engle’s clutch play — the Spartan’s only sack — forced the Saxons into one last unsuccessful fourth-and-16 heave down the field, and sealed a 24-21 state semifinal victory Saturday.
“This was a heck of a game,” said Skyline coach Mat Taylor. “That’s a dang good Ferris football team and they really made huge plays on our defense, which our kids aren’t used to. But at the same time, our kids held in check and we rallied there at the end of the game.”
The tight finish was indicative of the back-and-forth battle both teams waged from the opening kickoff. Skyline and Ferris exchanged the lead six times before the Spartans took the seventh and final advantage late in the third quarter.
Quarterback Jake Heaps, who struggled with his control early, caught fire late. He connected with Gino Simone on a 9-yard slant for a touchdown and the go-ahead score with 1:09 left in the third.
“Coach put us in a good position to make a play, and Jake just delivered the ball. It was just about getting over the goal line then,” Simone said.
Heaps ended the afternoon completing 21 of 37 passes for 260 yards and two TDs. He also carried the ball 10 times for 33 yards and one touchdown.
Ferris asserted itself early in the second half with a marathon drive. The Saxons ate up the first 8 minutes, 25 seconds of the third quarter before fullback Nathan Tonani ran 8 yards, untouched, for a score. The touchdown came on Ferris’ 18th play. The Saxsons converted five third-downs and once on fourth down, en route to their 21-17 lead.
Skyline snagged a 17-14 advantage with 34 seconds remaining in the first half when Heaps connected with sophomore Kasen Williams on a perfectly timed 13-yard pass to the front right corner of the end zone. Williams extended both arms, and dragged one foot in bounds for the touchdown.
The Saxons jumped out to a 14-10 lead in the second quarter when Halliday connected with Aaron Roberts on a 68-yard pass. Running back Garrett Salki finished a three-play, 45-second drive with a 4-yard TD run.
Skyline led 10-7 after Heaps ran in a 15-yard score on the first play of the second half. Ferris went up 7-3 when Halliday hit Roberts on a 4-yard fade route. Halliday completed 19 of 30 passes for 226 yards, but had three interceptions.
Skyline kicker Brian Schwartz provided the Spartans with the game’s first lead, booting a 26-yard field goal through the uprights at the 6:32 mark of the first quarter.
Running back Joey Evans came up big in the contest, delivering his second highest rushing output of the season, with 17 carries for 91 yards. He also had four catches for 71 yards. The senior suffered an injury in last week’s game, and his only carry resulted in a fumble and a safety for Auburn.
“It gave me the motivation to just come back and run as hard as I could and just give my all,” Evans said. “I wasn’t going to walk off the field without feeling I gave everything I got.”
Skyline racked up 421 total yards. Ferris had 278, and only 52 on the ground.
The victory improved Skyline’s record to 13-0 overall. The Spartans will face rival Issaquah at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 5 in battle for the 4A state championship.
“There’s been lots of stress this year,” said Taylor, displaying a large smile. “The expectation has always been to get back here, which it should have been. Now we’re back here in the championship and these kids are ready.”
