VIKINGS DEFEND TITLE IN 31-6 CHAMPIONSHIP WIN
Video highlights, Mike Anderton’s game recap, box score, season stats and parade information
By Mike Anderton
HUSKY STADIUM - Poise. Smarts. Execution. Balance. Camaraderie. Experience. Talent. Coaching.
These are some of the key ingredients in Lake's drive to a second straight 4A football championship.
The Vikings, unabashedly aiming since September for another title this season, mowed down all opposition in pursuit of that goal and in doing so made one of the most overwhelming title runs in State history.
Lake's 31-6 takedown of previously unbeaten G-K at Husky Stadium last Saturday night was actually Lake's closest game in its five-game title run and the six points surrendered by the Vikings were the first and only points by any opponent in the first half of any game during the run.
G-K proved to be a worthy opponent at the outset, After Lucas Mooring's 27-yard field goal gave Lake a 3-0 lead at 8:46 of the first quarter (a drive featuring runs of 11 and 14 yards by Talha Rai and Jayshon Limar, Kolton Matson's 16-yard pass to Paul Varela and Matson's 19-yard keeper) G-K answered with a 78-yard, nine-play TD drive.
That drive was highlighted by G-K quarterback Daveon Superales in a virtual one-man show accounting for virtually all of those 78 yards, rushing and passing. His two-yard TD run with 39 seconds in the quarter would prove to be the only (and last) time Lake faced a deficit in the entire Playoffs. The score remained at 6-3 when Aidan Skolrud's PAT kicked crashed into the crossbar.
Lake went ahead to stay at 10:11 of the second quarter via a 74-yard, eight-play drive which saw Limar's 13-yard run, David Brown's nifty reception of a Matson sideline pass for 17 yards and Matson-to-Jesse Lewis for a 25-yard TD. 10-6.
Matson's 45-yard TD pass to wide open Paul Varela boosted Lake's lead to 17-6 just 25 seconds before halftime.
Lake added two more touchdowns in the second half but most impressive of all was the Viking defense holding the Eagles scoreless despite Superales' relentless passing onslaught. G-K advanced into Viking territory several times in the second half but Lake's line and secondary denied Superales the end zone in every case.
Matson added two more TD passes in the second half, tying Max Browne of Skyline for the all-time 4A championship game record. Matson's four TDs gave him 49 for the season, an all-time single-season Viking record (and Matson is a Junior!).
Matson's third TD pass of the game was a 62-yard thriller to Jesse Lewis (after Matson had been sacked on the previous play).
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Video Highlight from State Championship Game
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Matson's final TD of the game, with 31 seconds left in the third quarter, was a three-yarder to David Brown, Brown's 19th TD reception from Matson this season (he scored 21 TDs overall this season and was robbed of a 22nd when his 55-yard pick six was negated by a Viking penalty midway in the fourth quarter).
Matson went 13 of 25 (no interceptions) for 231 yards and the four scores.
Superales' set a title game record of his own -- 48 passes! Of which 29 were completed for 283 yards but nary a TD.
Lake's other interception was by Gabe Kylany who also registered a team-high 15 tackles. Lake pursuit was ferocious throughout.
Other Vikings high on the tackle list were Keagan Howard 13, Mason Turner 10, Steven Lee Jr. 9, Jesse Lewis 9, David Brown 8, Esteban Sedano and Gage Solomon with 7 each. Sedano and Turner each recorded a quarterback sack.
See below for box score and season stats.
Viking Football News and Notes
Parade Saturday
The State Champions will be celebrated with a parade through Lake Stevens this Saturday beginning at 10 am at Lundeen Park. See above for route and press release.
Matson Rated Top QB in State for 2025
The Vikings’ junior QB Kolton Matson is rated the top quarterback in the state of Washington for the Class of 2025, per 247 Sports’ recent rankings update. Kolton is now ranked 13th overall in the state for his class. 247’s National Recruiting Editor Brandon Huffman evaluated Matson at Lake Stevens’ running clock dismantling of Kennedy Catholic in the state semis.
Matson threw for 298 yards and 4 TDs in the first half.
The three star designation Huffman bestowed on Matson indicates that he’s viewed as “a capable starter for a Power 5 team and an impact player for a Group of 5 team,” per 247’s definitions.
Huffman, a Washingtonian and a fixture in PNW prep football, has evaluated high school players for approaching 25 years.
In addition to serving as 247Sports’ national recruiting editor, he sits on its nine-person committee, which assigns stars and also defends them.
“We are basically betting on the physical and mental development of these kids and how they will project as a potential NFL player four or five years later,” Huffman told the Deseret News.
“We have made a lot them household names in our daily coverage. Some have handled it well and some haven’t. It’s a projection and you are blindly doing it with no understanding of how this player is going to develop. But it’s an ongoing projection that can change as they grow older.”
Huffman’s update on Matson says the Viking signal caller is receiving interest from Washington State, Washington and Eastern Washington. J425 can confirm Idaho, Oregon State and Oregon are monitoring Matson as well.
In other recruiting news, Viking RB Jayshon Limar comes in at 7th overall in the state and is the top running back in his class. According to 247, Jayshon has at least eight major offers from schools including Oregon and Notre Dame.
Other Vikings to receive stars in the 247 update include the following two star 2024 athletes: WR/DB Jesse Lewis, DB Steven Lee, DE Bryce Slezak and WR/DB David Brown. Lewis received a pair of scholarship offers after his star turn in the state title game (4 rec 106 yards 2 TD).
Slezak, Brown, Lee, Jaxson Lewis and Mason Turner have all received at least one football scholarship offer to date. - News and notes compiled by KTH
BOX SCORE - LAKE STEVENS VS. GRAHAM-KAPOWSIN
HUSKY STADIUM 12-2-23
RUSH C G L NET AVG TD
Limar 18 95 2 93 5.2
Matson 5 43 9 34 6.8
Rau 6 25 4 21 3.5
Varela 1 0 1 -1 -l.0
Lee 1 0 3 -3 -3.0
kneeldown 1 0 2 -2 ----
LS 32 163 21 142 4.4 0
GK 34 126 9 117 3.5 1
PASS
Matson 13-25-0 52% 231 YDS 4 TD
GK 29-48-2 60% 283 YDS 0 TD
RECEIVING # YDS AVG TD
Jesse Lewis 4 103 25.8 2
Varela 3 70 23.3 1
Brown 3 27 9.0 1
Jaxson Lewis 2 30 10.0
Limar 1 1 1.0
LS 13 231 17.9 4
GK 29 283 9.8 0
FIELD GOAL
Mooring 27 Good
PUNTING
Matson 30, 60, 48 = 46.0 AVG
INTERCEPTIONS (2)
D. Brown 1
Kylany 1
FIRST DOWNS
LS 20
GK 18
PENALTIES
LS 5 For 37 YDS
GK 11 For 115 YDS
SCORING TD PAT 1 FG TOTAL
Jesse Lewis 2 12
Mooring 4/4 1/1 7
Varela 1 6
D. Brown 1 6
LS 4 4/4 1/1 31
GK 1 0/1 6
LS 3 14 14 0 -- 31
GK 6 0 0 0 -- 6
TACKLES (For Loss or No Gain; Includes Shared Tackes)
Kylany 15
Howard 13 (1)
Turner 10 (2)
Lee 9
Jesse Lewis 9
D. Brown 8 (1)
Sedano 7 (1)
Solomon 7
Slezak 3
Waxham 3
Varela 2
Jaxson Lewis 2
#10 2
Boileau 1
Ramsey 1
Lynch 1
Burks 1
Daugherty 1
Price 1
Total 96 (4)
QB SACKS (2)
Sedano 1
Turner 1
Vs. LS 1
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