Community Sports

Freshman quarterback provided spark for Tides’ comeback in Fish Bowl

With their 14-10 Fish Bowl win over Peninsula on Saturday, Sept. 7, Gig Harbor evened the overall series between the two programs at 23 wins apiece.

In the process, the Tides just might have found their quarterback of the future in freshman Sawyer Hayes.

The Peninsula fans who filled their side of the stands at Mount Tahoma High must have had a case of deja vu as they watched another Tides backup quarterback snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat. What are the odds of successive backup QBs entering the Fish Bowl in the second half, down by double-digits with their teams struggling to move the ball, and pulling off remarkable comebacks? It’s now happened twice in a row in the biggest game of the year for both teams.

Last year, Benji Park came in with his team down 14-0 and saved the day for Gig Harbor in a remarkable 21-20 comeback victory.

More than a spark

This year, the comeback kid was Hayes, who Gig Harbor coach Darrin Reeves inserted into the game at the end of the third quarter. Peninsula had a 10-0 lead thanks to a punishing 9-yard run by Wyatt Abrigo and a smooth 28-yard field goal by Talen McDonnell.

Gig Harbor coaches pass along instructions to freshman quarterback Sawyer Hayes (33, center) and others during a timeout near the end of Saturday’s Fish Bowl. Photo by Vince Dice

Reeves hoped Hayes could provide a spark to his offense. Instead of a spark, the quarterback poured gas all over the field and lit it with a flame thrower. Suddenly the rest of the Tides were on fire as well.

Hayes immediately found do-it-all running back Ryland Geldermann with a quick pass for a 10-yard gain. Then he dropped back to pass, couldn’t find an open man, and exploded through the line with a noticeable burst. He ran left, cut back right, found 36 yards worth of open space and finished the run with a head-first dive into a defender.

Gig Harbor freshman Sawyer Hayes scrambles during a clock-killing play near the end of Saturday’s Fish Bowl. Hayes, in a little more than a quarter of action, passed for 35 yards and ran for 42 more. Photo by Vince Dice

A couple plays later, an early snap from center caught everybody off guard and flew past Hayes for a 19-yard loss to the 22 yard line. The moans of the Tides fans could be heard all the way to the Narrows Bridge as the Tides offense had resembled a truck with a broken transmission up until that point. Forward, reverse, forward, reverse.

But if you expected the freshman to be rattled, you would have been mistaken. On the next play, Hayes hit junior wide receiver Liam Green (who also caught a late touchdown pass in last year’s Fish Bowl) with a 22-yard strike for a touchdown that pulled the Tides to within 10-7.

Jaxon Reis of Peninsula carries the ball during Saturday’s Fish Bowl. Photo by Bryce Carithers

Green snapped a post-corner route on a Seahawk defender that gave him just enough separation for Hayes to loft a spiral right into his hands.

Gig Harbor coach Darrin Reeves, now 2-1 in Fish Bowls, seemed impressed with Hayes.

“Hayes stepped up and made some huge plays, that really shifted the game,” Reeves said. Hayes completed three of four passes for 35 yards and the touchdown and added 42 yards rushing on three carries.

Geldermann game-winner

The Tides then forced a Peninsula three and out. Momentum was clearly with Gig Harbor.

Geldermann (who was the Tides offense in the first half with 79 rushing yards) took the first handoff of the next series and scored an electric 52-yard touchdown. The junior finished with 152 yards on 16 carries.

Gig Harbor running back Ryland Geldermann approaches the goal line during his game-winning touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Photo by Bryce Carithers

“Geldermann is a great kid! He puts in all the work to prepare for the load that we put on his shoulders,” Reeves said.

The Seahawk brought everything they had, but couldn’t muster up a score in the game’s final minutes against a physical Tide defense.

“I thought our team did a great job of playing together and fighting through adversity early in the game,” Reeves said.

Up next

Both teams will be back in action this week. The Seahawks (0-1) host a nonconference game against Curtis at Roy Anderson Field at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13.

The Tides (1-0) are heading down to California to play the Laguna Beach Breakers (3-0) at 7 p.m. Sept. 13 at Laguna Beach High School.

Talen McDonnell gives Peninsula a 10-0 lead with this third-quarter field goal. Photo by Bryce Carithers