FORKS — Forks sophomore quarterback Lane Helvy’s last-gasp pass to the goal line just missed its intended target and Class 2A Sequim survived the 2B Spartans 18-14 in the nonconference gridiron opener for both teams Friday night at Spartan Stadium.
Up for much of the second half after erasing a 12-6 halftime deficit, Forks’ 4th-and-14 pass from the Wolves’ 36 was just shy of an open Noah Foster at the goal line in the final minute of play.
“I was impressed with our ability to work through adversity when we didn’t make the right play and made mistakes,” Sequim coach Ian Henley said.
Sequim utilized a two-quarterback system with Kaden Miller providing the aerial exploits, going 9-of-14 through the air for 158 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Wolves senior Zeke Schmadeke, last season’s starter at QB, showed his versatility all game, catching six passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead 8-yard TD reception from Miller with 7:20 to play. He also carried the ball eight times for 62 yards and completed two short screen passes.
“We had talked about it a little bit [using two QBs], but honestly the plan was to go with the way the game was flowing. We hadn’t had Zeke run at QB in practice too much because we have been trying to get him comfortable being the line up everywhere kids. We were able to get him into some stuff that he knew from last year and it worked out.”
With the game tied 6-6 late in the second quarter, Schmadeke switched to quarterback for the final Sequim drive of the first half, leading a series heavy on QB runs and a couple of short screen passes to Wiker and Hampton to put the Wolves on Forks’ side of the field.
Miller re-entered the game, and with Schmadeke back in the slot, the pair connected on a 25-yard vertical route touchdown straight up the left hash marks for a 12-6 Wolves lead with :04 left in the half.
“They are friends and work really well together,” Henley said. “It’s a great thing to have as a coach to know the teammates are supporting each other.”
Forks suffered a number of injuries during the contest, including losing senior quarterback/defensive back Landen Olson to a broken leg, along with a pair of starting offensive linemen and a defensive end.
Spartans coach Trevor Highfield said Olson was awaiting surgery at Harborview Hospital in Seattle on Saturday morning.
“It’s a tough deal for our team,” Highfield said. “To lose the leadership that Landen provides is rough on us. He’s such a quality young man, he was watching us play on his phone while in the ambulance to Seattle and he was texting Lane, telling him how well he played.”
Foster returned the ensuing squib kick down to the Wolves’ 10-yard line before being chased down as the halftime horn sounded.
“Silas Hager, a freshman got the start at cornerback for us with some kids still missing practices and he made the touchdown-saving tackle on that kick return before halftime,” Henley said. “He was one of our young kids to really step up.”
Forks controlled the clock on the ground to open the second half, chewing off 6:06 of the third quarter before Helvy found Steffan open for a 21-yard touchdown reception on 3rd-and-18.
“Lane is a real steady competitor and we had bounced back and forth on making that decision on him being the starter this year because he does throw a good ball,” Highfield said.
“And he’s a true dual threat,with the ability to run and throw. He trusted his receivers, that TD pass to Cash, we told him to throw it up to this exact place to this guy and that was right on. He did the things we were able to communicate to him. He showed poise under fire. He’s exciting player, tough on both sides of the ball.”
The teams traded interceptions on ensuing possessions with Forks coughing up a big chance to take its first lead of the game with an ill-timed throw picked off by Sequim’s Patrick Elias in the endzone.
“[Lane] struggled at times as well,” Highfield said. “We give our no. 2 QB a lot of run in practice, but a senior’s voice carries a little different than a sophomore.”
But a poor Sequim long snap on a punt attempt went out of the back of the end zone to give Forks a 14-12 lead with 3:14 left in the third quarter.
Penalties and a bad shotgun snap pushed Sequim back to its own 1-yard line to begin the fourth quarter.
With the Wolves penned in deep, a 40-yard Estevan Ramos punt return touchdown came off the scoreboard due to Forks penalties.
Schmadeke’s 31-yard punt return set the Wolves up at the Forks 44 for the go-ahead touchdown drive and the senior capped the drive off with another TD catch up the seam with 7:20 left.
Sequim senior Malachi Hampton turned a short in route in to a 25-yard catch-and-run score for the games’ first score.
Helvy’s first touchdown pass came on a well-thrown 14-yard pass to Cash Barajas all alone in the far corner of the end zone to tie the score at 6-all.
Sequim (1-0) visits Class 4A Mariner of Mukilteo on Friday.
Forks (0-1) visits Port Angeles at Civic Field at 7 p.m. Friday.
In other games this weekend, Granite Falls beat East Jefferson 47-0 and Lummi beat Quilcene 46-22.
Sequim 18, Forks 14
Forks 0 6 8 0 — 14
Sequim 6 6 0 6 — 18
First Quarter
Seq — Hampton 25 pass from Miller (PAT failed) 3:44.
Second Quarter
Forks — Barajas 14 pass from Helvy (Run failed) 2:55
Seq — Schmadeke 25 pass from Miller (PAT blocked) :04.
Third Quarter
Forks — Steffan 21 pass from Helvy (run failed) 5:54
Forks — Safety: Sequim snap goes through back of endzone 3:14.
Fourth Quarter
Seq — Schmadeke 8 pass from Miller (run failed) 7:20.
Individual stats
Passing
Forks — Helvy 9-17-101, INT, 2 TDs.; Olson 2-3-7.
Sequim — Miller 9-14-158, 3 INTs, 3 TDs; Schmadeke 2-3-14.
Rushing
Sequim — Wiker 12-67, Schmadeke 8-62, Miller 2 (-14).
Forks — Highfield 8-45; Helvy 13-15; Ward 3-12; Olson 3- (-15).
Receiving
Sequim — Schmadeke 6-101; Hampton 2-39, Keeler 1-25, Tuller 1-8, Wiker 1-6.
Forks — Steffan 5-57; Highfield 1-16; Ramos 2-15, Barajas 1-14, Ward 2-6.
