Snohomish capitalized on a late-second-quarter opportunity to extend its lead over Everett during Friday’s Wesco 3A matchup at Everett Memorial Stadium. With the clock showing 36 seconds remaining in the first half, the Panthers held a 14-6 advantage and possessed the ball on their own 17-yard line. Rather than opting for a conservative play to end the half, coach Eric Solbakken elected to continue the drive, consistent with his team’s aggressive approach in their previous possessions.
The sequence concluded with a 52-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Nate Kendall to junior Dakota Booth. Snohomish had gained 15 yards on an Everett penalty and 16 yards on a run by junior Bryson Acosta before the final score. This put the visitors ahead 21-6 at the break.
Booth noted that while the score remained tied in terms of winning or losing, the shift in momentum was significant. He emphasized that the team’s focus remained on executing every play with intensity upon returning to the field.
The Panthers (4-1 overall, 2-0 in the league) executed that plan effectively in the second half. They recovered a muffed kickoff to start the third quarter and picked up a fumble on Everett’s (2-3, 0-2) initial offensive play minutes later. Converting both turnovers into touchdowns, Snohomish secured a 49-21 final victory.
Everett’s defensive strategy successfully limited the Panthers’ rushing attack during the first half. Acosta, the primary ball carrier, managed only 47 yards before the final drive of the first period. However, the ground game improved as Solbakken integrated sophomore Dash DeRousse and senior Luke Sage into two- and three-back formations. Acosta finished the game with 103 rushing yards and three total scores.
Solbakken stated that utilizing multiple running backs provided extra visual distractions for the defense, allowing the offensive line to establish better blocks and reestablish the running game as a central part of the team’s identity. He acknowledged that Everett adjusted well but that his team aimed to wear them down.
Despite strong defensive scheming, the Seagulls were hindered by seven turnovers committed by their offense and special teams. These errors, which included three fumbles, an interception, a turnover on downs, a muffed kick, and a blocked punt that was scooped for a touchdown, directly resulted in 28 points for Snohomish.
Everett coach Mark Stewart attributed the loss to excessive mistakes against high-quality opponents. He observed that these errors led to players losing confidence and misreading assignments in recent weeks. Stewart indicated that while the program is improving, it has not yet reached its full potential.
For Everett, junior Nicholas Voetberg accumulated 122 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown. Junior Henry Selders contributed a touchdown reception and an interception, along with several other defensive plays. On the Snohomish side, Kendall completed 14 of 21 passes for 210 yards, accounting for three total touchdowns and one interception. The Panthers’ defense saw widespread contributions, with nearly every player recording at least one impact play.
On the opening possession, the Seagulls were forced to punt after three plays. The Panthers then moved the ball, but a mishandled snap on a first-down play resulted in a fumble recovered by a Snohomish sophomore at the Seagulls' 30-yard line. The Panthers' offense advanced to inside the Everett 10, but on fourth down, the Seagulls' defense stopped the Panthers' ball carrier short of the marker, resulting in a turnover on downs.
The Snohomish defense again provided favorable field position for its offense. A Snohomish senior intercepted a pass near midfield and returned it to the 15-yard line. The Seagulls' defense responded by stopping two consecutive run plays and forcing an incomplete pass on fourth down with 3:14 remaining in the first period.
"That's when our energy started to rise, honestly," the senior said of his interception. "It was like a snowball almost. It kept rolling, getting bigger. Our energy was getting bigger, and we just kind of popped off after that."
The Panthers' defense forced another three-and-out. Facing fourth down at the Everett 46-yard line to start the second quarter, the team's coach decided to go for it. On the attempt, the quarterback connected with a receiver for a 16-yard gain along the sideline. Following several short runs and screen passes, the quarterback scored on a two-yard rush, giving Snohomish a 7-0 lead with 8:12 left in the first half. The Panthers finished the game converting three of six fourth-down attempts, but each successful conversion resulted in a touchdown.
"Philosophically speaking, with [the quarterback] back there, we feel like we have the opportunity at least to play all four downs in a drive," the coach said. "There's nothing else to do other than that, really. I mean, it's just playing the numbers and having four downs and really playing with those yardages on all four downs as opposed to three."
Everett immediately answered. Under pressure, a Seagulls defender intercepted a pass, but the quarterback tripped him up to prevent a touchdown return. A Snohomish sophomore then scored on a 33-yard rushing touchdown on the ensuing play. However, the Seagulls missed the extra point, leaving the score at 7-6.
On the following drive, a Seagulls defender broke up a pass on third down, forcing a punt. Momentum shifted back to Snohomish when a Panthers senior blocked the punt, and a sophomore recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown, making the score 14-6 with 3:16 left in the half.
Seeking to tie the game before halftime, the Seagulls advanced into the red zone with a series of quick passes. A tackle by a Panthers senior on a running play led to an incomplete pass on fourth down, turning the ball over to Snohomish on its own 17-yard line with 36 seconds remaining. The quarterback then connected with a receiver for a gain that extended the Panthers' lead.
Touchdowns on the ground from Acosta and Sage capped possessions that began after fumble recoveries on the second-half kickoff and on Everett's first offensive series, pushing the score to 35-6 midway through the third quarter. The Seagulls added two more touchdowns before the game concluded, as did Acosta, who broke through the middle of the defense for a 31-yard touchdown run in the third period and later caught a 16-yard scoring pass in the fourth.
With a record of 4-1, Snohomish has already surpassed its win total from the prior season, when it finished 3-7, and anticipates further victories based on the complementary style of play it demonstrated.
"We proved that were a strong team when we come together," Booth said. "We play great. When we make big plays and were always there for each other, its just how we are as a team."