Issaquah senior quarterback Ryan Bergman had the performance of his career Friday night, passing for 494 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions as the Eagles cruised past Redmond, 40-7.

Bergman, who completed 26 of his 35 attempts, found junior wide receiver Evan Peterson 11 times for 266 yards and four touchdowns.

“They wanted to bring the heat on every single play,” said Issaquah head coach Christ Bennett, of Redmond’s defense. “It was just kind of like playing at recess. All you had to do is beat your defender and catch the ball.”

He said the defense got to Bergman on several occasions, but the 6-foot-2, 170 pound quarterback showed poise.

“He took some shots, but he was able to hang in there and make the throws,” Bennett said.

Issaquah trailed 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, but rattled off 40 unanswered points, taking a 12-7 lead to halftime.

Senior running back Grant Gellatly, who has missed most of the season with injuries to both hamstrings, got in five plays Friday, carrying the ball two times for 8 yards. He continued to struggle with hamstring problems, however, pulling up short on a 30-plus yard run that was eventually called back because of a holding penalty. Bennett said it’s when he tries to kick it into an extra gear that he has the most problems. He’s listed as day to day, but is expected to play for Issaquah (3-0, 4-2) when the Eagles face rival Skyline (3-0, 5-1) this Friday.

“These kind of games are why you play,” Bennett said. “They’re why you lift all those weights and run.”

The winner of Friday’s game will be in a prime position to claim the No. 1 seed in the KingCo Crest, which guarantees a shot at the KingCo title, and a spot in the state-qualifying round of the 4A playoffs.

“We know what’s on the line,” Bennett said. “Just the rivalry alone — it will be a crazy atmosphere.”

The game kicks off at 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 16 at SHS.