Before the season started, senior wide receiver Anthony Hutchinson and junior running back Thomas Lewis were not in the best position on the Lake Stevens varsity football team. Hutchinson was healing an injured knee suffered during the jamboree, and Lewis was buried in the depth chart as the third-string running back to senior Kayshawn Mounarath and junior Jackson Grafe.

The two players showed why they shouldn’t be taken lightly, as they combine for 383 yards and 4 touchdowns (TD) in a 63-14 shellacking of Glacier Peak on October 6 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Snohomish.

As they have done all year, Lake Stevens gets on the board right on the very first offensive play, as Lewis takes it in for a 44 yard score for a quick 7-0 lead with 10:15 left in the first quarter.

Glacier Peak was quick to respond, though, as junior quarterback Ayden Ziomas capped off a 9-play, 65-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7 with 6:55 left in the first period.

Lake Stevens quickly responds with a 1-yard touchdown run by Lewis to take a 14-7 lead with 5:13 left, to cap off a 5-play, 80-yard drive, highlighted by a big passing play from senior quarterback Conor Bardue to Hutchinson for a 59-yard gain.

Unlike other teams that Lake Stevens played throughout the season, Glacier Peak takes full notice of the score, and ties the game again on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Ziomas to senior wide receiver Bo Burns to make the score 14-14 with 2:32 left. Although, before the quarter ends, the Vikings retake the lead with another rushing touchdown by Lewis, this time from 8 yards out, to take a 21-14 lead going into the second quarter.

On the Vikings’ first drive of the second quarter, it was Lewis who led them down the field to the 1-yard line, but it was senior Austin Calvin who ran it in for the score to increase the lead to 28-14.

But when Lake Stevens got the ball back, they faced a little dilemma. It was 4th and 18 on Glacier Peaks’ 33 yard line, and the Vikings responded with a screen pass from senior quarterback Conor Bardue to junior Ian Hanson that resulted in a 33-yard touchdown pass, to, once again, increase the lead to 35-14 with 5:09 left in the first half.

Just as halftime was along the horizon, Glacier Peak was threatening to trim the Vikings’ lead when, with 44 seconds left, Ziomas throws a deep ball, intended for Burns, that is overthrown and intercepted by Hutchinson in the end zone to seal the first half with a 35-14 lead.  

When the second half began, and Lake Stevens got the ball first, Bardue decided to join in on the fun of running the football. Hee ran one in for a 17-yard score, as the Vikings increased their lead again to 42-14 with 8:56 left in the third quarter. Then, after the Grizzlies turn the ball over on downs, the Vikes score on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Bardue to senior wide receiver Austin Murren for his first score of the night, as the third quarter ends in a 49-14 Vikings lead.

As usual, when the Vikings go they won’t stop. As Thomas Lewis gets his fourth rushing touchdown of the night with a 2-yard scamper with 10:27 left in the game. What happened next was almost unthinkable.

On the first play of the drive for Glacier Peak, sophomore backup quarterback Colton St. Jean has his first pass of the night intercepted by junior Austin Lucas at Glacier Peaks’ 35 yard line, and returns it for a touchdown, to reach 60 points for the second time this year.

Bardue finished the night going 19 for 24 for 319 yards and throwing for 2 touchdowns in the win. He has now thrown for 1,425 yards and 18 touchdowns through 6 games this year.

Lewis led the rushing attack by miles, running with the ball 19 times for 172 yards and 4 touchdowns. He now has ran the ball 51 times for 418 yards and 7 touchdowns this year. Anthony Hutchinson led the team, and possibly the state, in receiving this week with 8 catches for 211 yards, including 4 for 117 in the first half.

As usual, the Lake Stevens defense was on-par, sacking the quarterback 7 times for the second straight week. Senior Matthew Sevao is having another monster season in the trenches as he had 4 of the seven sacks committed by the defense in this game. This brings up his sack total to 13 on the year, and is steadily approaching the state record of 15, which he achieved last season.

Your 5-1 Lake Stevens Vikings aim to continue their quest for their fifth straight Wesco championship, as they travel to Goddard Stadium in Everett on October 13 to face the Kamiak Knights, who fell to 1-5 after losing to Jackson 34-14 on October 6.