By Linda Williams Rorem
Special to the Reporter
Optimism filled the visitors’ stands on Friday night when Islander Nicky Sinclair received the kickoff and scored a remarkable 95-yard touchdown.
“It was a big moment,” says head coach Brett Ogata. “It was a big stepping stone for our program, coming out against a really tough team and not being afraid to do well.”
The Islanders kept the momentum going, making Bellevue go three and out on their very first offensive possession.
“I’ve never seen that with the Islanders against Bellevue,” Ogata said.
Bellevue came back strong, however, with junior running back Latelle Dukes scoring three times in the first quarter, running for a total of 71 yards.
In the second quarter, Bellevue made three more unanswered touchdowns, including an 88-yard run by Myles Jack, a sophomore, leaving the halftime score at a deflating 42-7.
During halftime, Ogata reports, “I didn’t go to the chalkboard. I told [the team], ‘You know how to play the game. You just have to have fun playing the game; relax and enjoy it.”
Ogata’s message had an impact. In the second half, the Islanders outscored their rivals 24 – 7.
After another Bellevue touchdown midway through the third quarter, Islander Junior Blake Johnson ran in a six-yard touchdown. Quarterback Jeff Lindquist passed to Sinclair for the two point conversion.
Hope arose in the fourth quarter, when senior defensive back T.J. Blackburn recovered a Bellevue fumble and ran for a 35-yard touchdown. Sophomore Brian Higgins, in as quarterback, ran in the extra points.
Following Johnson’s second touchdown, a five-yard run, Higgins passed to Senior Alex Rorem for the two point conversion, with 3:26 left on the clock.
The quarter wasn’t long enough for the Islanders’ resurgence, however. With just seconds left in the game, Bellevue took a knee; the Islanders had come up short, with 31 points to Bellevue’s 49.
“I was really proud of the way the [Islanders] played,” said Ogata. “A lot of teams with a 42 to 7 half-time deficit would have just quit. But our boys kept competing. It shows how much they care and want to win.”
This Friday, the Islanders travel to Mount Si. Their next home game is Homecoming on Oct. 15, when they face Liberty.
