Viking Football Overcomes Late Deficit, Beats Mead 52-49 in Playoff Shootout

Lake Stevens heads to third-seed Chiawana (Pasco) Saturday in WIAA State Quarterfinal action after Kolton Matson, Jayshon Limar engineer win for the record books

---

Editor’s Note: See below for box score, season stats, highlights and bracket updates.

LAKE STEVENS – Head Coach Tom Tri and the two-time returning Lake Stevens Vikings (8-3) pulled out all the stops in an instant-classic come-from-behind 52-49 playoff win over the Mead Panthers (9-2) last Saturday in a driving rainstorm at Lake Stevens Stadium. As a result, the Vikings’ attempt at a third-straight state championship continues Saturday in Pasco with a 1 pm kickoff at #3 seeded Chiawana.

Last Saturday against a touch Panther squad, the Vikings overcame a 42-28 fourth quarter deficit incurred via a negative two turnover margin and ultimately dispatched a strong Mead team that scored touchdowns on seven straight possessions, sandwiched on each side by a punt. Lake’s defense gave up a season-high 521 yards of total offense including 343 yards rushing but came up with a key third-down stop (courtesy of captain Keagan Howard) with 2:18 left in the game and the score tied 49-49. On third and two from their own 37, Mead dialed up an inside handoff that’d produced three touchdowns and two 40+ yard runs on the day. Howard recognized the formation and early action, diagnosed the play and jumped a gap into the backfield, dragging down the Panther ball-carrier for a three yard loss. Howard led the team with ten tackles on the day. 

j425live

A post shared by @j425live

In a decision likely to replay in Mead coach Keith Stamps’ mind over the years to come, the Panthers chose to punt. The Vikings took over at their own 13 yard line with 2:11 left and QB Kolton Matson and RB Jayshon Limar led the Viks on an  85-yard drive that ate up all but the final seven seconds, with junior kicker Lucas Mooring nailing a 21-yard field goal that put Lake up 52-49. After the ensuing kickoff and one play, it was over. 

The game started slow enough, with both teams punting after quick initial possessions. The Vikings kicked off the scoring on their second drive, with Kolton Matson converting a key fourth and three near midfield via a designed QB run, a trap that the senior signal caller turned into a 28-yard gain, slaloming through the Mead secondary at pace. Jayshon Limar finished the drive from one yard out with the first of his five rushing touchdowns. 

Mead quickly answered with a long drive finished with a 13-yard JJ Leman pass to WR Matt McShane. Lake Stevens answered in turn, moving across a short field and finishing with a nine yard Jayshon Limar TD run. 14-7, Vikings 5:00 2Q. 

The visiting Panthers then began to open up their big-play potential. Fullback Max Faagau took an inside handoff and galloped 60 yards for the score. 14-14 4:00 2Q. Lake Stevens once again drove the length of the field, but momentum switched in a moment that could’ve proved determinative when Matson was intercepted in the endzone by Mead’s All-Area safety Landon Thomas. Mead capitalized on the momentum shift with Leman hitting McShane on a 79-yard touchdown pass as the Panther wide receiver got behind the Viking corner for the first of three times on the afternoon. 

And that’s where things stood at halftime: Mead 21, Lake Stevens 14 with the rain and wind picking up pace. 

The Vikings received the ball to open the second half and Matson gave the champs the jolt they needed. On third and 12 from the Viks 45, Matson took the snap and saw his receivers covered and his outlet receiver blocked by an oncoming rusher. Reversing ground quickly, Matson darted through the Viking line and raced up the inside right seam of the Panther defense. An attempt to gain the first down quickly became much more, and soon Matson was in the endzone, flipping the ball over his shoulder to celebrate a career-long 55-yard touchdown run. Matson finished with 131 yards rushing on nine carries, and the score tied the game at 21.  

Mead’s torrent of big play strikes was just beginning, and before I could even post Matson’s run to X, Leman found McShane on another 69 yard touchdown pass, with the Panthers’ senior All League receiver slipping well behind the Viking cornerback. Mead 28, Lake Stevens 21, 8:00 3Q. Matson and the Viks answered with another measured drive, mixing run and pass. Limar hauled in two receptions covering 60 of the drive’s 78 yards and then plunged in from three yards out to put the Viks back even at 28 with 4:45 left in the third quarter. 

The Panther big play attack answered in three plays, with fullback Max Faagua taking that deadly inside handoff and racing 64 yards untouched up the right sideline for the touchdown.

Faagua had 123 yards on four carries. Three carries resulted in a total of 126 yards and three touchdowns. His final carry resulted in a loss of three, as mentioned in the lede. But after his 64-yard third quarter jaunt, the Panthers led 35-28 with 3:58 left in the 3rd quarter. Lake Stevens took over and quickly yielded another turnover, with sophomore QB-turned-WR Blake Moser taking the backwards pass and looking for Jayshon Limar downfield. The Viking back had a step but the ball was slightly underthrown and Panther safety Landon Thomas had his second interception of the day. Mead began grinding the ball back the other way, and as the third quarter ex[ired, the visitors led 35-28 and held the ball and momentum. 

As the fourth quarter opened, it seemed likely that something would have to change for the Viks to win.