The previous series, Klahowya got the ball on Bremerton’s 21 and scored in four plays, to even the game at 21.

GILLAM

“You never know how good a shape you are in until the first game,” said Bremerton head coach Nate Gillam. “It is a tough loss because we played very well, but it is also a measuring stick for us.”

Although there were only fifty-three ticks left on the clock when Bremerton got the ball for their final time, on their own 25-yard line, trailing by seven points, the offense proved that ‘quit’ was not part of their vocabulary.

Junior Rashawn Kendrick returned the kickoff 17-yards to the Bremerton’s 42. Senior running back Jamiere Abney got the Knights to the Klahowya 17 yard line on a 41-yard romp to the left side. Senior back Alex Griffin put together back-to-back runs of 9 and 5 yards, to get Bremerton to the 3-yard line with three seconds on the clock. And, Abney powered up the middle for his third touchdown of the game, to bring the Knights to within one point of Klahowya, 27-28.

But on the final play of the game, with no time on the clock, Moore’s stopped Bremerton game winning two-point conversion with an open field tackle of senior Jamaree Wells at the 2-yard line, preserving Klahowya’s victory.

“There are one to two plays I would like to do differently,” Gillam added, “but that game clearly demonstrated that we are a football team that is going to do some very good things year.”

One of the things Bremerton did very well all game was score quickly from their end of the field. Thirty-nine second prior to the half, Bremerton drove 75-yards in four plays and took a 21-14 half-time lead into the locker room.

Fan support also proved to be a key factor down the stretch for the Knights.

“It surprised me at the time,” Gillam stated, “but the fans were very much into the game.”

The cold aluminum bleachers on the visitors side of Silverdale Stadium were full all night and there were no empty spaces along the sideline fence.

“When I yelled for a time out with 22 seconds remaining in the game and the official just looked at me, the fans let their opinion be known,” Gillam explained. “Shortly there after, the official blew his whistle and we got the timeout we needed to score our final touchdown.”

As would be expected, seniors played a key role in the game. But those in attendance can attest to the fact that it was a complete team effort for Bremerton.

BELDEN

Junior quarterback Jacob Belden, in his first varsity start, showed poise and confidence. He completed 2 of 3 passes for 51 yards and was sacked only once. His lone aerial mistake came in the 1st quarter on his first attempt. The under thrown floater was intercepted by Klahowya junior cornerback Dan Zimny.