Woodinville ends Skyview’s season, 38-17

BOTHELL — Same venue, same round-of-16 state matchup, and same opponent.

Different result, right? 

Not so Saturday for the Skyview Storm, taking a 38-17 loss to Woodinville in their Class 4A football state playoff game at Pop Keeney Stadium. 

Call it deja vu, but it was a repeat of 2018 when the Falcons ended Skyview’s season to open the state playoffs. 

The loss turned to love once Storm players reached the locker room, senior Ahmani Williams said. 

“Sometimes you go through the emotions, and then it hits you when it’s over,” he said. “It’s special a special group of guys … and feeling the presence of all those guys so close together after something so big like that — a loss.”

Saturday, Woodinville 21 unanswered points the final 12 minutes, 10 seconds of the game to end the Storm’s season at 8-3 after Skyview rallied to tie the game at 17-all on his final possession of the third quarter. 

The Falcons (9-1) advance to next week’s 4A state quarterfinals against top-seed and unbeaten Kennedy Catholic (11-0). 

Skyview never led and played catchup from the start. Woodinville scored on consecutive drives to open the game for a 14-0 lead. Senior Jake Miller, an all-league linebacker and lineman, said that shook the defense into turning it around. 

“Once we started going,” he said, “we were going strong.”

At one point, Skyview made stops that led to Woodinville punting on four of five possessions stretching to the mid-way point of the third quarter, yet still trailed 14-3, 14-10 and 17-10. 

Senior tailback Jalynnee McGee did everything he could to drive the Skyview offense forward on the ground. But game’s end, he said, he hurt physically and emotionally. A foot injury kept him out of last year’s meeting against Woodinville. 

Physically, because of taking poundings with 29 carries for 173 yards as well as three catches for 63 yards, but emotionally, too, because his high school career was over. McGee scored the second of two rushing touchdowns that tied the game at 17-all with 4:11 left in the third, but on Skyview’s final three drives had a turnover on downs and back-to-back turnovers as Woodinville widen the scoring gap. 

Woodinville took the lead for good on Noah Stifle’s quarterback scramble for an 11-yard score. Two plays earlier, a 23-yard catch on fourth-4 extended the drive. It was part of 21 unanswered points to close out the game.

McGee’s two rushing touchdowns increased his season total to 28. Quarterback Yaro Duvalko completed 12 of 25 passes, but also had three interceptions. One came on an interception return for a touchdown by Cage Schenck that seemingly put the game out of reach with 5 minutes remaining. 

McGee, battled and bruised, embraced a number of departing teammates postgame, including Duvalko and Williams. 

His message then and in the locker room? 

“I let them know,” McGee said, “to make sure they keep their head up.”

—

WOODINVILLE 38, SKYVIEW 17

Skyview 0 10 7 0 – 17

Wood 14 3 7 14 – 38

First quarter

W — Carter Smith 2 run (Blake Glessner kick)

W — Joey Johnson 4 run (Glessner kick)

Second quarter

S — Sliman Ferran 24 FG

S — Jalynnee McGee 11 run (Farran kick)

W — Glessner 48 FG

Third quarter

S — McGee 11 run (Farran kick)

W — Noah Stifle 11 run (Glessner kick)

Fourth quarter

W — Johnson 25 run (Glessner kick)

W — Cage Schenck 40 INT return (Glessner kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: Skyview — Jalynnee McGee 29-173, Yaro DUuvalko 3-(minus-2, team 1-(minus-5); Woodinville — Joey Johnson 24-154, Noah Stifle 3-18, Drew Lozano 8-41, Cage Schenck 5-18.

Passing: Skyview — Yaro Duvalko 12-25-3-133; Woodinville — Noah Stifle 8-18-0-101

Receiving: Skyview — Cooper Barnum 1-4, Micah Baylous 1-4, Jaylynnee McGee 3-63, Gavin Baskette 3-19, Mason Wheeler 2-31, Xavier Owens 1-6; Woodinville — Cage Schenck 2-21, Jack Diskin 2-30, Daniel Bacon 2-14, Carter Smith 2-38.