Mavs punch ticket to state with district playoff win

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (10-0) defeated the Issaquah Eagles 49-35 at home in the 4A district playoff game to advance to the state tournament. Lineman Theo Kalasountas said it felt good to get a postseason win at home.  

“It was awesome, I'm glad everybody came out. This is the best community ever, man. I'm just so thankful that I got all these great people around me,” Kalasountas said.   

The Mavericks held a two-score lead for the majority of the game, but the Eagles would not go away. Issaquah capitalized on big plays like a kick return and a touchdown pass along the sidelines to remain within a score. However, the Mavs' defense made a huge defensive stand to secure the win.   

Quarterback Brady Jay was happy his team came out on top.  

“It feels good, we worked really hard all year for this. It’s kind of been coming the past couple years, and we fell short, but now we got over the hump,” he said.  

In the first quarter, Issaquah struck first with a touchdown pass along the sideline but failed to convert the two-point play. The Mavericks pushed the ball downfield through the run. The trenches were physical, but the Mavericks consistently pushed the pile.

“They were called upon, and they answered,” Head Coach Brett Jay said. “I thought we got them on their heels a little bit with that, and our line just kept moving the chains, and that's what we're about.”   

Running back Elijah Burns punched the ball in from three yards out for their first score of the day. The Mavericks took a 7-6 lead heading into the second quarter.  

After the Mavs’ defense got a stop, the offense took over and marched downfield. Brady found Nolan Decubber along the sideline, who then made a diving catch for a 25-yard touchdown.

Issaquah responded quickly with an 85-yard kick return to set up a successful two-point play that tied the game at 14.

Moses Lake remained poised and continued to move the ball through the trenches. By the end of the first half, they tallied three more scores, including one off a fumble by Issaquah that set them up at the two-yard line with less than five seconds left. 

“We just stayed tough. We just know that we work all year round, so we're not going to let that work just go to waste. We're just going to finish,” Brady said.

Both teams exchanged touchdowns late in the third quarter as the defenses began to adjust to the opposing offense. They exchanged three-and-outs to open the fourth quarter before Issaquah found the endzone to cut the deficit to 42-35 with five minutes to go.

The Eagles stopped the Mavericks' next offensive drive and had an opportunity to tie the game. The defense came up clutch on a tipped pass that was intercepted by Kalasountas to give the ball back to the Mavericks offense.   

The turnover created an energy boost that the Mavericks needed late in the fourth quarter.   

“It was electric. Oh my gosh. I don't even know what to say,” Kalasountas said.   

In the red zone, Brady snapped the ball and broke to his left before juking an Eagles player and cutting back in the other direction to find a wide-open Grant Smith for a 17-yard touchdown. With a 49-35 lead, the win was signed and sealed.

A proud Brett Jay told his team in the postgame huddle that they had decided to finally get over the hump.   

“It was wild. There wasn't one minute that it felt out of hand. Issaquah kept fighting. They're well-coached, but I just have to give it to our boys. Man, they're tough. They're just tough individuals. They grind all year ... we are Grind City, Wash.,” Brett said.   

Brett said he was proud of Kalasountas and the Mavs' defense making a play when it mattered the most.   

“They go hard every play, and they'll be half a foot away from a sack all night long, and they just never know when it's going to happen, and they just have to stay to their slant and stay to their rush. He did it, I was really proud of him,” he said.   

Moses Lake will have some things to clean up over the next week, but a win is a win, Brett said. In the postseason, it does not matter if they win 21-0 or in a shootout like they did against the Eagles, as long as they find themselves in the win column, he said.   

Brady and the Mavericks remain motivated to regroup over the next week as they prepare for the state tournament. At the time of press, seeding for the 4A state tournament had not been announced. An updated sports schedule will be published as soon as that information is available.   

“We just keep going. We want to celebrate today and move on tomorrow and start watching tape of who we play next,” Brady said.   

BOX SCORE:   

ISSQ: 6-15-7-7: 35
MSLK: 7-28-7-7: 49 

    The Mavericks defense piles on the Issaquah ball carrier during their game on Saturday. Theo Kalasountas said he was glad the Mavs stuck it out in a tough battle to win.
  

    The Mavs’ Grant Smith (13) makes a contested catch along the sideline against Issaquah on Saturday. Smith recorded two touchdown catches in the Mavs 49-point effort.
  

    Brady Jay (2) drops back to pass as Elijah Burns (23) steps up to pass block. Burns was productive on the ground thanks to a physical offensive line dominating the trenches on Saturday.
  

    Carter Anderson (6) strides into the endzone for a touchdown against Issaquah on Saturday.
  

    Carter Anderson (6) celebrates a touchdown against Issaquah with Nolan Decubber (10). The Mavericks put up 28 points in the second quarter.