Sunlake Seahawks Devour Fivay Falcons 57-14

It was just a preseason game against a team in its first year of varsity football, but the Seahawks showed some promise during Thursday night's match up, a 57-14 win over Fivay.

The first-team offense started slow Aug. 25 but picked up the pace and began thrashing Fivay 22-7 in the first half. The reserves and JV squad kept up the pressure and rolled up 35 points on Fivay in the second half.

The Seahawks went three and out on their first possession and looked like they were half asleep. Senior quarterback Cameron Stoltz was livid.

“They came out better than we expected,” said Stoltz. “I told the guys, ‘just play the way we know how,’ and they seemed to respond to that.”

The Seahawks responded by calling runs for Stoltz — five in a row until Stoltz rumbled through his massive offensive line into the end zone for the game’s first score. Stoltz ran behind big senior Nate McCoole, and a lead block from freshman Jerome Samuels sealed the deal as Sunlake took a 6-0 lead, missing the extra point.

On the next drive, Stoltz did a little passing and found junior Eddie Burgos over the middle, who took it seven more yards for the first passing touchdown of the year. Senior Rashaud Daniels scored on a run play for the two-point conversion and a 14-0 lead.

“It felt great," Burgos said. "Cameron and I have been working hard together."

On the ensuing kickoff, junior Darren Bainbridge picked the pocket of the Falcons return man and squirted into the end zone. The Seahawks added another two-point conversion as the whole offensive line pushed the Falcons defensive line into the end zone, and the rout was on.

Fivay added a Tyler Degen-to-Kevin Faulkner touchdown pass at the end of the half to make it 22-7.

The Seahawks' reserves entered in the second half but picked up where the starters had left off.

On Sunlake’s second possession, senior Mike Lopez scampered around the line of scrimmage but found a crease in the Fivay defense and took it up field for a 76-yard touchdown run.

“I’m the type of back that I move around a lot,” Lopez said. “The whole offensive line moved left, and the defense pursued. I saw a gap open up, I cut right and just ran my butt off.

“I’m so happy, I can’t wait to get back in it,” Lopez said.

Backup quarterback and junior Josh Zifer found junior Tyler Gaffalione coming out of the backfield on a wheel rout and added another touchdown for the Hawks.

The JV squad came in during the fourth quarter and kept up the beating. William Alvarez scored to make it 43-7, then got a pick-six on Fivay’s next possession to make it 50-7. Sebastian Cogswell wanted in on the action, and also he ran back an interception for a touchdown.

Fivay added a garbage touchdown as time expired to finalize the score at 57-14.

“We were sleepwalking in that first quarter, and Fivay gave us a little scare, but we took good care of the football,” said Sunlake head coach Bill Browning. “We still need to shore up some things defensively. We’re getting there.”

Next up for the Seahawks is the Sept. 2 regular season home opener against district opponent Hudson.