Prairie football makes more history in 73-35 win over Capital

BATTLE GROUND — The loudest roar inside District Stadium, in a historic victory for Prairie High School in what’s been a historic football season, didn’t come on a touchdown. There were a number of those in a 73-35 state-clinching victory over Capital on Friday night.

But rather, it came on what happened after Prairie’s 10th touchdown.

It was Garrett Anderson’s successful point-after try, a kick that drew the Falcons’ and their fans’ in a boisterous unison. Remember, this Prairie team chooses two-point conversions on most drives in a season that includes their first league title since 1992 and on the verge of double-digit victories. By that point, Prairie’s 3A state preliminary round game was well in hand, and sealed the Falcons’ state-bound fate by an exclamation (extra) point.

“It feels really good to be a part of something so great,” said senior Treyce Teague, who had 127 yards receiving on seven catches, including two touchdowns and an interception. “This is an amazing feeling right now.”

The victory sends Prairie (9-1 overall) to its sixth state appearance in program history and first since 1992 — the previous season the school also won a league title in football.

Week by week, Prairie continues to step into history.

“Prairie hasn’t done this in a long time, and it’s really cool to be part of this and have teammates behind there with me,” senior quarterback AJ Dixson said.

Dixson had a game-high 227 rushing yards on nine carries, passed for 232 yards on 15 of 24 completions and accounted for six of the team’s touchdowns. Four came on rushing touchdowns of 45, 31, 30 and the 71 yards, the last of which that pushed the combined point total to over 100 with 3 minutes, 13 seconds to play.

In a game that had 109 total points, 15 touchdowns, and ended just shy of 3 hours, the Falcons hope this outcome and their 2019 body of work solidifies their hope of a top-8 status by the WIAA’s state seeding committee for next week’s state playoffs.

For a second straight year, football state playoffs seeds are determined by groups of administrators, coaches and media members who seed the 16 state-bound teams across all classifications. They meet Sunday in Renton.

“We’re legit,” Teague said.

A top-8 seed means Prairie is back home at District Stadium for its first 3A state playoff game since ’92, in a season that includes a league title and on the cusp of double-digit victories.

But regardless of whether Friday was Prairie’s final home game, the Falcons put on a show at District Stadium.

The 73 points sets a new single-game school record, dominating the Cougars (3-7) out of Olympia out of the gate. Prairie scored touchdowns on 10 of 12 total possessions.

With the exception of penalties, especially in the second half that aided two of Capital’s scoring drives and second-year coach Mike Peck addressed postgame, just about everything that could’ve gone right did for Prairie. It entered Friday averaging a 3A state-best in points at 42 per game, and surpassed that total by halftime leading 44-14. Devante Clayton had all three of his rushing touchdowns in the second quarter when Prairie put up 30 points.

And it did so in a hurry.

All 10 scoring drives by Prairie came took less than 3 minutes off the clock, including a pair a scores on the first play from scrimmage: Dustin Shelby’s 78-yard rushing score and the first of two Teague receiving touchdowns in the third quarter. Its shortest play was 11 seconds and longest was 2:54.

Teague also had a highlight-worthy, juggling-act interception on a trick play when Capital trailed 66-29 late in the fourth. Clayton Grady ran in for a 49-yard touchdown — his second of the night — for the Cougars. Grady Lindekugel had five catches for 133 yards for Capital.

In spite scoring 73 points, Dixson knows Prairie didn’t play its best game. What might be scary for this Prairie football team is the best is yet to come, he said.

“Every game isn’t going to be perfect, but we did pretty good this game. We haven’t reached our full potential and I think we can do it.”

PRAIRIE 73, CAPITAL 35

Capital 7 7 8 13—35

Prairie 14 30 8 21—73

First quarter

P — Devante Clayton 19 run (run failed)

P — Dustin Shelby 78 run (Shelby run)

C — Jake Kennedy 5 run (Tucket Grow kick)

Second quarter

P — AJ Dixson 45 run (pass failed)

P — Clayton 14 run (Clayton run)

P — Dixson 30 run (Shelby run)

C — Clayton Geary 58 run (Grow kick)

P — Clayton 11 run (Treyce Teague pass from Dixson)

Third quarter

C — Troy Collard 31 pass from Tristan Redman (Josh Maivia pass from Redman)

P — Treyce Teague 46 pass from Dixson (Shelby run)

Fourth quarter

P — Teague 7 pass from Dixson (run failed)

C — Grady Lindekugel 43 pass from Redman (Grow kick)

P — AJ Dixson 31 run (run good)

P — Dixson 71 run (Garrett Anderson kick)

C — Grady 49 run (run failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Prairie: AJ Dixson 9-227, Treyce Teague 2-36, Dustin Shelby 6-104, Devante Clayton 7-66. Capital: Tristan Redman 2-3, Clayton Grady 9-116, Grady Lindekugel 5-9, Jake Kennedy 1-1, Tucker Grow 4-25, Trey Lahn 4-6.

PASSING — Prairie: AJ Dixson 15-24-0-232. Capital: Tristan Redman 16-27-0-235, CLayton Grady 0-1-1-0

RECEIVING — Prairie: Treyce Teague 7-121, Jimmie Barton 3-66, Ian Davis 1-8, Jamien Farrell 3-21, Nicholas Lawhead 1-16; Capital: Grady Lindekugel 5-133, Trey Lahn 1-5, Jake Kennedy 1-3, Tucker Grow 1-5, Clayton Grady 1-9, Gabe Taylor 1-10, Josh Maiava 2-19, Troy Collard 4-51