By Matt Phelps
Every game this season for the Mercer Island football team has held a different story.
Morgan Anthony rushed for more than 100 yards in the opening game of the season, and senior Chris Baker set a team record for defensive points in a single game with 12 tackles, nine assists, two fumbles caused and one recovered.
In its second game, the team lost quarterback Joe Fronk with a shoulder injury against Anacortes, but Jeremy Spektor still caught a team record 13 passes.
One main element has stayed the same so far this season: team play and a balanced offense.
The Islanders (2-1) showed West Seattle just how good they can be when every player contributes, as Mercer Island put it all together for the complete 35-0 victory.
“We are still getting better, skill wise,” said Mercer Island football head coach Dick Nicholl. “This was a good win but we have a lot more work to do.”
The Islanders opened the game by pounding the ball at West Seattle on the ground. A five-play, 75-yard drive culminated with a run off the left guard that sprung Anthony for a 32-yard jaunt to the end zone.
“I had to read my blocks and just trust my line and they got it going,” said Anthony. “This just pumps us up. We are ready for the regular season.”
The drive was indicative of the Islanders’ play during the game as four different backs touched the ball.
West Seattle held the ball for just five plays before Mercer Island linebacker Jacob Gottlieb recovered a fumble on the 33-yard line.
“I just saw the ball and went and got it,” said Gottlieb.
The teams traded failed fourth-down attempts before the Islanders mounted another scoring drive.
Starting from West Seattle’s 48-yard line, the Islanders took eight plays and set the ball on the doorstep of the goal line. Fullback Kenny Kim took the ball and barreled through the defensive line for the 1-yard touchdown run and a 14-0 lead to begin the second quarter of play. The Islander defense again held West Seattle to a short offensive drive of just seven plays before turning the ball over on downs.
Mercer Island took the ball at the 42-yard line and marched down the field. The 10-play drive was capped by Islander quarterback Steven Frankel’s pass over the middle to Spektor for a 14-yard touchdown and the 21-0 lead.
West Seattle’s next drive ended in an Islander team tackle of the punter and Mercer Island taking the ball at their opponent’s 13-yard line. Nicholl called the same offensive play again, a pass from Frankel to Spektor over the middle, this time for a 13-yard touchdown to end the first-half scoring. Spektor caught five passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns during the game.
“He made some serious cuts,” said Nicholl. “He just gets better and better.”
The second half was more of the same with West Seattle’s offense sputtering under the Islander defensive attack. Mercer Island put the final points on the board as Anthony broke three tackles at the line of scrimmage, and sprinted straight up the middle of the field for a 66-yard touchdown run.
“He has worked harder than any player I have had during the off season,” said Nicholl.
Anthony finished the game with 135 yards on just six carries and two touchdowns.
The Islander defense earned their first shutout of the year as Eric Morse had four tackles and six assists to lead the squad. Garret Grob recorded the team’s only sack of the game.
“We made some adjustments on `D’ and this will give us some momentum for Bellevue,” said Gottlieb.
The Islanders will need a running start against powerhouse Bellevue. The Wolverines come into Islander stadium at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Mercer Island will be looking for pay back for the 68-0 loss they suffered at the hands of the Wolverines last season.
