After a 22-point comeback to beat Glacier Peak on Oct. 10 and a big win at its homecoming game on Oct. 17, there was some fear that Mountlake Terrace may not have been emotionally up for its non-league matchup with 2A Kingston, a squad with just one win this season. But the Hawks laid those fears to rest as they pummeled the Buccaneers 49-14 on Friday night in Kingston.

The victory gave Terrace (5-1 in Wesco, 7-1 overall) seven wins so far this season, a high water mark only achieved twice previously in school history, in 1971 and 1972.

“I’m glad the team didn’t suffer any letdown after a couple more-emotionally charged games,” said Hawk coach Tony Umayam. “And they had to deal with the potential distraction of having to take a ferry over here and play at a place you’ve never been.”

The Terrace offense found Buccaneers’ field quite to their liking as they grounded out 453 yards of total offense and scored touchdowns on seven of their eight possessions.

Senior Malcolm Johnson led the Hawk running attack with 147 yards on 18 carries and three touchdowns, giving credit to his offensive line for his rushing totals. “They had a good week of practice going into this game,” Johnson pointed out.

“The offense is really on fire right now,” Umayam added.

Hawk Ryan Lacasse rushed for two touchdowns and scored a third on a 4-yard pass from Justin Hopkins. Sammy Abraha also found the end zone for Terrace on a 2-yard run in the third quarter.

Led by sophomore quarterback Jack Colleto, Kingston’s offense showed some spark at times, but eventually got worn down by the Hawks’ physical and opportunistic defense. The Buccaneers offense picked up just 10 first downs and 197 yards in total offense, turned the ball over twice on a Gabe Brady interception and a fumble during a fake punt attempt, and held possession of the ball only 6:46 of the 24-minute second half.

Umayam liked the focus he saw in his squad during the road victory. “That goes to show that the mentality of the team is pretty sound,” he said. “The leadership on this team, especially the senior class, is very mentally tough.”

The Hawks, and their fans, were in a celebratory mood following the game and on the ferry ride back home afterwards, singing, chanting and marching around the boat as it sailed to Edmonds. Umayam noted that the team’s win total of seven so far this season was reason to celebrate.

“That’s the most I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Umayam said. “We’ve had six; we’ve had five, but never had seven. That’s pretty exciting. (The players) have a great argument saying that they’ve one of the most successful teams in Terrace history.”

The Hawks have at least two more opportunities this season to add to their win total. They are scheduled to play a Wesco 3A seeding game on Friday, Oct. 31, then will take on a district playoff opponent the first weekend in November.

Terrace is to face the loser of Friday’s Marysville-Pilchuck—Oak Harbor matchup, but that game was cancelled in light of the fatal shooting that occurred earlier in the day in Marysville. The Wildcats coaching staff has offered to forfeit the game to Marysville-Pilchuck, setting up a potential Mountlake Terrace—Oak Harbor seeding game matchup.

Umayam was impressed with the Wildcat offer of a forfeit to Marysville-Pilchuck. “That’s a pretty classy move on Oak Harbor’s part because, obviously, coach (Brandon) Carson (Marysville-Pilchuck head coach) has things way more important than football to focus on right now.”

If the Oak Harbor forfeit offer is accepted and approved, the Hawk—Wildcat game would be for the Wesco No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in cistrict play and would tentatively take place in Oak Harbor, 7 p.m. on Oct. 31.

– By Doug Petrowski

Updated at 10 a.m. with photos. 

MTHS Football vs. Kingston

Terrace         14        21        14        0          —          49
Kingston          7          0          0        7          —          14

First Quarter
7:11 Ryan Lacasse (MTHS) 8-yard TD run; PAT kick good
3:32 Jack Colleto (KHS) 45-yard TD pass to Josh Iles; PAT kick good
:19 Malcolm Johnson (MTHS) 3-yard TD run; PAT kick good

Second Quarter
9:25 Malcolm Johnson (MTHS) 2-yard TD run; PAT kick good
4:30 Ryan Lacasse (MTHS) 23-yard TD run; PAT kick good
:25 Justin Hopkins (MTHS) 4-yard TD pass to Ryan Lacasse; PAT kick good

Third Quarter
5:29 Sammy Abraha (MTHS) 2-yard TD run; PAT kick good
1:07 Malcolm Johnson (MTHS) 4-yard TD run; PAT kick good

Fourth Quarter
6:47 Jack Colleto (KHS) 8-yard TD pass to Tanner Draper; PAT kick good

Records: Mountlake Terrace 5-1 in Wesco, 7-1 overall; Kingston 1-4 in Olympic League, 1-7 overall

MTHS next game: at Oak Harbor, Friday, Oct. 31 (tentative)