As the Federal Way and Decatur High School football teams prepare to lock up tonight, both teams’ tumultuous seasons could begin to take divergent paths.
The Gators (1-3) are coming off a heartbreaking 28-21 loss to Tahoma High School on Friday, while the Eagles (2-2) defeated Jefferson at home with high-powered offense, 55-35.
The game will not lack for offense as both teams have showed a propensity to put the ball in the end zone with Decatur pummeling Kentridge 72-54 on Sept. 20.
Eagles soar against Jefferson
The Eagles scored early and often against Jefferson but it was a 90-yard kick return for Federal Way that was the turning point last Friday.
The Eagles started the game with a rare defensive touchdown as Andrzej Hughes-Muray scooped up a fumble on the Raider 12-yard line, running it into the end zone for the early 6-0 lead.
Jefferson struck back to take an 8-6 lead to finish the first quarter of play.
The Eagle offense got rolling during the second quarter, scoring three consecutive times to take a 27-8 lead.
Quarterback D’jimon Jones found Chris Williams for an eight-yard touchdown pass to take the lead.
Then Hughes-Muray scored on offense at running back, rumbling three yards for a score.
Chico McClatcher finished off the first-half scoring for the Eagles with a 19-yard touchdown run. Undeterred, Jefferson would score just before the half to cut the lead to 27-15.
Hughes-Muray collected his third touchdown of the game on the Eagles’ first possession of the second half, a one-yard run.
But McClatcher’s legs proved to be the difference in the game following a Jefferson score.
The senior running back fielded the ensuing kickoff from his own 10-yard line and darted up the field.
With help from his blockers, McClatcher completed the 90-yard score, giving Federal Way a near insurmountable 41-21 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Both McClatcher and Jones would cross the goal line one more time before the end of the game.
McClatcher finished the contest with 142 yard rushing, while Jones had 92 on the ground.
Jefferson played Mount Rainier Thursday (after Mirror deadline).
Gator’s lose late
Decatur fell behind early at Tahoma High School on a one-yard touchdown run but made up for it during the second quarter.
The Gator’s first score came via the legs of running back Christian Silva, who scrambled eight yards to cary the ball into the end zone.
But the celebration was short lived as the team failed to put the ball over the goal line on the two-point conversion.
Decatur made up for it by scoring again before halftime to take the lead. Silva once again capped the scoring drive with a run in the red zone, punching the ball through the defensive line for a one-yard touchdown run.
A successful two-point conversion pass play gave the Gators a 14-7 halftime lead.
Tahoma came out of the locker room playing with passion and took control during the third quarter.
The home team shutout the Gators and scored two touchdowns to take a 21-14 lead.
Decatur tied the game to start the fourth quarter, as quarterback Isaiah Hatch ran the ball into the end zone.
Hatch finished the game with 142 yards rushing, while Silva had 73.
Tahoma would break the hearts of the Gator fans with a late touchdown from one-yard out to finish off the scoring and the visiting team.
Big fourth quarter for Beamer
The Beamer High School football team came up with a big fourth quarter against Mount Rainier for a 24-0 victory Friday.
Beamer took the first lead of the game during the third quarter with a field goal and then scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to put the game out of reach.
Quarterback Taylor Davis threw two touchdown passes, one to Isaiah Lard and the second to Christian Stafford.
Lard also put the ball into the end zone on the ground and finished with 82 rushing yards.
Beamer will host Kentlake for a 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
