Lake Washington won its first game of the season and handed Mercer Island its first loss on Friday night in 3A KingCo football action.
In the 21-2 upset victory at LW on homecoming night, Hudson Jones scored twice and James Gardner tallied once for the Kangs. Quarterback Jakson Voelker connected with Jones twice on TD passes of 5 and 25 yards, and Gardner scored on a 4-yard run.
Kang head coach Andy Arena said his senior leaders held a team meeting the week leading up to the game to provide motivation for the remainder of the season. The players worked hard in practice, Arena added, and the coaches and players executed their game plan of running the ball strong and protecting the ball against a tough MI defense.
LW moved the ball well and notched first downs, and both of Voelker’s TD throws were on play-action passes.
“We were confident we could win the game,” Arena said. “Our kids were definitely excited afterwards and now it gives us a chance to make the playoffs.”
Defensively, the Kangs put the clamps on MI inside the LW 20-yard line and the visitors missed a couple field goals. LW’s Levani Eneliko amassed five sacks and Taylor Rickels snagged an interception.
Arena said that consistency in practice and securing the football and playing solid defense in games will be the Kangs’ plan the rest of the way.
LW (1-2 in league and 1-6 overall) will travel to Interlake at 7 p.m. on Friday.
* Juanita beat Interlake, 41-12, on Friday.
The Rebels rushed for 332 yards, led by Isaiah Eubanks with 90 yards and a 41-yard TD run. Other TD runs were from Jake Languein (48 yards), Brayden Brown (20 yards) and Dylan Villegas (15 yards). Quarterback Jake Hohu was 2-of-2 passing with TDs to Connor Freinik and Connor Blackburn for 39 yards each.
On the interception front, Eubanks, Blackburn and Brown all snagged one each.
It was senior night for Ruthie Childers, Romeon Greve, Connor Bell, Eubanks, Dom Paribello, Sebastian Garcia, Zavier Baldwin, Joseph Villanueva, Languein, Hohu and Ernesto Ramirez, and they were celebrated after the game with their families.
Head coach Lele Te’o had this to say to his seniors: “I’m proud of the work and energy that you’ve put into our school and our community. Thank to you to our senior families for the many memories and allowing our staff to coach your players. Congrats to our class of 2019. Go Rebs.”
Juanita (1-2 league and 4-3 overall) will travel to Bellevue at 7 p.m. on Friday.
