Sports - Local Colleges - Washington

POSTED: Sunday, Nov. 08, 2009

Kearse rises to occasion, comes down with TDs

Big plays: Lakes’ Jermaine Kearse pulls in two big catches for UW, but third one gets away in final minute

PASADENA, Calif. – Jermaine Kearse is officially listed at 6-foot-2 on the Washington Huskies roster.

When he jumps for passes in one-on-one situations against cornerbacks, he grows.

As tall as he needs to be.

On Saturday, the Lakes High product victimized two cornerbacks on opposite ends of the spectrum for the UCLA Bruins.

One – Alterraun Verner – is a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, and is one of the best cover men in the Pacific-10 Conference.

The other – Sheldon Price – has been torched by many receivers in what has become a growing-pains season for the freshman.

Kearse scored on touchdown grabs over each of them Saturday, giving the Huskies the lead in the second half.

But with the game on the line, and the UW driving late, it was Price who got his hand in the way of a Huskies’ comeback in UCLA’s 24-23 over the UW at The Rose Bowl.

Considering that Kearse was virtually uncoverable the entire afternoon, one couldn’t blame UW coach Steve Sarkisian for going downfield in the final minute, with the offense stationed just past midfield.

Kearse took Price with him 15 yards down the right sideline, and Jake Locker put another pass with plenty of air under it for the sophomore to go and get.

But Price went up, too, on a pass that was more inside than Locker intended, and knocked it up in the air. Safety Rahim Moore came down with the game-clinching interception with 54 seconds to go.

“You can’t blame Jake. He struck twice on two plays like that,” said Kearse, who finished with a game-high 114 receiving yards on seven receptions. “He tried to give me another chance. It was unfortunate. We had the chance. It didn’t go our way.”

In almost the exact spot in the south end zone, Kearse caught touchdown passes from Locker – a 17-yarder against Verner in the first quarter, and a 34-yarder over Price in the third quarter.

That second score gave the UW a 23-14 lead just 3:08 into the second half.

“He made some great catches for touchdowns today,” Locker said. “He’s done that for the last couple of weeks, and has made some big plays.”

Driving for a game-winning field goal try in the final minute, the UW had the ball at the Bruins’ 46 with a minute remaining. And Locker decided to give Kearse one more try.

Except Price got in the way.

“People are trying to pick on him and he hasn’t made a bunch of plays,” UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said. “But as he gets more confident, he has the opportunity to be one of the better corners in our league.”

Todd Milles: 253-597-8442

todd.milles@thenewstribune.com

blog.thenewstribune.com/uwsports