A late touchdown pass sinks North Thurston, 23-22

North Thurston’s Zachary Sibley was in on game-turning plays on offense and defense, including a go-ahead touchdown reception late in the game, but the Central Kitsap Cougars scored last, escaping with a dramatic 23-22 win Thursday at South Sound Stadium in a Class 3A Narrows League contest.

Kendal Yaegle grabbed a 23-yard scoring pass from Tyler Tubbs with less than two minutes left in the game for the Cougars. Kevin White, who’d had a previous extra-point kick blocked, added the all-important PAT, and CK held off the Rams’ closing flurry.

Minutes earlier, the Rams grabbed the lead for what looked like the game-winner. Two plays after Sibley dropped a go-ahead TD pass in the end zone, Jake Harn went back to him on much the same play from 30 yards out, and this time Sibley held on.

Earlier, a Sibley interception in the second quarter killed a Cougar drive at the Ram 4-yard line.

After the teams traded early-game fumbles, the Cougars were on the board first after a Ram punt, gashing big holes for 5-foot-6, 200-pound Isaiah McGee to barrel through. McGee’s 24-yard blast straight up the middle set up his two-yard touchdown run.

After Kevin White put the Cougars up 10-0 with a 35-yard field goal in the first minute of the second quarter, fortunes turned for the Rams, starting with the Sibley interception with his back against the goal line.

The revived Rams then drove 96 yards in 11 plays to score on Jake Harn’s 10-yard pass to a wide-open Darren Sroor. Harn was 4-for-5 passing for 59 yards on the drive, included a 22-yard strike to Devin Santos and ensuing CK facemask penalty to get the Rams in the red zone.

North Thurston took the second-half kickoff and marched 65 yards to a go-ahead score, with Harn pinpointing a well-covered Brandon Morgan in the end zone from 21 yards out.

Central Kitsap went back up 16-14 on a six-yard TD run by Kendal Yaegle, one play after McGee crashed up the gut for 20 yards.

McGee finished with 133 yards on 245 carries. NT quarterback Harn was 14-for-27 passing for 189 yards and two touchdowns.

Next Friday, North Thurston goes on the road to play Foss at Mount Tahoma High School. Central Kitsap will entertain Capital.

This story was originally published September 24, 2015 at 10:42 PM with the headline "A late touchdown pass sinks North Thurston, 23-22."