With their backs against the wall and the game on the line, the Yelm Tornados’ defense made the game-sealing stop on a potential game-tying 2-point conversion by Bethel in what was the timeliest of a series of timely stops by the unit.
After trailing by 14 to start the fourth quarter, Bethel ignited a furious comeback with a pair of touchdowns, the latter thanks to a recovered onside kick. The Bison drew within two points with one minute and 19 seconds left, but on the 2-point conversion attempt, Yelm defensive back Tonye Penn stopped Vashon Igitol to slam the door shut on Bethel and clinch the 24-22 victory.
“It was the pursuit of the defense that made that happen. It shows me that they're experienced in adversity,” Yelm head coach Jason Ronquillo said. “When adversity struck, they knew how to answer the call.”
On a cold evening that saw rain periodically soak Art Crate Field, the South Puget Sound League showdown between Yelm and Bethel was sloppy. The slick football was a headache for offenses and special teams.
Bethel struck first, stopping the Tornados on fourth down on their opening drive and taking the lead on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Igitol to Washington state’s top senior recruit Zaydrius Rainey-Sale.
Yelm’s offense, minus senior wide receiver and captain Jameson Patin, needed a playmaker to step up in his absence. Jay Sumich answered the call as he found the end zone on a 17-yard pass from Parker Myers, but Sterling Temple’s extra point was off the mark, and Bethel led 7-6.
The Tornados’ defense forced a three-and-out by the Bison, but a muffed punt was recovered by Bethel to close the first quarter. A long drive stalled by penalties resulted in Bethel extending its lead with a field goal, and the Bison held a 10-6 lead at halftime as neither team produced points in their final two drives of the half.
With a chance to swell the lead to double digits, Bethel was forced to punt, but the snap was mishandled by the Bison and recovered by Yelm at the Bethel 11. Sumich scored for the second time on an 8-yard pass from Myers, who capped off the drive with a 2-point rush to give Yelm a 14-10 lead.
Sumich was driven to fill the gap left by Patin, who had scored four touchdowns in his last two games before going down to injury.
“He’s a big aspect of our offense. But we had to have multiple players step up, not just me,” Sumich said. “It was us collectively. We all worked to get the job done.”
Another botched snap by Bethel gave Yelm the ball back again, and Temple boomed a 29-yard field goal to boost the Tornados lead to 17-10. Just before the third quarter expired, Myers connected with Davin Kirkwood on a 57-yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Tornados with a minute and change left.
While the Bison offense had sputtered for the entire third quarter, they flipped a switch in the fourth. Igitol, filling in at quarterback for the injured Evan Barnes, hurt the Tornados with his legs to extend drives. Igitol’s 21-yard scamper into the end zone cut the Yelm lead to 24-16, but a mangled extra-point attempt kept the margin at eight points.
Bethel surprised Yelm with an onside kick attempt, and the Bison recovered it at the Yelm 49-yard line. After numerous personal foul penalties delayed the drive, Yelm defensive back Gunner Westbrooks finally put an end to the Bison march with an interception.
On the ensuing drive, Ronquillo hoped his offense would melt the clock, and while the Tornados advanced to the Bethel 19, Temple’s field goal attempt was blocked. The Bison, needing a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie, had the ball with 3:13 on the clock.
“We were trying to use as many seconds off the clock as we could, but at the same time, you need to be productive,” Ronquillo said. “You can’t just get 1- to 2-yard gains running the clock.”
Yelm had a chance to get off the field and put the ball back in the offense’s hands, but on a third and 6, Igitol found Eliajah Muliufi for a 52-yard catch-and-run to the Yelm 16.
Igitol sprinted to the left side of the field and reached the end zone to make it 24-22 with one minute and 19 seconds left, but his sprint to the right side on the 2-point conversion was first stalled by multiple defenders and eventually stopped by Penn.
Penn stepped up in a myriad of ways to help Yelm clinch the 24-22 win over Bethel, as he filled in for Patin as the kickoff specialist along with his duties on defense.
“We had to show them what the Tornados are all about. We’re just a family. We’re here to build a culture and show everyone that we are still the powerhouse everyone says we are,” Penn said. “Wherever a coach says he needs me, I’m wherever he needs me, whether it's the offensive line, defensive line, kicker or quarterback. I respect myself and the players need me, and wherever I am, I’m gonna shine.”
Not only did Yelm’s defense force three turnovers, but the unit sacked the quarterback five times for a loss of 48 yards. Bol Bol led the way with nine tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss, and Luke Brown added two sacks.
“They did a fantastic job with the game plan. They played really, really well in timely fashion when we needed it most, and I’m proud of those guys,” Ronquillo said of the defensive line.
On offense, Myers threw for 133 yards and three touchdowns on 10 of 19 passing, and Sumich made the most of his two receptions for 25 yards as he scored on both.
Ronquillo said the Tornados (6-1, 3-1 SPSL) will enjoy the win for about 24 hours before they prepare for Olympia (5-2, 2-2 SPSL) for senior night on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at Yelm High School. The game was rescheduled from Friday due to an official shortage.
“We’re going to enjoy the win tonight, and then we’ve got one more league game to play. We want to be confident but not cocky, and we want to make sure that we take it one game at a time,” he said.
