Highine and Foster went right to the wire in football Friday night, with the homestanding Highline Pirates hanging on for a 42-41victory over the Bulldogs.
Foster pulled within one point with 7.3 seconds left on the Highline Stadium scoreboard, only to have a run by Ian Buckmaster for a two-point conversion -- and the win -- stopped short of the end zone.
Highline clustered together for a lengthy celebration after the game as the Bulldogs came away stunned.
After all, the game looked like it would be win for the favored Foster team from the start.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, starting with a touchdown with 6:48 to play in the period.
Buckmaster fired off the ball to Anthony Manago for the 16-yard score and Cedric Cooper ran for two points and an 8-0 advantage.
Foster added to the lead with 4:31 to go in the first quarter. Cooper rumbled 46 yards down the right side for the touchdown, but the kick for a one-point conversion was blocked to leave the lead at 14-0.
The Pirates looked like they would be shutout for the quarter, but came through with a touchdown with only 7.8 seconds to go.
Eric Anderson hit Dan Teja with a 23-yard strike on the left side. A kick for the extra point failed, leaving the Pirates down but not out at 14-6.
The Bulldogs received a beak with 8:30 left to play in the second quarter when Sam Puloka intercepted the ball only 28 yards from the Highline end zone.
Cooper ran the ball in eight plays later, scoring on a 4-yard run. Gabe Gutierrez kicked a one point conversion and Foster seemed comfortably ahead, 21-6.
Highline went to work right away, however, and capped off an eight-play drive with Hassan Alhassan catching a 62-yard touchdown pass from Anderson. Anderson then scored a two-point conversion and Highline had suddenly cut the lead to seven points at 21-14 with 1:25 to play in the second quarter.
Foster scored the final points of the half, however, when Marquis Jackson struck on a 52-yard run with 36.1 ticks left on the clock. A kick for the conversion failed to leave the margin at 27-14.
The wild stuff started in the third quarter.
Highline's Teja scored on an 11-yard throw from Anderson with 5:16 on the clock and Dan Garcia's kick was good to make it 27-21 in favor of Foster.
An apparent 99-yard kickoff return by Foster's Devlin Brown was called back by a penalty after that, and Hassan scored on a 13-yard run and Garcia's extra point kick suddenly made it 28-27 Highline.
Foster appeared like it would bounce back as Gutierrez stole the ball and ran it into the end zone with his hair flying behind him and put his team back out front, 35-28, with 5:40 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Highline struck next with 4:22 to go, with Alhassan running for a 7-yard touchdown. The PAT missed right, but Johnny Rhodes recovered an onside kickoff and the Pirates suddenly had the ball back down by only one at 35-34.
Four plays later and with only 2:36 remaining, Teja burst through the right side on a 35-yard touchdown play. Alhassan then ran for two more, and a 42-35 lead by Highline held as the two-point try by Buckmaster was snuffed out after a touchdown with 7.3 seconds left.
Highline hosts Renton at 7 p.m. Thursday and Foster entertains Chelan Friday.
