Metro maestro Eastside Catholic handles Rainier Beach, runs through toughest Seattle league

SAMMAMISH, Wash. - For Eastside Catholic running back Masen Uribe, it was just another night trying to put respect on his name.

For the Crusaders, it was another chapter in embellishing the respect factor for the dominating program on the Sammamish Plateau.

Uribe gained a measure a respect, churning out a career-high 219 yards and a touchdown on 21 totes as second-ranked Eastside Catholic turned back a persistent No. 9 Rainier Beach squad, 41-21, on Friday night in a 3A Metro League showdown.

The Crusaders (8-0 overall, 7-0 Metro) locked up the Metro League Mount Division regular-season title, taking home a Metro crown for the fourth time in five seasons, excluding the 2020 COVID season. Winner-to-state playoff games begin Nov. 4 and after a divisional crossover game should be poised for another state run.

“It was all the work we put in during the summer, the long days and the sweat,” said Uribe after his team outgained Rainier Beach, 407-136 - with 272 yards coming via the ground game. “We really put in a lot of work for the season, so to come out Metro champs is big for us. I can’t thanks these guys [his teammates] enough.

“I really have to thank my O-line for blocking and the receivers on the outside there doing their work. I wanted to come out for my guys tonight. I’ve always been overlooked, even since Little League [football]. I just always try to work my hardest.”

Uribe’s backfield mate and fellow senior Richie Fotualii-Aliifua, a bruising runner at 6-foot, 225 pounds, helped slam the door for the four-time state championship program. After Rainier Beach (6-2, 5-2) fought within 27-21, Fotualii-Aliifua (66 yards rushing) provided two of his three touchdown runs in the final 5:39 of the game. Before those touchdown runs, Beach had two possessions to try and get the lead, but punted both times.

Fotualii-Aliifua scored on a 5-yarder with 5:39 to go and then added a 2-yard walk-in touchdown with 3:40 remaining to set the final margin. But it was the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Uribe who did the most damage. Uribe would’ve had more than the 225 all-purpose that he finished with if a 79-yard screen pass for a touchdown just 55 seconds into the game wasn’t wiped off by a holding penalty.

“Normally, he’s a breakaway runner,” said Rainier Beach’s talented cornerback and Oregon-bound Caleb Presley said. “But he was hard to bring down tonight. Kudos to him.”

Two special teams scores kept Beach with some hope heading into the fourth quarter. The second special-teams score came when defensive lineman Dallas Afalava batted a Brady McKelheer pass into the arms of teammate Scottre Humphrey and the Vikings’ linebacker then sprinted 50 yards for a touchdown to trim the EC lead to 27-21 with 5:52 to go in the third quarter.

In a wild swing as the first half ended, Rainier Beach pulled within 21-13. Presley scooped up a loose ball after Vikings’ teammate Tywan Hillis blocked a 41-yard field goal attempt from Eastside Catholic’s Adam Jacobs as time expired in the first half.

“I told Brady (the Eastside Catholic quarterback) at halftime that our special teams and offense were scoring points for Rainier Beach, not our defense,” Eastside Catholic coach Dominic Daste said. “We needed to control the ball and take care of it. Those are the things we need to clean up and moving forward we cannot play like that and expect to reach our desired goal.”

The lead grew to 27-13 just 1 minute, 32 seconds into the second half when the Crusaders’ David Lene recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for touchdown.

Humphrey, one of the top backs in Metro, finished with 87 yards on 14 carries, scoring both an offensive and a defensive touchdown.

After both teams combined for seven penalties in the opening six minutes, the Crusaders benefitted from good field position to take a 7-0 lead. Brady McKelheer found freshman receiver Asa Thompson for an 11-yard touchdown strike over the left side with 2:17 to go in the first quarter.

After a Rainier Beach three-and-out and punt, on the next play from scrimmage, Uribe took a handoff and broke to the left sideline and went 84 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 Crusaders lead with 26 seconds showing in the first quarter.

Humphrey scooted 24 yards around left end as Rainier Beach cut the Eastside Catholic lead to 14-7 with 4:35 to go before halftime. The Vikings drove 77 yards in seven plays as Humphrey provided 65 yards on the ground during the scoring march.

The Crusaders’ Fotualii-Aliifua crashed into the end zone with 1:35 remaining before halftime for a 2-yard touchdown run to hike Eastside Catholic’s lead to 21-7.

Prior to Bellevue taking home the 3A crown in 2021, the Crusaders won the last two 3A state titles that were contested in 2018 and 2019. There were no state championship games in 2020 as COVID-19 pandemic pushed back the season to spring of 2021 with no postseason play.