Spartans surge late, defeat Nathan Hale 32-6

Bainbridge forces four turnovers, gets big game from Dayton Gilbreath. LEON H. BRIGHAM FIELD, SEATTLE - Without Bryan Gilbreath, the Bainbridge football team overcame penalties and a slow start to beat the Nathan Hale Raiders 32-6 in the Metro crossover game Friday night at Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center to earn the number three seed.

October 27, 2006 5:00 pm
Spartan senior Nick Stone rolls over a Nathan Hale defender en route to his big 80 yard kick return during the Metro crossover game Friday night at Memorial Stadium in Seattle.
Spartan senior Nick Stone rolls over a Nathan Hale defender en route to his big 80 yard kick return during the Metro crossover game Friday night at Memorial Stadium in Seattle.

Bainbridge forces four turnovers, gets big game from Dayton Gilbreath.

Posted at 9:25 p.m.

LEON H. BRIGHAM FIELD, SEATTLE – Without Bryan Gilbreath, the Bainbridge football team overcame penalties and a slow start to beat the Nathan Hale Raiders 32-6 in the Metro crossover game Friday night at Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center to earn the number three seed.

Dayton Gilbreath rushed for an unofficial 202 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns.

The Spartans started out slow in the first quarter and committed several penalties, while the Raiders came out with intensity.

Eric Guttorp kicked a 37-yard field goal to put Nathan Hale on the board first.

In the second quarter, Bainbridge caught a break when Alex Carter intercepted a pass. Ross Cobb and Dayton Gilbreath then combined to drive the Spartans down the field, and Dane Hiett scored on a 33 yard touchdown run.

After another Guttorp field goal, Nick Stone stayed on his feet after a big hit on the kickoff return and took it 80 yards to the Nathan Hale 17.

Dayton Gilbreath did the rest as he scored untouched from the right side, but the extra point was blocked.

In the third, the Raiders got a big pass play from Kiel Rasp, but the drive stalled and Jake Hoel’s pass was intercepted in the end zone by Kyle Petheram.

Nether team could score in the third, however, but Bainbridge got two big plays from Dayton Gilbreath in the fourth quarter to take it down to the Nathan Hale three-yard line.

He had to leave the game with cramps and the drive stalled when the Raiders blocked a field goal.

Nathan Hale had to punt it back. Two plays later, Max Kauffmann ran it in from 23 yards out.

On Hale’s next drive, Kiyle Playter, filling in for Bryan Gilbreath at defensive end, picked off a screen pass and ran it back 53 yards for the game clinching score.

Dayton Gilbreath scored another touchdown – this time from 35 yards out – to finish the scoring.

The Spartans play next Friday at Memorial Stadium against the Wesco #2 seed, which could be Arlington, Shorecrest or Everett depending on how the tiebreakers play out.