OMAK – The Mount Baker football team made the five hour trip across the mountains and dropped the regular season finale against Omak 27-20 on Thursday night.
The Pioneers were led by a quick, southpaw quarterback that made big plays with his arm and his feet all game.
Omak started with the ball, and was forced into a fourth-down decision after crossing midfield. The Pioneers went for it, and completed a 41-yard pass to get the ball to the 2-yard line, where they scored two plays later to take a 7-0 lead.
After the Mountaineers were forced to punt, Omak drive down once again and scored on a 46-yard touchdown run by its quarterback, and the extra point made it 14-0 early in the second quarter.
Later in the quarter, the Pioneers were forced to punt from their own 27-yard line, and sophomore lineman Kell Reardon ripped through the Omak blockers and blocked the punt, which was recovered by senior Caden Mosher and Mount Baker took over at the Omak 17-yard line.
Four plays later, senior running back Dylan Moa scored from a yard out to put the Mountaineers on the board.
Omak threatened to score at the end of the first half, but senior safety Luke Smith’s hit on the Pioneer receiver on the final play of the second quarter forced an incompletion, and Mount Baker trailed Omak 14-6 at the half.
The Mountaineers were forced to punt to begin the third quarter, but quickly flipped the field when Reardon made an incredibly athletic move by snatching a pass out of mid air behind the line of scrimmage, which he returned to the Omak 17-yard line.
Two plays later, senior wingback Shaun Dugger took the handoff on an end around and sprinted into the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown. Smith found senior Brady Bruland out of the backfield for the tying 2-point conversion.
The Pioneers began to rip off numerous big plays on the following drive, and scored on a 25-yard touchdown run to give them a one-score advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Omak reached the red zone again in the final quarter, but a pass over the middle on fourth down was intercepted by Moa, but the Mountaineers were forced to punt for the fifth time.
This time, the Pioneers finished the drive with a 21-yard touchdown run, and Omak enjoyed a two-score lead with little time left on the clock.
Mount Baker scored once again late in the game on a 25-yard pass from Smith to senior wide receiver Darius Gilstrap, but time eventually ran out on the Mountaineers.
Junior linebacker Kamden Moa led defensively with eight tackles, including two behind the line of scrimmage. Mosher finished with two quarterback sacks, and both Dylan Moa and Reardon each had a sack, as well as the aforementioned interceptions.
Mount Baker (5-4) finished tied for third place in the Northwest Conference 1A, and will take part in the Kansas Tie Breaker on Monday night at Blaine at 6pm for the final playoff spot. The Mountaineers will battle the Borderites first, with Meridian awaiting the winner.
Omak 27 Mount Baker 20 MB 0 6 8 6 - 20 OMAK 7 7 6 7 - 27 OMAK - 1 yard touchdown run (kick good) OMAK - 46 yard touchdown run (kick good) MB - D. Moa 1 run (kick blocked) MB - Dugger 13 run (Bruland pass from L. Smith) OMAK - 25 yard touchdown run (kick failed) OMAK - 21 yard touchdown run (kick good) MB - Gilstrap 25 pass from L. Smith (kick failed) MB OMAK 25-120 Rush Att-Yards 44-273 3-7-0 Comp-Att-Int 8-17-2 45 Passing Yards 138 Individual Leaders RUSHING - MB: D. Moa 9-50, Dugger 4-32, Bruland 8-28, L. Smith 2-8, K. Moa 2-2. OMAK: N/A. PASSING - MB: L. Smith 3-7-0-45. OMAK: N/A. RECEIVING - MB: Gilstrap 1-25, Bruland 1-15, D. Moa 1-5. OMAK: N/A.
