The Mount Si Wildcat football team overcame a penalty-filled effort to post their fourth straight win last Friday night, 35-14 over the Juanita Rebels at Mount Si High School. Zach Kirchmeyer scored twice, once on offense, once on defense, to help the Wildcats clinch a state playoff berth.
“We’re in the playoffs. We’re excited about that, a good homecoming victory for us,” said Mount Si coach Charlie Kinnune.
It was Kirchmeyer who got things started for the Wildcats in the first quarter. After Mount Si’s special teams pinned the Rebels back at their own one-yard line, the Wildcat defense for the second straight week made sure the opposing offense paid. In the previous game against Sammamish, that resulted in a safety. This time, it was for six. Sean Snead forced a Juanita fumble in the end zone; the ball was recovered by Kirchmeyer with 6:48 left in the frame. The point after failed. The Rebels responded with a 16-yard touchdown strike by quarterback Nick Olearian to tight end Nate Khien. Juanita got their extra point and took the lead with 1:15 left in the stanza.
The second quarter saw a Tyson Riley 35-yard scamper for a touchdown with about seven minutes left, and that put the Wildcats back in control, as it turned out, for good.
With the score 12-7 at half, Mount Si held its homecoming ceremonies, which included a fireworks show, the homecoming court introductions and the announcement of the king and queen, which this year went to Zach Lindor (king) and Nikki Stanton (queen). For Stanton, it was the culmination of an awesome 24 hours; last Thursday, the senior soccer star scored the game-winning goal in the Wildcats’ victory over Juanita, clinching Mount Si’s first league girls’ soccer title since 1988 (see related story).
The fireworks show continued into the third quarter, and the Wildcat offense picked up where the pyrotechnics left off. With about two minutes left in the frame, Riley threw a 13-yard pass caught by Rossco Castagno in spectacular fashion in the end zone for a touchdown. Snead ran it in for a two-point conversion, and it was 20-7.
The fireworks continued in the fourth; first, Snead barreled in from a yard out for a touchdown. Riley then scored a two-point conversion of his own, but was penalized for excessive celebration following that score; that was one of three penalty calls that stuck out for Mount Si on a flag-filled night.
“I was sort of celebrating my homecoming night, senior night,” said Riley.
There was also a late hit call and an interference with a fair catch call against the Wildcats during the course of the game, not to mention holding calls that also cost Mount Si.
“Penalties killed us.,” Kinnune said. “We haven’t had that many penalties all year. We’re one of the least penalized teams in the league.”
Then, after Juanita scored a touchdown again late, Kirchmeyer wrapped things up with about a minute left with a four-yard touchdown run to close out the scoring.
Riley and defensive lineman Michael Nelson led a solid senior class being honored on their senior night; it was the final regular season home game for the class of 2009.
For Nelson, his time in the Wildcat program has been special.
“They’re the most memorable four years of my life,” he said.
Nelson had a message for future Wildcat football players.
“Stick with it,” he said. “Every little thing you give in, you’re going to get out of it. It’s totally worth it.”
This week is the showdown fans have been waiting for, as Mount Si goes to Liberty on Friday, Oct. 31. This game will determine home field advantage in the first round of the state playoffs next week. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Liberty High School.
“It’s going to be a battle,” Riley said.
