Photos
The Capital coach got that Saturday night.
Tyler Sundberg, Capital’s all-time leading rusher, was more than Timberline could handle, rushing for 329 yards and scoring three touchdowns to lead the Cougars to a 44-0 win to clinch the 3A Narrows League title.
“He’s a special kid,” Johnson said. “He’s going to give you everything he’s got.”
Capital improved to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the league.
Offensively, Capital had a different look in this game as the Cougars used an unbalanced line for the first time. Timberline never adjusted.
“We put in a new offense this week, just for this game, to throw them off,” Sundberg said. “It worked.”
Capital’s defense shut out an opponent for the second time in three weeks – during which time the Cougars have won by a combined score of 152-7.
“Our defense played a great game,” Johnson said. “To shut out a team like Timberline is fantastic. That’s a good team.”
Capital’s Greg Hibbard intercepted two passes to help the Cougars pick up their third shutout of the season.
Timberline, which was averaging more than 30 points per game, had its five-game win streak snapped.
Capital’s Alex Everson plowed into the end zone on a quarterback sneak on a second-and-goal from the 1-yard line, giving the Cougars a 7-0 lead with 3 minutes, 59 seconds left in the first quarter.
Everson’s score was set up by Hibbard’s diving interception at the Blazers’ 29. Six plays later, Everson snuck in from the 1.
Capital scored on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter to take a 20-0 lead on a 6-yard run by Jay Maiava and a 1-yard run by Sundberg.
Capital got the ball right back after Maiava’s touchdown when Jimmy Ross forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Capital recovered at the 27, and five plays later, Sundberg scored his first of his three touchdowns. Sundberg, who scored a school record 31 touchdowns last season, has 16 TDs this year.
“Our offensive line was amazing,” Sundberg said. “They were opening the holes.”
Capital avenged last year’s 21-16 loss to Timberline, which dropped to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in the 3A Narrows League.
“We talked about last year’s game,” Johnson said. “Defensively, we didn’t play that well in that game. Our defense did the job tonight.”
With Timberline facing fourth-and-1 from the Cougars’ 26 with 3 seconds left in the second quarter, Capital was called for pass interference in the end zone, giving the Blazers a first down and time for one last play.
Kevin Russell, backpedaling and under pressure, threw short over the middle, and Capital linebacker Jacob Reiner intercepted the pass, stopping Timberline’s biggest threat.
Earlier in the second quarter, Timberline’s Spencer Crump was stopped a yard short on a fourth-and-2 from the Cougars’ 28.
Capital’s Roman Vern electrified the Cougars fans at South Sound Stadium when he returned the opening kickoff 35 yards to midfield, just one defender from going all the way. Sundberg then carried the ball four straight times, popping loose for runs of 11, 13, 1 and 11 yards.
But on a first-and-goal from the 5, Capital was called for a dead ball penalty, moving the Cougars back to the 17. On fourth-and-goal from the 4, Everson’s pass to the corner of the end zone to Jourdan Weiks fell incomplete.
Capital’s first drive of the second half with an eight-play, 99-yard drive, scoring on Sundberg’s 12-yard run. He went up the middle and then broke to the outside, where he outran all potential tacklers.
gwood@theolympian.com
