Breaking down the Class 1B State Championship Game

First quarter recap

Quick summary

Almira-Coulee-Hartline jumped out to a quick lead on a seven-play, 64-yard drive ending with a 19-yard trot by Dallas Isaak. But the Blackhawks responded with a 54-yard drive of their own. Hank Hoskins got four carries, including a 3-yard touchdown run, and Lummi pounded the Warriors with nine rushes, making clear the gameplan for this one. Free Borsey, Raven Borsey and Dashawn Lawrence also had touches for the rushing attack. ACH was able to retake the lead with an 81-yard drive, capped by a 30-yard touchdown pass from Isaak to Charles Hunt. The drive also included Isaak runs of 20 and 11 yards and passes of 18, 12 and 10.

Key play

The Warriors were proving to be unstoppable, as the runs transitioned to deep passes, including an 18-yard connection between Hunt and Isaak to get down to the Lummi 11-yard line. But a bad snap that forced Isaak to fall on the ball 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage put the Warriors in a precarious position. That was until Isaak hit Hunt over the top for a 30-yard touchdown pass.

Star of the quarter

Lummi knew the test it had in do-it-all QB Dallas Isaak entering the contest, but the quarterback still crafted remarkable drives for the Warriors and out worked the Lummi defense like no team had in the Class 1B State Playoffs. Isaak had his two touchdown plays and picked up most of ACH’s 128 yards in the quarter. He gave the Blackhawks all they could handle and more.

Second quarter recap

Quick summary

The quarter started with Lummi’s first pass of the day, a 26-yarder from Jonathan Casimir to Free Borsey to put the Blackhawks at the 3-yard line, where Hank Hoskins scored his second touchdown of the game with a run up the middle to tie the score at 14. Almira-Coulee-Hartline’s unstoppable offense continued to roll down the field, though, going on drives of 67, 52 and 70 yards all resulting in touchdowns. Dallas Isaak scored another three TDs. The Blackhawks’ two possessions also went for touchdowns, as well as a 52-yard onside kick return touchdown by Free Borsey. Hoskins scored his third TD of the game midway through.

Notable drive

Isaak could have added a 56-yard rushing touchdown to his day but offsetting penalties wiped out the run. But the officials weren’t done putting their face on this drive — the Warriors’ first of the quarter. An unnecessary but rightly called pass interference penalty and a questionable roughing the passer penalty on the Blackhawks continued to push the Warriors down the field until they found the end zone.

Star of the quarter

Isaak may have been the leader of the offense yet again this quarter, but wideout Payton Nielsen came up big a few times for the Warriors. He caught touchdown passes of 2 and 23 yards, as the Warriors took a 38-28 lead. The first was when he got open just in time as Isaak was getting drilled, and the second was on a little trickery. Isaak rolled one way, and two Warriors went the other. Nielsen was there to grab the pass.

Third quarter recap

Quick summary

Finally, things started going the Blackhawks’ way. They opened the period with a 66-yard drive, getting down to the Warriors’ 1-yard line but were forced to turn the ball over on downs. A fumble on the Warriors’ next possession, recovered by Raven Borsey, led to a 2-yard touchdown run by Hank Hoskins — his fourth of the game. Lummi’s defense then forced a turnover on downs, before the Blackhawks went on a six-play, 58-yard drive ending with a 11-yard pass from Jonathan Casimir to Free Borsey. The Blackhawks regained the lead and looked the aggressor for the first time in the game in this quarter.

Key play

On Lummi’s second touchdown drive of the quarter, the Blackhawks faced a tough fourth-and-22. Casimir dropped back, could have hit an open Trazil Lane over the top but held onto it until Hank Hoskins came free. Hoskins caught the pass in the flat before rumbling the necessary 22 yards, barely picking up the first down. The next play went for 11 yards for a touchdown, and the Blackhawks took the lead due to a timely big play.

Star of the quarter

Free Borsey switched to defensive end to shut down Dallas Isaak, and it worked, holding the Warriors to just 29 total yards in the third quarter. Borsey also caught an 11-yard shovel pass from Casimir and took it to the house. While it didn’t convert to points, Borsey also recovered an onside kick following his touchdown reception. The two-way junior was instrumental in the Blackhawks retaking the lead.

Fourth quarter recap

Quick summary

The quarter started off rocky for the Blackhawks, as Hank Hoskins fumbled the ball to start the period. But after a big Dallas Isaak run, the Blackhawks defense held firm, forcing a turnover on downs. Lummi then went 38 yards, including an 11-yard pass from Jonathan Casimir to Raven Borsey. The Blackhawks were knocking on the door until John Ballew nearly scored a touchdown but fumbled at the 1-yard line, where ACH recovered. The Warriors then went on a seven-play, 99-yard game-winning drive, scoring a touchdown with just 1:35 left on the clock. Lummi then went four-and-out ending with a sack, and the Warriors walked off winners.

Key play

John Ballew had green in front of him as he rumbled 15, 16, 17 yards toward the end zone, but at the last second two Warriors converged on him, and the ball came loose. An ACH player recovered at the 1-yard line keep the Warriors in the game and set up a 99-yard drive.

Star of the quarter

Charles Hunt’s big day went unnnoticed, as his quarterback racked up 435 total yards. But the versatile offensive weapon caught nine passes for 192 yards and a touchdown in the game. On the game-winning drive, Hunt’s ability to outleap the athletic Trazil Lane to catch a 51-yard pass gave the Warriors plenty of time to work with on their way to the end zone. Hunt also ended up being the one to pound the ball in on a pitch from 3 yards out to take the lead, and ultimately, the win.

This story was originally published December 4, 2015 at 10:43 PM with the headline "Breaking down the Class 1B State Championship Game."