From elation to deflation

Published 12:00 pm Wednesday, November 8, 2006

A dream season ends as the Spartans are bumped from the playoffs by Shorecrest, 21-14.

LEON H. BRIGHAM FIELD, SEATTLE – The Spartans had their chances, but big plays through the air were their downfall in a 21-14 loss to the Shorecrest Highlanders Friday night in a 3A state preliminary round game at Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center.

“(Shorecrest) did a nice job,” head coach Andy Grimm said. “We needed to find a way to stop them up top. That kid (quarterback Pierce Rankin) throws a great ball.”

Spartan running back Dayton Gilbreath, who had 25 carries for 205 yards and a touchdown, was disappointed after the loss in which Bainbridge failed to make crucial plays.

“There were so many plays,” Gilbreath said. “It’s rough for the seniors.”

Bainbridge went into the game hoping to stop Shorecrest’s star running back Grady Small from making any noise, and despite a few good runs here and there, he wasn’t much of a factor.

But Rankin stepped up and did his part, throwing a 44-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Ramos for the first score of the game.

Bainbridge came back, as quarterback Quinton Agosta converted on a third and three with a 17-yard bootleg to midfield.

He also converted on another third down with a pass to Max Kauffman that was caught between two defenders.

Running back Dayton Gilbreath did the rest, breaking off a 23-yard jaunt, then scoring from nine yards out to tie the game.

The Highland “Scots” took the lead with a 33-yard field goal from Elliot Richards at the 11:08 mark in the second quarter.

After a Quinton Agosta interception, his first in eight games, Shorecrest took it down the field again but stalled out, and Richards put another one through the posts from 33 yards out.

The Scots tried to drive down the field again, but linebacker Bryan Gilbreath sacked Rankin for an 12-yard loss that put them out of range.

Richards later missed on a 25-yard field goal just before the half.

In the third quarter, the Scots drove down to the Bainbridge 16 before Dane Hiett stepped in front of a pass at the 1 yard line and took it back 35 yards.

Dayton Gilbreath did the rest, carrying the ball seven times on the drive to the Shorecrest 10. Agosta then ran straight ahead for the score to put Bainbridge up by one.

On the Scots’ next drive, Rankin threw to Ramos for the go-ahead score, but Shorecrest was called for offensive pass interference.

The Scots controlled the ball for most of the fourth quarter and punctuated the long drive with a rainbow from Rankin to Ramos that sneaked through the arms of two defenders and into the receiver’s hands.

Rankin then made the two-point conversion with a pass to tight end Darren Sharpe.

“The times that we did pressure him we had some nice pressure and sacks, but you give a kid like that time, he can do some damage,” Grimm said.

The two teams traded punts, then on what ended up as the Spartans’ final drive, Agosta just missed on a long bomb to Mike Walsh.

He made another great throw to Kauffman on fourth down, but the Shorecrest defensive back made an equally fine play by tipping the ball away.

The Scots took care of the rest, driving the ball down the field to run out the clock.

Richards kicked a field goal, but Bryan Gilbreath was called for a penalty when he leaped over the long snapper. Shorecrest then took a couple of knees, officially ending Bainbridge’s playoff run.

For his efforts leading the Spartans to victory over Nathan Hale last week, Grimm was named the NFL High School Coach of the Week by the Seattle Seahawks.

The team will make a $500 donation to the program and Grimm will receive a $100 savings bond from Sterling Savings Bank.

But he’d trade it all for a win.

“It’s neat to get recognition, but if anything, it’s in recognition of our staff and our kids,” the Spartan coach said. “Bottom line is that when you have a great group of kids, they make you look pretty good.”

Bainbridge finishes the season at 8-2.