When 3A champion Eastside Catholic sees an opening, it pounces for points. That put away Stanwood early: 4 observations

SEATTLE - The game plan was simple.

Eastside Catholic wanted to get in front of visiting Stanwood early in the teams’ WIAA Class 3A first-round playoff game on Friday night at Memorial Stadium. The Crusaders did just that, and the Spartans had no answer in a 41-6 victory.

"We wanted to get off to a fast start, but didn’t know if we could do it," Eastside Catholic coach Dominic Daste said. "We wanted to make them play from behind a little bit."

Over the previous six weeks, Stanwood had scored points easily, averaging just a pinch under 43 points a game in five victories - and still scoring 30 in a loss to 3A Wesco foe Ferndale.

To accelerate that quick start, Eastside Catholic went big on its first play of the game. Dallas Daley paid off the chance by making a nice catch and getting into the end zone with a 40-yard reception from Brady McKelheer.

That 7-0 lead, it turned out, would have been enough. But the Crusaders kept the pressure on.

Here are four observations from the Eastside Catholic-Stanwood game:

MANY POSITIVE RETURNS

Daley extended the Eastside Catholic lead to 14-0 two possessions later, taking a direct snap and scooting in from 6 yards out with 11 minutes, 10 seconds to go in the second quarter. Four plays later, Drew Sanidad added more to the Crusaders' lead.

Eastside Catholic forced a Stanwood three-and-out. On the fourth-down punt, Sanidad gathered the ball at his 46-yard line, shot up the left sideline, got a block on the punter and went into the end zone for a 21-0 advantage with 8:47 remaining in the half.

It was the first of three touchdowns scored in the game by both teams on some form of a return.

"We put a lot of time into our special teams," Daste said. "The kids take pride in it."

GETTING DEFENSIVE WORKS

Both of the other returns for touchdowns came defensively.

While Stanwood couldn’t move the football at all offensively, Otto Wiedmann got the Spartans on the scoreboard with 4:25 to go in the first half. Wiedmann intercepted a McKelheer pass at the Spartans' 26 and returned it 74 yards for the score.

 The interception return was the only time the Spartans found the end zone. The offense managed just 25 yards in the first half - and 70 yards total.

And one of the two times Stanwood crossed midfield, it fumbled and allowed a return for a touchdown.

"Our goal is always to put up zeroes," Eastside Catholic linebacker David Lene said. "Basically, that’s what we did tonight."

STRIP, SCOOP AND SCORE

Lene put the capper on another defensive gem with 3:17 to go in the third quarter. The Crusaders already led it, 34-6, but Stanwood had gotten to the Eastside 21-yard line, facing second-and-17 play.

The Spartans tried to attack the left perimeter. Defenders stood up the ball-carrier and Lene arrived and reached his left arm into the ball, ripping it out.

The ball bounced once on the turf, Lene grabbed it and raced the other way 68 yards for the fumble recovery return - and a 41-6 lead.

"That was a point of emphasis for us this week," Daste said. "They have not given the ball up that much this year. We practiced having the first two defenders stand people up and the third coming in to rip it out."

ONE MAN (OR TWO) CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Early on, Daley was the difference-maker. He caught the first pass for the touchdown, one of two receptions for 67 yards he had, and got the direct snap rushing score.

"That had a lot to do with Brady," Daley said. "He made good reads. And we had such a good week of practice, we were locked in all the way."

With the lead, Eastside Catholic let the run game run clock. Chase Hamdan carried the ball 13 times for 101 yards. And after Hamdan scored from 7 yards out to make it 34-6 midway through the third quarter, he gave way to others to finish things out.

(Featured file photo by Vince Miller)