SEATTLE – When the Seahawks connected on a 36-yard field goal in the second overtime, that was the game for the Bayhawks who fell 10-7 against Chief Sealth at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
It was fantastic start to the game for Bellingham as first-year quarterback Joe Harward sprinted for 66 yards on the first play from scrimmage. He followed that up with a 24-yard touchdown run behind two massive blocks thrown by senior bulldozer Tyler Frost.
Nobody in attendance would have thought that those seven points would be it for the Bayhawks.
Both teams traded punts and turnovers throughout a big chunk of the game, with the Bellingham defense carrying the team for most of the game.
Harward finished with 130 yards on the ground 25 carries, despite losing yardage on seven different plays.
It had appeared the Bayhawks had a second touchdown when a Chief Sealth player touched the ball while his team was receiving a punt. Bellingham senior Nate Laas quickly blocked the Seahawk, and the ball was scooped up by junior Kaiser Barker who ran down the middle of the field untouched. But, after the referees talked to each other, it was determined that ball was never touched.
The Seahawks drove down the field late in the fourth quarter, and was able to punch it in from five yards out which set up the overtime.
Neither team was able to score in the first overtime, and Bellingham had the first chance in the second overtime. Cooper Whipple’s 36-yard field goal attempt had plenty of leg but was wide left, giving Chief Sealth an opportunity to win the game.
After a few big play behind the line of scrimmage defensively by Frost and junior linebacker Sonny Powell, the Seahawks were backed up and had to attempt a 51-yard field goal for the win. The kick came up short, but there was a penalty on the play, which moved the ball up 15 yards. One play later, Chief Sealth won the game on a 36-yard kick.
Powell finished with 6.5 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Gabe VanHofwegen also had 6.5 tackles and two stops behind the line while Frost led his team with 11 tackles.
The Bayhawks (0-1) will open up conference play on Friday when they travel to Lakewood (0-1) to face the Cougars at 7:00.
Chief Sealth 10 Bellingham 7 BEL 7 0 0 0 0 - 7 CS 0 0 0 7 3 - 10 BEL - Harward 26 run (Whipple kick) CS - 5 yard touchdown run (kick good) CS - 36 yard field goal BEL CS 50-208 Rush Att-Yards 36-59 3-19-1 Comp-Att-Int 9-26-1 22 Passing Yards 149 Individual Leaders RUSHING - BEL: Harward 25-130, G. VanHofwegen 8-39, Davis 10-22, Whipple 4-14, S. Bowers 1-3, Hanstead 2-0. CS: N/A. PASSING - BEL: Harward 3-19-1-22. CS: N/A. RECEIVING - BEL: Henderson 2-17, C. VanHofwegen 1-5. CS: N/A.
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