Close-call kings! Skyline maintains control of 4A KingCo with come-from-behind 19-15 win over North Creek

BOTHELL, Wash. - First a handoff, then a pitch - and Nathan Fischer had a decision to make.

The Skyline wide receiver had the ball in his hands. He spun it to find the laces as he came back across field left to right after the pitch from running back Nahmier Robinson, who had gotten the original handoff from quarterback Michael Grimmer.

The junior was looking to throw on the second-and-2 play from the North Creek 8-yard line.

"I was supposed to throw it, but the receiver wasn’t open," Fischer said. "I got to the corner and just ran."

Eight yards later, Fischer was in the end zone with what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown in the Spartans' 19-15 road victory at Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell.

The victory solidified Skyline’s control over the 4A KingCo Conference standings as the Spartans remained unbeaten in league play (5-1 overall, 4-0 KingCo) and handed the Jaguars (4-2, 1-2) their second league defeat.

A North Creek win would have tightened things considerably. Instead, it’s Skyline alone at the top - with Mount Si a game behind and just three weeks remaining in the regular season.

"It does, but we’re not letting up," Skyline coach Cameron Elisara said. "Anything can happen in football."

It was the fourth consecutive close win in the KingCo for Skyline - and the third in a row decided by six or fewer points. And it took a final mistake from North Creek to get them there Saturday.

Skyline took a 12-0 lead at the half, getting 1-yard touchdown runs from Josh Menold and Bronson Terpstra on the Spartans' only two sustained drives of the first 24 minutes. Skyline then went three-and-out on its first three tries in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, North Creek stormed back.

The Jaguars went 47 yards in nine plays, capped by the first of two scoring connections between quarterback Luc Naldrett and wode receiver Stephen Woodward to get within five, 12-7, with 6:47 remaining in the third quarter.

One possession later, after a Skyline penalty and short punt, North Creek went 38 yards on two plays, capped again by a Woodward touchdown reception, of 15 yards. Naldrett and Woodward then hooked up for a two-point pass and the Jaguars had a 15-12 lead.

"When you snap the ball over your quarterback’s head and have turnovers, you’re going to be losing," North Creek coach Torrey Myers said. "I felt like in the first half, we got their best shot. If we came out in the second half and do those little things right, we’ll win. And we were on that track - and just the same things bit us."

The big bit came just moments after North Creek took the lead. Again, the Jaguars defense held Skyline to a three-and-out and a punt. North Creek then got one first down before Naldrett had a lob pass attempt go over his receiver’s head and into the awaiting arms over Skyline safety Will Simon at the Spartans' 45.

Five plays later, Skyline was second-and-2 at the North Creek contest 8. And Fischer made the play to wrest back the lead with 11:13 to go.

Neither team then moved the ball until the Jaguars' final possession. North Creek took over at its own 29-yard line with 4:16 to go, ran 11 plays and moved to the Spartans' 24.

But on fourth down with 65 seconds remaining, Naldrett found his target on that last play, but Georgie Devekos was forced to come back slightly to make the catch and came up a yard short, turning the ball back to Skyline.

Two kneel downs later, the game was over.

"They love keeping it close," Elisara said. "Our team loves close games. One of the characteristics I love about it is, they come through when they need to. That’s a huge characteristic for a team. Big. When you look at how things are panning out, we’re in a good position."