Football: Sequim Wolves topple Tigers in non-league matchup

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, September 21, 2016

All about the pass? Think again.

Sequim running backs Tyler Conn and Keeshawn Whitney ran for a combined 159 yards and four touchdowns as Sequim showed some versatility in upending their hosts from Centralia 28-14 on Sept. 16.

The Tigers (2-1) jumped out to a lead when quarterback Joey Aliff made a 55-yard pass to Derker Baumel; a failed kick left the game a 6-0.

Sequim (2-1) responded with a scoring drive capped by Whitney’s eight-yard run. A Riley Cowan extra point made it 7-6 Sequim after the first quarter.

The Wolves extended the lead on a Whitney 30-yard scamper to pull ahead 13-6, but Jose Pineda scored on a three-yard rush and Aliff found Pineda for a two-point conversion to give Centralia, 14-13.

Sequim shut out the Tigers in the second half, however, getting a key stop on a Centralia drive and bouncing back with a 97-yard drive of their own, capped by a five-yard rushing TD from Conn in the third quarter.

Sequim got a TD rush from Conn, an eight-yard run, in the fourth quarter and a pair of interceptions from James Thayer and Payton Glasser to seal the victory.

Conn, a junior, finished with 98 yards on 11 carries. Whitney, a sophomore, had 61 yards on 11 attempts.

Cowan, the Sequim quarterback, was 10-of-19 for 98 yards and two interceptions. The Tigers held top SHS receiver Gavin Velarde to 32 yards on six receptions; Kyler Rollness led Sequim with 48 yards on two catches.

Wolves kick off Olympic League play on Sept. 23 when they travel to Bremerton. Last year, the Knights edged Sequim 27-20 to knock the Wolves out of postseason play.