An 89-yard, last gasp drive capped by a touchdown and two-point conversion helped Sequim’s Wolves make their 2021 Homecoming a happy one.
With 77 seconds left in the game, Sequim quarterback Lars Wiker followed a lead of blockers into the end zone, and moments later slung a pass to Isaiah Moore for the deciding score in a 29-28 win over North Mason on Friday night.
“It was a little stressful,” Wiker said of the final drive. “(But) I knew our offense could explode at any moment.”
Sequim’s offense did exactly that early on, tallying two touchdowns in the opening five minutes for a 15-0 lead, but North Mason — behind the 154 rushing yards of Trevon Simons — chipped away to close the gap to 15-14 by halftime.
A Simons 9-yard scamper with 6:33 left in the third quarter gave the Bulldogs their first lead at 21-15, and two plays later Aiden Simons stepped in front of a Wiker pass for a 35-yard pick-six that put North Mason up 28-15.
But Wiker and company weren’t done. The sophomore quarterback found Moore for a 25-yard touchdown on a misdirection play that cut North Mason’s lead to 28-21 with 9:33 remaining.
“Lars really stepped up,” said senior Pryce Glasser, serving double duty on the offensive and defensive line this season.
“Our o-line really stepped up, and in the second half we got in the same mindset, started tackling together. We did what we had to do.”
The Bulldogs ran down the clock to about four-and-a-half minutes, when Wiker and company began their comeback. Starting from their own 11-year-line following a Bulldog punt, the Wolves used a mix of runs and short passes to push downfield, with Wiker going 6-of-7 for 66 yards.
His arcing sideline pass for go-to-receiver Kobe Applegate — one that the senior receiver first bobbled but managed to snag — set up Wiker’s scoring run and ensuing two-point play.
Sequim coach Erik Wiker chalked up his team’s grittiness to time spent focusing during the week in practice.
“Probably the best week of practice (all season),” Wiker said. “That definitely gave us a bit of an edge.”
Moore agreed.
“We had a good solid (week of) practice. It was like last year and the year before … it felt good again.”
The Bulldogs had one last chance, but a key holding penalty and an injury to their top running back doomed the Bulldogs.
Sequim got on the board quickly, with Applegate taking the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.
North Mason fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Wiker found receiver Brandon Wagner for an 11-yard TD pass.
Sequim and North Mason didn’t face each other last year. In 2019, Sequim won their league match-up, 27-16.
Thanks to early-season cancelations, North Mason has three games in eight days: Oct. 22 against Bremerton, Oct. 26 at North Kitsap and Oct. 29 against Bainbridge.
The lack of a common opponent wasn’tmuch of a factor for the Wolves facing North Mason this time around, Erik Wiker said.
“We know they’re a good program,” he said of the Bulldogs. “We had to overcome a lot of adversity (from the week prior).”
Sequim had just four penalties for 35 yards, compared to North Mason’s nine miscues for 80 yards.
Coming up
The Wolves look to finish the season strong with a pair of road games. Sequim is at Kingston on Friday, Oct. 22, and at Olympic (Silverdale) on Thursday, Oct. 28.
Kingston (0-5 in league play) has struggled this year, and Erik Wiker said the game may give an opportunity for Sequim to play some reserves who haven’t seen a lot of action yet this season.
Olympic League standings
North Kitsap 4-0
Olympic 4-1
Bremerton 3-2
Port Angeles 2-2
Bainbridge 2-3
North Mason 1-2
Sequim 2-4
Kingston 0-5
at Sequim 29, North Mason 28
Scoring
1st quarter
S — Applegate 85 kick return (Wagner kick), 11:46
S — Wagner 11 pass from Wiker (Applegate pass from Wiker), 7:22
NM — Steven 3 run (kick failed), 3:18
2nd quarter
NM — Steven 2 run (pass to A Simons), 0:47
3rd quarter
NM — T Simons 9 run (Borseth kick), 6:33
NM — A Simons 35 interception return (Borseth kick), 4:51
4th quarter
S — Moore 25 pass from Wiker (kick failed), 9:33
S — Wiker 5 run (Moore pass from Wiker), 1:17
Individual statistics
Rushing — S: Wiker 14-45, TD; Gockerell 5-20; Fitzgerld 2-98; King 1-2. NM: T. Simons 23-154, TD; Steven 8-28, 2 TDs; Ballein 2-19; McIntyre 3-(-3)
Passing — S: Wiker 14-25, 186 yards, 2 TDs, 2 Ints. NM: McIntyre 7-14, 76 yards
Receiving — S: Applegate 4-84; Moore 4-54, TD; Gockerell 2-20; Wagner 2-16, TD; Jennings 2-12. NM: Fase 3-35; J. Simons 2-26; McCormick 1-15; T. Simons 1-0
Team statistics
First downs — S 11, NM 13
Third down — S 4-8,NM 4-10
Fourth down — S 0-0, NM 1-2
Sequim receiver Kobe Applegate looks for more yardage after a catch in the first half of Sequim’s 29-28 win over North Mason on Oct. 16. Applegate led the team with 84 receiving yards. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
Sequim receiver Isaiah Moore breaks into the yardage after a catch in the first half of Sequim’s 29-28 win over North Mason on Oct. 16. Applegate led the team with 84 receiving yards. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
Sequim’s Aiden Gockerell, center, looks for running room in the Wolves’ 29-28 win over North Mason on Oct. 16. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
Sequim receiver Brandon Wagner hauls in an 11-yard touchdown catch from Lars Wiker as the Wolves top North Mason at Friday night’s Homecoming game. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
Sequim quarterback Lars Wiker tries to escape a sack in the second half of the Wolves’ 29-28, come-from-behind win. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
