The Decatur Gator football team tasted victory only twice during the 2008 season.
Things are going a little different this year for the Gators.
Decatur won its second game in a row in dramatic fashion Friday night at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup.
Decatur’s Cary Carver caught a desperation 26-yard touchdown pass from Gator quarterback Alex Bykovskiy in the final seconds to lift Decatur to an 18-13 win over the Puyallup Vikings.
The unlikely victory keeps the Gators unbeaten and atop the South Puget Sound League South Division. Decatur and Curtis are the lone undefeated teams in the nine-team league.
Friday’s victory was the first time the Gators have beaten Puyallup since the final game of the 2002 season. With that win, Decatur earned its first-ever trip into the state playoffs.
The Gators host the Spanaway Lake Sentinels Saturday night at Federal Way Memorial Stadium. Spanaway Lake beat Beamer in their opener, 25-13, before losing to Rogers in the second week, 34-2. Decatur then takes on Curtis in University Place on Sept. 25.
Friday’s game against Puyallup wasn’t one of the prettiest displays of football. The two teams combined to fumble eight times, including six by the Vikings. Puyallup also intercepted two Decatur passes.
After playing a scoreless first quarter, Puyallup’s Sean Rehon tallied the first of his two long touchdown runs early in the second quarter when he exploded for an 84-yard run to give the Vikings a 6-0 lead. Rehon finished with 259 yards on 19 carries.
But the Puyallup lead didn’t last too long. Decatur’s Kenrick Browne returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards to tie the game at 6-6 before halftime.
The Gators took their first lead of the game on a third-quarter, 2-yard touchdown run by Bykovskiy to take a 12-6 advantage. Bykovskiy finished the game with 72 yards on the ground and 166 through the air.
Rehon gave the lead back to the Vikings with a 91-yard touchdown, setting up the exciting finish.
Federal Way 29, Emerald Ridge 3
The Eagles picked up their first win of the season Saturday night at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup in a non-league game against the Jaguars. Federal Way was blown away last week in its season opener by the fourth-ranked Auburn Trojans, 42-7.
The Eagles got three touchdown runs from senior tailback Trenton Pinson, and the Federal Way defense held the winless Jaguars out of the endzone all night. Emerald Ridge’s only points of the game came on a 25-yard field goal from Luke Logan early in the second half.
Pinson tallied the lone points of the first half when he scored a touchdown on a 39-yard run. Junior quarterback Nick Tanielu hit Jajuan Davis with a pass on the two-point conversion to give the Eagles an 8-0 lead.
In the second half, Pinson scored on touchdown runs of 9 yards and 2 yards to extend the Eagles’ lead to 22-3.
Federal Way’s final touchdown came when Jordan Pulu recovered a blocked punt in the endzone.
The Eagles will travel to French Field on Friday to take on the unbeaten Kentridge Chargers in an SPSL North contest.
Graham-Kapowsin 23, Beamer 21
The Titans (0-2) looked like they were going to win their first football game of the season Saturday at Federal Way Memorial Stadium. Beamer led 21-20 late in the fourth quarter against Graham-Kapowsin and had possession of the ball.
But a botched exchange between the quarterback and running back in the Beamer backfield was recovered by Graham-Kapowsin’s Eric McKeown. Moments later, the Eagles booted a 37-yard field goal with just 39 seconds left in the game to walk away with the victory.
Beamer took the 21-20 lead on a 17-yard touchdown run by tailback Dominique Maxie with 3:20 remaining in the third quarter. But the Titans couldn’t get anything done offensively in the fourth quarter. Beamer turned the ball over twice during the quarter.
The Titans’ also scored a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter and trailed 17-14 at halftime. Beamer’s first score came on a 24-yard pass from Ben Draeger to C.J. Simpson. The Titans also got a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown from safety Napa Mefi.
Beamer hosts Auburn Riverside (1-1) Friday night at Federal Way Memorial Stadium in a non-league game.
Kentridge 41, Jefferson 7
The Raiders fell to 0-2 on the season with a 41-7 loss to the Kentridge Chargers Friday night at Federal Way Memorial Stadium.
Jefferson fell behind 34-0 after the Chargers tallied the first five touchdowns of the game. The Raiders’ only points of the game came on a 24-yard touchdown pass from TJ’s K.W. Williams to Spencer Hicks in the fourth quarter.
The Raiders will travel to French Field on Thursday to take on the 1-1 Kentlake Falcons.
