NEAH BAY — Late in the fourth quarter, Neah Bay’s Cole Svec and Josh Monette teamed up to drop Lummi’s Devin Cooper for an 8-yard loss, turning a third-and-goal from the 2-yard line into a third-and-goal from the 10.
One play later, the Red Devils forced a 3-yard loss and a turnover on downs with three minutes to play to preserve their 38-26 victory and wipe out Lummi’s comeback hopes.
Wait, what?
Neah Bay was preserving a win?
It’s been awhile since the defending champion Red Devils were forced to play a full four quarters, dating back to a last-second loss to Liberty Christian in the 2012 state championship game.
“That’s what fired us up is that it was fun for once. We had to go all four quarters, literally to the last defensive series,” Neah Bay senior John Reamer said following Friday night’s win.
“And we stuck through it. I mean, we were tired, you could tell we were tired. It’s been a long time since we’ve played a full four quarters, but we stuck it out and I’m proud of us for that.”
After trailing 20-18 at halftime, top-ranked Neah Bay outscored fourth-ranked Lummi 20-6 over the final two quarters.
The Red Devils, who jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first quarter, quickly took back the lead in the third, and took it back for good.
On the first play from scrimmage after intermission, sophomore quarterback Cameron Buzzell hooked up with Chris Martinez for a 61-yard touchdown pass and a 24-20 advantage.
Then Neah Bay’s defense added a cushion.
On the second play of the ensuing drive, Lummi quarterback Hank Hoskins threw a pass amid a collapsing Red Devils pass rush.
Reamer swatted the ball and it bounced in the direction of teammate Tommy Tyler, who caught it and ran 32 yards to the end zone to extend Neah Bay’s lead to 30-20.
But as they did all game, the Blackhawks responded.
Willie Jones made a slick one-handed catch for a 47-yard gain down to the Neah Bay 9, and Hoskins finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run.
The Red Devils punted and Hoskins led Lummi back into Neah Bay territory, but the Red Devils’ defense held on fourth down to take the ball back.
On the next play, Neah Bay fullback Elisha Winck took a simple run up the middle 70 yards for a touchdown.
“Some big breakdowns on defense,” Lummi coach Jim Sandusky said, adding that his team had the same problem last week in its loss to Adrian, Ore.
“I think we gave up three really long [plays] in this game. And you just can’t do that.
“Everybody has an assignment and if a guy breaks down and they’re going to that spot, it’s going to hurt you.
“And that’s what happened — where we broke down was the worst place you could break down.”
The Red Devils added their only successful two-point conversion of the game to take a 38-26 lead.
Neah Bay’s defense stuffed Lummi the rest of the way with an interception by Svec and two turnovers on downs.
“Our defense really camp to play there at the end when they got more possessions than we did and we shut them down. I was real happy with that,” Neah Bay coach Tony McCaulley said.
“Offensively, we’ve still got a lot of work to do. We did enough tonight, but our defense, I think, shined more tonight. I’ve got to give them credit on that side of the ball.”
The Red Devils won their sixth straight against Lummi, dating back to 2011.
In many of those games, Neah Bay has jumped out to a big lead and then had the luxury of coasting to victory.
Early on, Friday’s game looked like it might be another easy one.
Buzzell handed off to Svec on Neah Bay’s first six plays from scrimmage. On the seventh play, Buzzell ran in from 14 yards out.
The Red Devils’ second drive started with a 46-yard pass from Buzzell to Martinez. Martinez fumbled near the goal line, but recovered it at the 1-yard line.
Winck ran it in on the next play for the 12-0 lead.
Early in the second quarter, Svec appeared to be stopped for a loss, but he spun away from the tackler then ran left to right across the field for a 36-yard score and an 18-6 lead.
“Just reacting,” Svec, who finished with 130 yards on 28 carries, said of the play. “Just reacting, man.”
Lummi scored the next 14 points, a 1-yard run by Hoskins and a 51-yard pass play from Hoskins to Devin Cooper, to take the 20-18 lead into halftime.
The two teams meet again next month in Bellingham for what will be a Northwest Football League game, and both coaches expect their teams will be better.
“I told these guys at the start of the season, these first three or four games, we’re trying to fit guys in in the best spot for us,” Sandusky said.
“We may not win the first two, three games . . . because I want to see some guys in some different spots, and that’s where we’re going to practice right now. If we have to change, we will.”
McCaulley is happy with the win and his team’s 2-0 start to the season, but sees room for improvement.
“We’ve got a lot of stuff to work on, so do they,” McCaulley said, referring to Lummi.
“We’re playing pretty tough. We’re a long ways away — I don’t think we’re the No. 1 team in the state, by any means — but I think we’re playing well.
“Win or lose, this was a good game to see where everybody’s at, and we like it.”
Neah Bay (2-0) hosts Taholah this Friday.
Neah Bay 38, Lummi 26
Lummi 6 14 6 0— 26
Neah Bay 12 6 20 0— 38
First Quarter
N—Buzzell 14 run (pass failed)
N—Winck 1 run (pass failed)
L—Hoskins 20 run (pass failed)
Second Quarter
N—Svec 36 run (pass failed)
L—Hoskins 1 run (Brockie pass from Hoskins)
L—Cooper 51 pass from Hoskins (pass failed)
Third Quarter
N—Martinez 61 pass from Buzzell (run failed)
N—Tyler 32 interception return (pass failed)
L—Hoskins 3 run (run failed)
N—Winck 70 run (Reamer pass from Buzzell)
Individual Stats
Rushing— L: Hoskins 17-112, Cooper 7-32, Austin Brockie 3-12. N: Svec 28-130, Winck 7-80, Buzzell 8-54.
Passing—L: Hoskins 12-30-1-213, Brockie 2-3-0-37. N: Buzzell 3-10-1, 110; Svec 0-1.
Receiving—L: Cooper 4-89, Williams 5-66, Jones 4-62, Brockie 2-9. N: Martinez 2-107; Reamer 1-3.
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Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
