Erickson, Penner pace veteran Capital team in opening win over Lakes

For nearly their entire athletic careers, Capital High School quarterback Grant Erickson and wide receiver Chris Penner have had a connection. Since age 4, the two have been teammates.

The connection continued into both of their senior years on Friday night as the Cougars defeated Lakes, 22-9, in front of a raucous crowd at Harry E. Lang Stadium in Lakewood to open up the 2018 football season for both teams.

“So much trust there,” Erickson said about the chemistry with Penner. “You just know you put a ball somewhere, he’s going to make a play on it. When you have that with a receiver, it’s special.

“We just have that connection with each other. I know when he needs to make a play, he’s going to make the play. And he knows if I need to make a big play, I will.”

Erickson, a second-team Class 3A South Sound Conference selection in 2017, finished 14 of 29 passing for 191 yards and one touchdown. His lone touchdown pass was to Penner for 27 yards with seven minutes and 41 seconds left in the first quarter.

Erickson also had a 1-yard touchdown run at the 4:15 mark in the fourth to eventually seal the game.

Penner finished with six catches for 87 yards and the one touchdown, and continues to build on an already impressive career as a two-time 3A SSC first-teamer who netted 57 receptions for 1,066 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

The other score came from running back Eric Jackson on a 2-yard run in the fourth with 11:54 left. Jackson had 39 rushing yards on 11 carries with the one touchdown.

First-year coach Terry Rose breathed a sigh of relief following the final buzzer, as he takes over a Capital squad that finished 4-6 in 2017 and missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

“I think it’s huge for the players,” Rose said. “I think coming in this year, there was a lot of unknown here. There was a lot of unknown of what was to happen.

“And to see them fight like they did, it shows that they maybe bought into the system that we’re trying to do.”

Rose noted the experience of the roster, which features 21 senior starters.

While the connection between Erickson and Penner was certainly a focal point of the Cougars’ victory, the defense turned in a memorable effort.

Capital frustrated Lancers’ quarterback Liam Bladow throughout the game. Bladow finished 13 of 28 passing for 153 yards and three interceptions with a fumble.

The Lancers were without standout running back Khalil Lewis (wrist) for the opener. Lewis was a first-team 3A Pierce County League pick in 2017 after rushing for 1,331 and 13 touchdowns on 188 carries.

The run game missed Lewis, with the highest individual rusher — senior Camyron Gaulke — topping out at 62 yards.

“There’s no question he makes our offense a different animal,” Lancers head coach Dave Miller said of Lewis.

This story was originally published August 31, 2018 at 11:57 PM.