Despite the challenges, the Highline Pirate Football team has shown remarkable resilience over the last few weeks. This season, they leaped from the 2A level to the 3A level. Schedulers added to the challenge by assigning matches against 4A schools like Issaquah, North Creek, and next week’s opponent, Lake Washington. New Head Coach JT Jackson even managed to bounce back after missing almost a week of practice due to a district-wide shutdown, which led to the unfortunate forfeit against Kennedy Catholic High in the Battle for Burien.
Last night, (October 3) the North Creek Jaguars line came to play. They dominated both sides of the ball in the first half, shedding blocks on defense and confusing the Pirate offensive line, who missed blocks consistently. The Jaguars running backs gashed the Pirate defense for 219 rushing yards in the first half and 387 total rushing yards on 38 plays, averaging 10.4 yards per carry. The total included a 61-yard touchdown run by Payton Cunningham for the Jaguar’s second score of the night with 38 seconds left in the 1st quarter. Senior Eric Battle Jr. added a 52-yard touchdown run with 2:18 left in the half. The Jaguars entered the halftime locker room with a comfortable 19-34 lead.
The Jaguars jumped out early, scoring on their first drive with a touchdown pass just 4 minutes into the game. They added another score to finish the first quarter with a 0-14 point lead. However, the Pirates were not ready to concede the game. Fourth-year starting Quarterback Ronan Rasmussen loaded the team on his arm and began hitting his favorite target, the speedy Adam Estrada-Varela, who put the Pirates on the board with a 5-yard reception to open the second quarter. On the night, Estrada-Varela gathered in 6 passes for 62 yards, three touchdowns, and one two-point conversation.
The night’s story, however, was the emergence of two Sophomore Wide Receivers, Derean Garrett and Tristian Gandy. Garrett caught ten passes for 148 yards on the night, including three long receptions to keep drives alive. Gandy also snagged three tosses at clutch moments, including a 48-yard reception, to keep drives alive. The sophomore collected 73 total yards for the evening. This is an excellent development for the Pirates. With a core of 3 wideouts, Coach Jackson can maximize his strength in the passing game by taking the defensive heat off Senior star Estrada-Varela. It also bodes well for the future offense development.
Sophomore Running Back JB Crawford carried the rock 13 times on the ground for a light output of 42 yards. Holes were challenging to come by as the Jaquar defenders shed blocks on the edges. Crawford, however, showed all-purpose power with three pass receptions for 41 years and a touchdown. The end of the game also saw the emergence of Junior Running Back Marquise Jones. The 190-pound Jones was handed the ball nine times and picked up 30 yards.
Overall, this was not a good outing for the Pirates. The line needs to focus on edges if the Pirates are to maximize the squad’s talent and potential.
The Pirates get their chance to turn the season around next Friday, 7:00 PM, against Lake Washington at Highline.
