Field goal block and stout running game combine for win in overtime thriller

EVERETT It was a thriller in 3A action as Arlington football seized its first win of the season against Everett, Sept. 21.
Everett never led in the 27-21 overtime win, but they never gave Arlington any kind of breathing room either. The Eagles led for all of 12 seconds after a Michael Keating touchdown in the first quarter, when Everetts Rendel Jones returned the ball 94 yards on the ensuing kickoff to even the score.
With less than a minute in the quarter, Everett defensive back Jake Frauenholtz picked off Arlington quarterback Brandon Gunter, but the Eagle defense helped prevent their opponents from capitalizing on the error.
A potent offensive combination of Gunter, Keating, senior running back Brad McPherson and senior wide receiver Jerad Barber all had the Everett defense reeling. Throughout the second quarter, Arlington kept mixing it up between the foursome on the way to their second touchdown around the six-minute mark. After a couple of keepers by Gunter, the quarterback snuck into the end zone to put the Eagles up 14-7.
Again, Everett answered.
A big fourth-down conversion by the Seagulls put them in position to score, and they did with 2:24 left in the first half.
Then, rather than waiting for the second half, Arlington put together a nice drive in the quarters closing minutes. Almost like Everett wasnt there, Gunter and Barber played catch down the field, culminating in their final score in regulation and a seven-point advantage with 55 seconds left on the clock.
Midway through the third quarter, Everett again picked off Gunter, whose pass was intended for Barber. The turnover resulted in a two-minute drive to tie the game at 21 apiece.
Arlington coach Tim Tramp said the play affected Barber.
He was pretty upset about it. We pulled him aside and told him there was time, Tramp said after the game.
The teams prodded at each other the rest of the game. Both teams made mistakes, but neither team was able to finish the other off. With the games only second-half score, momentum seemed to be with Everett.
Much of the fourth quarter was spent around the Arlington 30-yard line. Arlington struggled to put together a drive, and Everett couldnt get within field goal range. With three seconds left in the game, the Seagulls finally got close enough to attempt a kick for their first lead all night.
The Eagles came up with the block.
And while the staring contest continued into overtime, Barber ultimately proved the hero for Arlington. The senior had an interception to set up the winning drive and he was also the one with the winning run.
I was really proud of them. We finally put it together in the overtime, had four nice run plays to put it together, Tramp said, crediting the Arlington running game with the teams success. That kind of set up a run play where we ran for the score.
With the Eagle victory, Arlington holds a tiebreaker advantage over Everett, the only other 3A school in Wesco North.
But to ensure a successful season, Tramp said hed like to see the team make fewer mistakes.
We played two of the better teams in the league this season in Snohomish and Oak Harbor, he said. Were a good football team. We play good football. We just have to play better as a team.