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Holding a three-point lead and Capital driving inside the red zone in the final minutes of Friday’s annual Spaghetti Bowl, the Bears’ defense came up with its first fumble recovery of the game, then held off Capital on its final offensive drive for a 10-7 victory at Ingersoll Stadium.
It was the lowest point total in the series since 2008, when Olympia also defeated Capital, 7-0.
Capital (0-2) still leads the all-time series, 19-16, but Olympia (2-0) is back on the winning side after losing last year, 49-28, which snapped the Bears’ five-game win streak in the series.
With Olympia ahead 10-7, Kai Van Sickle and Derrick Becker led the Cougars down the field on their penultimate offensive drive. The pair guided Capital 37 yards to the Bears’ 5-yard line looking for the go-ahead touchdown. But Olympia’s defense forced a fumble by Van Sickle, and the Bears recovered at their own 5.
Van Sickle, a junior, had a career night with 227 yards rushing – his longest run a 60-yarder. He also scored Capital’s touchdown just four minutes into the third quarter on a 30-yard run to put Capital up 7-3. On that drive, Van Sickle had 56 yards on five carries.
Olympia running back Casey Bond, in his first start for injured Spenser Killman, had 70 yards on 21 carries but came up big in the clutch in the second half with 58 yards rushing. He also scored Olympia’s only touchdown on a 1-yard run on the ensuing possession after Van Sickle’s score.
Each teams’ touchdown drives in the third quarter were a result of halftime adjustments necessitated after poor offensive production in the opening two quarters.
Olympia’s best scoring threat in the first half came on its next-to-last possession. But despite having first-and-goal from the 5-yard line, the Bears couldn’t get into the end zone and settled for a 24-yard field goal from Brian Carpenter that gave Olympia a 3-0 halftime lead.
That drive was set up by quarterback Trevor Houser, who found Alex Johnson for a 41-yard completion to set Olympia at the 5, but Capital’s defense came up clutch. On a third-and-goal from the 1, Houser kept it and ran left but was stopped by Derek Chase for a 2-yard loss.
The drive took 18 plays and was kept alive by two Capital holding penalties.
Neither teams’ offense showed much in the first half. Capital and Olympia combined for six punts, and of Olympia’s seven first downs, two came via those two Cougars holding penalties.
Capital’s run defense held Olympia to 18 first-half rushing yards, led by Bond’s hard-earned 15 yards on eight carries. It was Houser’s play through the air that kept the Bears’ offense going. He finished with 172 yards on 11 of 23 completions.
Meg Wochnick: 360-754-5473 mwochnick@theolympian.com theolympian.com/prepsportsblog
