Sports

Seahawks’ season ends with playoff loss to Rainier Beach

Rainier Beach connected on three long touchdown passes to key a 36-21 defeat of Peninsula in a state football playoff Saturday at Roy Anderson Field in Purdy.

A Rainier Beach defender tries to pull down Peninsula running back Ethan Hogan by the jersey. Hogan scored two of the Seahawks’ three touchdowns. Photo courtesy of Ed Johnson

The usually slow-starting Seahawks jumped to a 14-6 lead early in the second quarter with running back Ethan Hogan scoring on a 20-yard catch and 1-yard run. They were moving again before intentional grounding and holding penalties snuffed the drive. Penalties bogged down play throughout the contest, with each team flagged 10 times.

Peninsula’s Duren Miller drags down Rainier Beach’s Caleb Presley by the shoulder. Photo courtesy of Ed Johnson

The Vikings responded three plays later when quarterback Chance Guadiz found Caleb Presley from 57 yards out. Peninsula intercepted the two-point toss, but a penalty provided a second chance that knotted the score at 14.

After a quick Seahawks 3-and-out, Guadiz hit Jaelin Green with a 38-yard scoring strike. The extra point was blocked, and Rainier Beach settled for a 20-14 advantage. Peninsula marched to the 16-yard line on the ensuing drive, both helped and hindered by penalties, but ran out of time and missed a field goal as the half ran out.

Rainier Beach receiver Jaelin Green caught two long touchdown passes. He’s defended by Peninsula’s Isaac Smith. Photo courtesy of Ed Johnson

The teams traded long touchdown passes in the third quarter with the Vikings’ Green snagging his second from 44 yards out and the Seahawks responding on a 51-yard option toss to Dane Meddaugh that closed the deficit to 28-21.

Outside of that, the Comeback Seahawks couldn’t gain much momentum after the break, going 3-and-out on their first possession, losing 13 yards on the next, 3-and-out again and turning the ball over on downs their final two drives. Meanwhile, they had difficulty containing running back tandem Scottre Humphrey and Te’elijah Holloway, and the Vikings’ speedy receivers.

Peninsula running back Josh Hinkel darts toward a hole. Photo courtesy of Ed Johnson

But Peninsula pulled out all of the stops, including the halfback TD toss and a trick pass to Josh Hinkel on third-and-10 in the fourth quarter that gained 13 yards. Rainier Beach pulled a surprise of its own that all but sealed the win. On fourth-and-5 from its own 10 with about 4 minutes remaining and the Vikings up by 15, they picked up a first down on a fake punt.

Guadiz threw a fourth touchdown pass, a 1-yarder to Reymani Lopez in the first quarter. Humphrey capped the scoring early in the final period on a 1-yard run.

An official ducks under a pass headed for Peninsula receiver Austin Hansen. Photo courtesy of Ed Johnson

The Seahawks finished the season with a 7-2 record. Rainier Beach (7-3) will face unbeaten Bellevue next week in the quarterfinals.