EHS FOOTBALL: After loss to Panthers, EHS fights for playoffs

Despite having two long touchdown runs called back and a potential touchdown pass dropped, the Bonney Lake Panthers found a way to dominate Enumclaw 48-14 Friday evening in a packed Sunset Chev Stadium, which in the past couple of years has been a virtual house of horrors for the Hornets.

Despite having two long touchdown runs called back and a potential touchdown pass dropped, the Bonney Lake Panthers found a way to dominate Enumclaw 48-14 Friday evening in a packed Sunset Chev Stadium, which in the past couple of years has been a virtual house of horrors for the Hornets.

It was spooky how swiftly Bonney Lake bolted to a 27-7 halftime advantage.

EHS, coming off a loss to Lakes, had its hands full trying to contain Bonney Lake’s offense that averages 400 yards per game. Enumclaw relinquished 388 yards of total yards to the Panthers.

The South Puget Sound League 3A campaign finds the Panthers hosting Lakes at 7 p.m. Friday for the division championship.

Both teams are 4-0 in league as Lakes lost to Capital in overtime and Bonney Lake lost to Sumner in double overtime. Enumclaw can still slip into the playoffs with a 3-2 league mark if it can stave off Peninsula Friday in Orting.

Friday, Bonney Lake started with a pair of long touchdown rainbows tossed by Chris Brown to Austin Marshall.

The aerial tandem recorded its 17th and 18th touchdown hook-ups of the season, which leads the SPSL 3A by a considerable margin.

After the Panthers broke out to a 21-0 upper hand there was jubilation aplenty on the Bonney Lake sidelines, but BLHS coach Chad Barrett wasn’t about to let his squad forget last year.

One could not blame Barrett for being cautious, as last season the Panthers jumped out to the same 21-0 lead but EHS battled back to overcome BLHS.

“I’ve got a long memory,” Barrett said. “All I kept harping on in the locker room at intermission was do not let Enumclaw back into this game.”

Bonney Lake unveiled another facet of its offense in the second half, when Marcus Kaelin rolled up four short-range touchdowns, rumbling in from the 1-yard line times three and once from 16 yards.

EHS lost lineman and captain Kevin Knapp for the season with a broken arm.

Scoring for the maroon and gold were Jason Greer, who was on the receiving end of a 1-yard Dylan Podolak TD strike as halftime approached, and David Brazier, who broke loose for a 34-yard gallop.