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After second-ranked Bellarmine Prep scored a touchdown to pull within one point of No. 6 Olympia in the final minutes of the Narrows League 4A showdown, the Lions went for the victory.
Quarterback Sefo Liufau connected with tight end Logan Hickman in the end zone on the two-point conversion, lifting Bellarmine Prep to a 15-14 win Friday night, and dashing the Bears’ hopes of defending their league title.
“Great call on their part,” Beattie said of going for the two-point conversion. “We had the right call on. We just didn’t get it taken care of.”
Bellarmine Prep (8-0 overall, 6-0 Narrows) can claim sole possession of its first league title since 2002 by beating Gig Harbor next week. Olympia (7-1, 5-1) has been the gold standard of the Narrows League, winning six league championships since 2003.
Olympia led 14-7 when kicker Brian Carpenter lined up to attempt a 31-yard field goal with 4:48 left in the game. But instead of taking a two-possession lead, the kick was blocked and Bellarmine Prep was given new life.
“It’s 14-7, if we hit that field goal we win the football game,” Beattie said. “They came up with the big plays.”
Starting on his own 14, Liufau fired a 16-yard strike on first down and followed with a 38-yard bomb to Michael Rector on the next play. Three plays later he scrambled 13 yards to Olympia’s 5-yard line. Tailback Joe Lovejoy powered into the end zone for a touchdown one play later, setting up the go-ahead two-point conversion.
The Bears got the ball back with 2:07 to play, but Jacob Salazar intercepted quarterback Trevor Houser’s pass at midfield. Bellarmine Prep went three-and-out but drained almost two minutes off the clock.
Olympia took over at its own 18 with 12 seconds left. Houser, who went 8-of-15 for 112 yards and a touchdown, threw an incomplete pass on first down. On the final play of the game, the Bears picked up 30 yards on a hook-and-ladder with running back Spenser Killman being tackled at midfield as time expired.
Killman sat out most of the first half due to a “coach’s decision,” Beattie said. Killman finished with 98 yards on 23 carries. His 11-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter gave Olympia a 14-7 lead.
The first of Bellarmine Prep’s two first-half fumbles set up Olympia’s first touchdown. Houser kept the drive alive when he scrambled for an 18-yard gain after the shotgun snap sailed past him. Two plays later, he connected with Tanner Hartsoch for a 6-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter.
Carpenter knuckled the extra point over the crossbar, but the officials ruled it no good. A video replay of the kick in the pressbox confirmed the kick was good, as Beattie suspected.
“I thought we made it,” Beattie said. “I asked them why they didn’t ask someone for some help. They said it was up to those two officials.”
Olympia outgained Bellarmine Prep in total offense, 302-261. Liufau completed 7 of 16 passes for 89 yards. Lovejoy rushed for 132 yards on 29 carries.
Doug Pacey: 253-597-8271 doug.pacey@thenewstribune.com
