The Spartans capped their most successful football season in recent memory Friday with a Homecoming/Senior Night 40-23 win against West Seattle that bumped their overall record to a sterling 5-3.

It was the latest in a series of dramatic steps forward for the previously struggling program under the guidance of Bainbridge High School Head Coach Jeff Rouser, who replaced longtime island football icon Andy Grimm in 2016, and in the wake of a league structure shakeup that ensured Bainbridge will no longer be forced to compete against such powerhouse programs as Eastside Catholic, O’Dea or Bishop Blanchet early in the year.

In the final year of Grimm’s tenure, the Spartans ended their season 2-8. Then, after Rouser’s debut at the helm, the island squad suffered through a brutal 1-7 season.

Last year, however, saw the Spartans step it up and enjoy their then-best season in some time: 5-4 overall.

The trend continued this year, and Friday, as the varsity football squad outscored the Wildcats (2-6) in every quarter save the third (a 0-0 slog, seemingly as interminable for the fans as the players).

Bainbridge leapt ahead early (13-6 in the first) and though West Seattle mounted a slight comeback in the second (10-6), ended the first half up 19-16.

The Spartan scoring effort was begun almost immediately with an epic 80-yard kickoff return touchdown by senior Max McLeod. Senior Tanner Shattuck made good with the kick.

McLeod scored the second TD of the night, too, that one on a 42-yard run.

In the second, Spartan senior Ryan Wilson scored on a 25-yard run. The two-point conversion failed.

The temperature plummeted, an eerie autumnal mist moved in, and an unexpected moon captivated the crowd when a (sort of) streaker took the field, a tall young man wearing a makeshift mask and shorts with the rear cut out. He assailed the field during the start of the halftime show, making an admittedly impressive escape by vaulting the fence on the far side of the field, near the aquatic center.

Things quickly became more wholesome again then, as the cheer squad and color guard performed to much acclaim, and seniors AJ Staff and Catherine Rolfes were crowned Homecoming King and Queen.

Then came the endless, scoreless third quarter.

Bainbridge came back big though, a fresh fire lit against the quickly-cooling night, to lead 21-7 in the fourth and seal the win.

Junior Alex Ledbetter reignited the Spartan scoring efforts with a 30-yard run. Wilson then made good with a 61-yard run, and Ledbetter closed things out for the night with a late-game 17-yard run.

Shattuck went 3-for-3 on the kicks.

Overall, Winker had a comparatively light night passing-wise: He managed just 35 yards and completed one of four attempts.

Wilson was the rushing king, racking up 183 yards in eight attempts.

Ledbetter chipped in

146 yards in 12 carries, Winker amassed 71 in 14 carries and McLeod 42 in just one.

McLeod also added 35 receiving yards to his record Friday.

Defensively, junior Elliott Weaver was the Spartan star: He managed nine tackles and two assists (three sacks).

Junior Charlie Hughes finished the game with eight tackles, three assists and one sack, and junior John Devlin had four tackles and one assist.

Senior Abe Muldrow junior Sio Peato each got one sack, as well, for Bainbridge.

The Westside game was the last one on the Spartan schedule, and it was also Senior Night. The team’s upperclassmen — Winker, Wilson, Shattuck, Nathaniel Mathisen, McLeod, Muldrow, Allan Griffiths, Mac Shelbert, Matthew Zuleger, Kyle Smit, Tyler Pickett and Alex Loleas — were recognized.