GRAHAM-KAPOWSIN CRUSHES VIKINGS' TITLE HOPES 44-7

Lake Stevens captures eighth straight league title and 50th consecutive Wesco win in supremely satisfying 11-1 season

The 11-1 Vikings aren’t state champions, but they definitely burned the boats and left it all out on the field in a supremely satisfying 2021 campaign. Photo art by KTH/J425

Lake Stevens couldn't contain Graham-Kapowsin's monster line in the football 4A State Championship game at Tacoma's Mt. Tahoma High School last Saturday, losing 44-7.

The Vikings finished the season 11-1, G-K 14-0.

Lake was a heavy underdog and was playing without its star quarterback Grayson Murren (injured near the end of the previous week's victory vs. Eastlake in which he completed 35 passes), yet the Vikings had survived Murren's absence before and had always been able to come up with whatever it took to win.

Not this time.  G-K's massive line (equal in size to some college teams) punished Lake all game long, along with its stable of hard-running backs and run/pass quarterback threat Joshua Wood.

Lake held tough for much of the first half but inevitably succumbed to G-K's sheer power, worn down by 62 Eagle rushing tries netting an astonishing 524 yards.

The Vikings may well have put more points on the board had Murren played but freshman Kolton Matson competed bravely under extreme fire, gaining valuable experience towards next year, when Lake, loaded with underclass talent, fully expects to once again compete for a state title (as, for that matter, does G-K, which likewise will be awash in returning talent).

Scores by quarter were 7-0, 24-7, 38-7, 44-7.

There were a few Viking high points.  Lake halted G-K's initial drive when a spectacular tackle by Joe McGinnis nailed Wood on fourth down on the Viking 10, a yard short of a first down.

And, 2:14 before halftime, Lake drove 45 yards in 10 plays to cut GK's lead to 21-7 on Matson's five-yard TD pass to Trayce Hanks.

But that was about it for the Vikings.  GK's ground attack of Jalen Davenport, Zack Lee, Michael Toa and Wood was simply unstoppable.  

But Lake did try, as attests the number of tackles made by its game if outmanned defense.  Drew Carter contributed 18 tackles, Madison Wynkoop 15,  McGinnis 10, Ashten Hendrickson 9, Curtis Vilicana 8.  

Heavy rain, near-freezing temperatures and awful traffic on the way to the game didn't deter Viking fans (the stadium was packed equally with each school's rooters) from cheering their team mightily at game's end.  When it was over, second in State is plenty to be proud of!

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SCHEDULE   & RESULTS

*Non-League **Wesco 4A ***State Playoffs)

Eastlake* (Canceled Covid)

@Mt. Si* (Canceled Covid)

LS 20 @O'Dea 3*

LS 49 Archbishop Murphy 14*

LS 40 @Snohomish 6*

LS 56 Mariner 7**

LS 91 @Jackson 6**

LS 35 Kamiak 28**

LS 34 @Glacier Peak 28** 

LS 63 Emerald Ridge 21***

LS 52 Richland 7***

LS 35 Gonzaga Prep 14***

LS 45 Eastlake 28*** (@Pop Keeney Bothell)

LS 7 Graham-Kapowsin 44*** (State Championship @Mt. Tahoma Tacoma)

8 Consecutive Wesco Titles, 50 Straight Wesco Wins

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Complete Season Stats

LAKE STEVENS FINAL 12-GAME FOOTBALL STATS (FALL 2021)

RUSH                   C     G       L     NET   AVG  TD

Jayden Limar    208  1582   33   1549    7.4    20

Hanks                  58    643    23    623   10.7     7

Jayshon Limar   89    576    15     561    6.3    12

Carter                    9      96      0      96    10.7    1

Moser                    9      39      5      34      3.8

Bryce Slezak        1        7       0       7       7.0

Murren                  4      15       8       7       1.8

Matson                  2       6        0       6       3.0

Olson                    2        6       0       6       3.0

Sedano                  2       5       0       5        2.5

Brown                    3       7       2       5        1.7

Vinayak                  1       1       0       1        1.0

bad pitch                1       0     12    -12        ---

kneeldowns            4       0     19    -19       ---

LaPlaunt                  3      0      36    -36    -12.0

LS                         396  2983  153  2830     7.1    40

Opp.                      428  2063  281  1782     4.1    18

PASS

Murren           117-160-3   73%   1856 YDS   20 TD

Matson            32-  43-1    74%    506  YDS    6  TD

LaPlaunt           9-  13-2    69%     131 YDS     2  TD

LS                  158-216-6    73%   2493  YDS   28  TD

Opp.               100-200-12  50%   1497  YDS   11  TD

RECEIVING           #     YDS     AVG     TD

Carter                   68    1135      16.7     15

Hanks                   41      625      15.2      7

Jayden Limar       24      369      15.4      4

Redford                11      154       14.0      1

Becker                    6      139       23.2      1

Braham                   2       35        17.5

Easterling               2       11          5.5

Jaxson Lewis         1       15        15.0

Belong-Banks        1         5          5.0

Brown                     1         3          3.0

Vinayak                   1         2          2.0

LS                         158    2493      15.8     28

Opp.                      100    1497      15.0     11

INTERCEPTIONS (12)

Hanks                   4 (One for 61-YD TD Return)

Redford                3 (One for 29-YD Return)

Carter                   1 (21-YD Return)

Easterling            1 (15-YD TD Return)

Jaxson Lewis       1 (5-YD TD Return)

Belong-Banks      1

Wynkoop              1

FUMBLES RECOVERED (9)

Becker                 2

Perkins                2

Carter                  1 (35-YD Return)

Grant Lynch        1

Hendrickson       1

Easterling            1

Wynkoop             1

FUMBLES LOST (2)

Hanks                  1

Perkins                1

ONSIDES KICKOFF RECOVERIES (2)

Carter                  1

Flanders              1

KICKOFF RETURN TD

Jayden Limar     95 YDS

PUNT RETURN TDS (2)

Hanks                 61 YDS, 57 YDS

OFFENSIVE FUMBLE RECOVERY IN E.Z. FOR TD

Avery

FIELD GOALS

LS     (2/3) Flanders 23 Good, 37 Good, 28 No Good

Opp.  (2/3)  29 Good, 30 No Good, 31 Good

2-POINT CONVERSIONS

LS   (1/2)   LaPlaunt Pass No Good, Jayshon Limar Run Good

Opp. (1/4)  Pass Good, Run No Good, Run No Good, Run No Good

PUNTS

Easterling        8 For 288 YDS = 36.0 AVG (Plus One Blocked)

Murren             5 For 251 YDS = 50.2 AVG

LS                   13 For 539 YDS = 41.5 AVG (Plus One Blocked)

FIRST DOWNS

LS     237 (19.8 AVG)

Opp.  174 (14.5 AVG)

PENALTIES

LS      74 For 678 YDS (56.5 AVG)

Opp.  47 For 396 YDS (33.0 AVG)

SCORING            TD    PAT1    PAT2    FG    TOTAL

Jayden Limar      24                                          144

Hanks                  18                                           108

Carter                   16                                            96

Flanders                       69/73                2/3          75

Jayshon Limar    12                     1                      74

Becker                   1                                               6

Jaxson Lewis        1                                               6

Easterling              1                                               6

Avery                      1                                               6

Redford                  1                                               6

LS                          75    69/73      1/2      2/3         527

Opp.                      29     24/25      1/4      2/3         206

LS      139 177 105 106 -- 527 (43.9 AVG)

Opp.    24  114   35   33 -- 206 (17.2 AVG)

TACKLES (For Loss or No Gain)

Wynkoop             137 (21)

Carter                    93 (10)

McGinnis               91 (8)

Easterling              84 (6)

Perkins                  82 (9)

Hendrickson         61 (13)

Becker                   59 (8)

Hanks                    54 (4)

Dylan Slezak         53 (16)

Kaile                      51 (5)

Vilicana                 48 (3)

Redford                 44 (4)

Brown                    26 (4)

Belong-Banks       26 (1)

Turner                    25 (6)

Lee                         18 (1)

Grant Lynch          16 (3)

Jayden Limar        14 (3)

Bryce Slezak         14 (3)

Jaxson Lewis        13

Williams                 13

Avery                      11 (2)

Jayshon Limar       11

Waxham                   6 (3)

Cody Lynch             5

Jesse Lewis             4 (1)

McMillin                    3 (1)

Ingram                      3

Grose                        2

Murren                      2

Flanders                   2

Gavin                        2

Vinayak                     2

Olson                        1 (1)

Davis                         1

Tautolo                      1

Kylany                       1

Weber                        1

TOTAL                  1080 (136)

TOTAL YARDS

              RUSH        +        PASS         =       TOTAL

LS     2830 (235.9)   +   2493 (207.8)   =   5323 (435.7)

Opp.  1782 (148.5)   +   1497 (124.8)   =   3279 (273.3)

YARDS PER PLAY (TOTAL OFFENSE)

LS      8.7

Opp.   5.2