DEMING – Mount Baker intercepted four passes, returning one for a touchdown, and returning two others deep into Meridian territory as the Mountaineers beat the Trojans 42-14 at Bob Tisdale Field on Friday night.
As usual, when these two teams meet, the first few drives for each team was just a “feeling out” process that ended with punts, but it was the Mounties who scored first when junior wingback Ayden Rodriguez took an end around 18 yards for a touchdown.
Meridian answered back with a great 43-yard touchdown scamper by senior Trent Martin, and the score was tied at seven after one quarter.
Baker fullback Toby Jefferson then scored on a 10-yard run up the middle which was set up by a perfectly thrown 27-yard connection from Mason Jacoby to Garrett Smith. Jefferson finished the game with 148 yards rushing on 17 carries, including a 43-yard run in which he gained the last five yards giving Martin a piggy-back ride.
In what looked like a very close, back-and-forth, kind of game, the momentum turned on the following possession. Jacoby, now playing cornerback, intercepted a pass and returned it 44 yards. He would then score moments later on a 2-yard quarterback sneak, and Mount Baker went into halftime with a 21-7 lead.
The third quarter proved to be all red and black.
Jacoby continued his brilliant game in the beginning of the second half by sniffing out a quick pass to the outside. He intercepted it, and returned it 12 yards for a touchdown. His remarkably quick instincts almost allowed him to have an identical play on Meridian’s first play from scrimmage to begin the game, but he wasn’t able to complete the catch.
Senior running back Jason Lee punched in a touchdown from a yard out, and Jacoby found Rodriguez on an 8-yard touchdown pass.
Perhaps no player has been a more pleasant surprise at Baker this season than Jacoby, and it’s easy to see that the 6-foot-3 174-pounder is more than just an athlete. His football mind allows to see things before they happen, and after forcing two fumbles and recovering both of them last week, his dynamic defensive plays against the Trojans prove that he’s a special player.
Martin scored late in the game for Meridian on a 15-yard pass from Cameron Webster. Martin and Webster were the workhorses for the Trojan offense. Martin scored both touchdowns, finished with 49 yards rushing and caught a season-high 12 passes for 102 yards. Webster completed 19-of-33 passes for 170 yards and also ran 20 times for 84 yards.
The Mountaineers (5-0) will host Nooksack Valley (2-3) on Friday.
Meridian 14
Mount Baker 42
MER 7 0 0 7 – 14
MB 7 14 21 0 – 42
MB – Rodriguez 18 run (Zavala kick)
MER – Martin 43 run (Loya kick)
MB – Jefferson 10 run (Zavala kick)
MB – Jacoby 2 run (Zavala kick)
MB – Jacoby 12 interception return (kick blocked)
MB – Lee 1 run (Zavala kick)
MB – Rodriguez 8 pass from Jacoby (Jacoby run)
MER – Martin 15 pass from Webster (Loya kick)
MER MB
26-134 Rushing Att-Yards 32-210
19-33-4 Comp-Att-Int 8-14-0
170 Passing yards 105
Individual Leaders
RUSHING – MER: Webster 20-84, Martin 5-49, Anderson 1-1. MB: Jefferson 17-148, Lee 6-28, Rodriguez 1-18, Tikhonov 5-10, Jacoby 2-5, Sande 1-1.
PASSING – MER: Webster 19-33-4-170. MB: Jacoby 8-14-0-105.
RECEIVING – MER: Martin 12-102, Johnson 3-37, Brooks 2-11, Gookstetter 1-15, Kurz 1-5. MB: Smith 4-55, Rodriguez 3-41, Kentner 1-9.
