Braves sail to Orcas with playoff berth on line

Conner High can once again zero in on a fourth straight post-season grid appearance.

The Braves, who at one point in the campaign harbored only scant hopes of reaching the playoffs, find themselves clearly back in the mix.

This by virtue of a convincing 17-0 home victory over Friday Harbor.

By blanking the Wolverines, La Conner not only avenged an earlier 39-21 loss at Friday Harbor, but also improved to 5-2 in conference play going into tomorrow’s 1:30 p.m. NW2B finale on Orcas Island.

Should the Braves win the rare Thursday matinee contest, they would advance to meet either Raymond or Morton-White Pass in first round playoff action.

“It was a big win that put us in the driver’s seat for the State playoffs,” La Conner head coach Johnny Lee said after his club’s surprisingly easy triumph over the Wolverines.

La Conner, now 7-2 overall, defeated Friday Harbor for the first time since 2002.

“Beyond that,” Lee said, “the guys were able to play through some adversity and win a game that showed we can win with some grit. We played a very physical game, and I couldn’t be more happy with our defensive effort.”

Few would’ve expected La Conner to completely shut down a Friday Harbor attack that scored six touchdowns in the earlier meeting between the two teams.

But Lee and his staff were among those few.

“Defensively,” he stressed afterward, “the guys played their best game of the season. But it’s been something that’s been building for the last three weeks. Our guys seemed to play out of their minds. It was something that was really fun to watch and be part of.”

The outcome was decided upfront.

“Our interior linemen,” explained Lee, “made it tough for Friday Harbor to establish the run. Xavier Scott, Hunter Kroon, and Allen John played with a ton of heart that really got us going.

“Mopping things up behind them,” Lee added, “were Seth Schuh and Budda Luna.”

Schuh and Luna played key roles on offense, as well.

Both were part of a run game that netted nearly 200 yards for the Braves and helped La Conner control the clock while limiting Friday Harbor possessions.

It was Schuh’s 10-yard touchdown dash in the fourth period that sealed the win and revived La Conner’s playoff aspirations.

La Conner’s other TD came on some Halloween trickery, a 35-yard halfback pass from Cameron Hansen to Harrison Orkney just before halftime.

The Braves had taken an early 3-0 lead on Taylor Swanson’s 29-yard field goal in the first quarter.

“Offensively,” said Lee, “we were fairly balanced and did a real good job of getting a lot of guys touches, which makes us pretty difficult to defend.”

Hansen was one of six backs to earn carries, leading La Conner with 71 yards on eight attempts.

Quarterback Trey Johnson effectively managed a game plan that called for quick passes and running to the perimeter, thereby negating Friday Harbor’s size and aggressive style on defense.

Johnson finished with 11 completions in 22 attempts for 129 yards. Perhaps most important, he didn’t turn the ball over.

His favorite target was Orkney, who finished with four grabs for 64 yards.

The Braves won, despite the absence of two-way starter Jack Dixon, sidelined by injury. His spot was ably filled by Zach Harris, who drew praise from Lee and La Conner coaches.

“Zach started on both sides of the ball and played at a very high level,” Lee noted. “We didn’t miss a beat.”

Now La Conner fans are hoping the beat goes on at Orcas.