CK makes things tough on Wolves

In the three years since the Olympic League joined the Narrows League, no team has challenged South Kitsap’s dominance of the football field like Central Kitsap has.

“They always play us tough,” SK coach D.J. Sigurdson said on Friday night after the Wolves stopped several Cougar drives for a 25-14 Bridge Division win.

The Cougars won the 2001 matchup and almost had it in 2002 until the Wolves mounted a last-minute touchdown drive.

Playing another nailbiter wasn’t in SK’s plans early, as the Wolves’ touchdowns on their first three drives in the first quarter let them take an 18-0 lead. Shannon Haney got things going with a nine-yard run, followed five minutes later by a two-yard run by Jon Shepherd.

The Wolves took advantage of a 22-yard punt return by Richard Fein which set up Josh Fullington’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Fein with 13 seconds remaining.

The only struggles the Wolves had was with their kicking game which failed to score on the three point-after at-tempts.

But unlike the game against Bremerton, Sigurdson said he left his starters on both sides of the ball stay in the game against the 0-4 Cougars.

“CK’s a lot better team than their record indicates,” said Sigurdson, whose Wolves improved to 2-0 in league play (2-1 overall).

The Cougars got on the scoreboard just over three minutes into the second quarter as quarterback Nick LaFontaine connected with tight end Matt Afalava on a 22-yard pass up the heart of the SK defense.

Afalava, a 6-4, 235-pound tight end, who didn’t suit up against Gig Harbor after leaving practice Sept. 18, was back in the CK lineup after coach Mark Keel said he made amends with his teammates.

Keel refused to elaborate on the subject except for saying, “We took care of it as a team.”

Afalava finished with 68 yards on five catches, including a 10-yard pass late in the fourth quarter that set up LaFontaine’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Joel Godsoe for the game’s final score.

The Wolves sealed the win on the opening kickoff of the second half when Chris Anderson rumbled his 5-9, 215-pound body as fast as he could for 70 yards and a touchdown.

“I’ve been working on my speed,” Anderson said, as the senior noted this was his longest run so far of the season. “The coaches were just yelling at me to ‘go, go, go.’ ”

“You always want your seniors to have big games, and he sure has been a big part of what we’re doing,” Sigurdson said.

While the Wolves made big plays on defense, the Cougars did outgain them in overall offense 244 yards to 169. Fullington, a senior, was 3-for-6 for 40 yards and was sacked once. LaFontaine, a junior, was 18-of-35 for 188 yards.

He also was intercepted by SK’s David Walthall just before the end of the first half that ended a 45-yard CK drive.

“I shouldn’t have thrown that one,” LaFontaine said.

The Cougars have the early 5 p.m. game this Friday at Silverdale Stadium against 2-0 (3-1) Shelton and the tough running game of Isiah Taito.

South Kitsap ends its long road trip with its home opener against Olympic (0-2, 2-2).

“It’s going to be good to be able to finally play in front of our fans at home,” Sigurdson said.

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