Sundberg, Capital run wild

HIGH SCHOOLS: Tyler Sundberg runs for 240 yards and five TDs as Cougars stop Larry Dixon and Olympic, 35-7

The Olympian | • Published September 27, 2009

Comments (0)

OLYMPIA - It was their No. 22 versus Capital’s own No. 22.

Olympic’s Larry Dixon against Capital’s Tyler Sundberg, a pair of running backs averaging over 160 yards rushing going into the game.

And Capital’s swarming defense made sure it was never a contest.

Sundberg rushed for a season-high 240 yards and scored five touchdowns Saturday night, leading Capital to a 35-7 victory in an Olympic Western League game at a packed Ingersoll Stadium.

“All week long, it was our 22 against their 22,” Sundberg said. “But it all came down to our offensive line. They opened the holes and I’d just bounce to the outside.”

Capital held Dixon to 84 yards rushing, just two in the first half. The 5-foot-10, 215-pound senior rushed for 175 yards in last week’s 38-34 loss to North Thurston.

Against Capital, he had just two carries over 10 yards, popping loose for a 36-yarder on a third-and-23 late in the third quarter for his longest gain.

“Anytime you can stop a power running game with a three-man defensive front, you’ve done a great job,” Capital coach J.D. Johnson said. “Our linebackers did a great job.”

Sundberg has scored 11 touchdowns in the last two games. Against Olympic, Sundberg scored on runs of 30, 5, 5, 2 and 10 yards.

“We made it clear who’s the best back in the league,” Johnson said. “Our offensive line did a great job. That’s where the credit goes.”

Sundberg had five carries for 69 yards Capital’s opening drive, scoring on a 30-yard run. Sundberg leveled a would-be tackler with a stiff arm at the 10, then lowered his shoulder into another defender and plowed into the end zone

Sundberg had 123 yards rushing after one quarter and 181 by halftime.

After Sundberg’s second touchdown extended the lead ot 14-0, Olympic cut the gap to 14-7 on Zach Bird’s first pass of the game, a 56-yarder to a sprinting Blake Johnson down the sideline. Bird entered the game on the Trojans’ first possession of the second quarter.

Capital answered with a 66-yard touchdown drive to go ahead 21-7 midway through the second quarter, scoring on Sundberg’s third touchdown run.

In the closing seconds of the second quarter, Olympic stopped Sundberg on a fourth-and-goal from the 2. Capital had first-and-goal from the 9, and Olympic stopped Sundberg on four straight carries.

Out of Capital’s 36 plays in the first half, Sundberg was in on 24 plays – 23 carries and a reception for 21 yards.

Capital led 21-7 at halftime and had a 249-108 edge in total offense.

In practice, Capital’s Cole Van Sickle ran on the scout team and played the role Dixon.

“Our defense was ready,” Johnson said. “They did a great job.”

After losses to O’Dea and Olympia to open the season, Capital is 2-2 overall and 2-0 in the Olympic Western League.

Olympic, which came into the game averaging 46 points, dropped to (2-2, 0-2).