By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Mount Rainier showed flashes of brilliance Friday, but not quite enough to find the end zone or split the uprights in a 35-0 non-league loss to Kentlake.

The brightest moment came right off the bat.

Edwin Armstead returned the opening kickoff from his own 8-yard line to the Kentlake 18 for a total of 74 yards, sprinting down the right sideline.

The Rams could only manage one more yard over three attempts, however, and a bad snap cost them a 35-yard field goal attempt.

Kentlake met a similar fate on its first drive.

A 52-yard pass from Trey Helgeson to Mitchell Lockhart moved the ball to the Mount Rainier 21, then the Rams' defense pushed the Falcons back two yards over three plays.

Tyler Padilla tried a 40-yard field goal but came up short.

Mount Rainier turned the ball over on a Jesus Lomeli interception on a drive that made it as far as the Rams' 45-yard line, and Kentlake scored on the ensuing drive.

Helgeson faked to Eddie Edwards and kept the ball for a 9-yard touchdown run to the right.

Padilla's point after touchdown kick attempt was blocked to leave the score at 6-0 with 3:56 to play in the first quarter.

The Rams then took the ball from their own 37 to the Kentlake 43 on a drive before losing the ball on a fumble at the 1:12 mark.

Vincent Vasquez intercepted the ball right back on the first play of the second quarter, but Mount Rainier was forced to punt after five plays to the 45.

Kentlake scored on the ensuing nine-play, 69-yard drive.

Austin McBryde scored on a 29-yard left-side run at the 7:06 mark and Cody Faulkner passed to Lockhart for a two-point conversion to make it 14-0.

The Falcons swooped in for another touchdown with 3:17 to play in the second quarter.

Andrew Dixon ran for a 3-yard touchdown and Padilla's kick upped the lead to 21-0.

Dixon started off the second half scoring as well, running the ball in from the 1-yard line with 10:14 to play in the third quarter. Padilla was again successful on the conversion for a 28-0 lead.

Mount Rainier followed with a nine play drive from its own 31 to the Kentlake 20 before fumbling the ball away at the 5:15 mark.

Kentlake then struck quickly, with Faulkner throwing to James George for a 66-yard touchdown at 4:36.

Padilla's kick brought the score to its final margin.

The Rams came close to scoring in the fourth quarter on a seven play drive from the Falcons' 48 to the 24 before fumbling again with 1:42 remaining.

Mount Rainier hopes to turn things around this coming Saturday, when it visits Todd Beamer for its South Puget Sound League Northwest Division opener.

Kickoff at Federal Way Memorial is set for 6 p.m.