Probably one can say the Skyline Spartans were just a better football team -- nationally ranked, No. 1 in the state --than the unranked Federal Way Eagles, who were just no match. But go deeper and see that this first round state playoff game could have been a whole different fire on the Sammamish Plateau Friday night.

“Great football season...but things didn’t go our way tonight,” said Eagles head coach John Meagher, talking to his team after the game, tears at times.

The easiest thing to understand of all that Meagher said there was one thing: Things could have been different.

Quite!

The Eagles could have won, or, at the least, and, yeah, sure, the 49-6 final score says different, but...the Eagles could have won!

It was a special football season for the Eagles, finishing 7-2, and finishing by playing ESPN TV-worthy opponent, Skyline. (ESPN shows football games during the season on TV and one poll screenshot during the game showed Skyline ranked No. 14 in the nation, and, higher than any other West Coast team in the country). And, the Eagles met this 10-0, 25-game win streak, nationally-ranked power on their turf head on.

But the Eagles saw hope for victory go away on key plays at the ending of the second quarter and the beginning of the third quarter. Let’s note, too, that penalties were a burden to the Eagles this season -- even in it nearly beating Auburn before losing, 21-14, in its first game of the 2008 season. They were without Barrington in that one, too.

But that penalties stuff was not the difference in this game. Skyline, in fact, encroached more than the Eagles and was called offsides more than the Eagles.

What did the Eagles in was not one thing but many things, little things, big things, unfortunate things. Starting in the first quarter, the Eagles showed they were every bit capable of scoring on hallowed Skyline, not getting a touchdown their opening drive, but close.

The Eagles drove from an opening Damon Hardy, kick-off return, from their 25-yard line to the Skyline 21. Running back Andre Barrington carried the ball three times for 24 yards, and rushes of 2, 5 and 17-yards were thrown in with one short 2-yard catch as a receiver. Meagher even switched him to quarterback, where he threw a couple passes, including a 20-yard strike to other QB Nick Taniulu, playing wide receiver on the play that got the Eagles from the 27 to midfield. That strategy of switching Tanieulu and Barrington at QB worked to confuse Gig Harbor’s defense considerably in that upset of them by the Eagles a week earlier in a district playoff to get to state.

But this Eagles great, opening-possession drive starting out stalled at the red zone area (20-yard line) and junior Kelyn Rowe made a 30-yard field goal. Still, no team all season scored on Skyline in the first quarter, even a field goal, which the Eagles, with Rowe’s kick, had. It was 3-0, Eagles, with 8:00 to go in the first quarter.

Next with the ball on its opening drive, Skyline did not just score on two, three plays either. It took them nine plays. And, to get a TD, this fabled school needed a penalty, not a holding call either, just a questionable late hit out of bounds. Sitting in the stands listening, even the Skyline fans wondered about that one, questioning it’s justice. But life is not always fair and that bad call and a subsequent pass made Skyline go from the 40 yard line to the 14 for a first throw of five TD passes on the night for junior Skyline QB sensation Jake Heaps. He is being recruited by 12 big-name D-1 schools like Notre Dame and seeing him pass one sees why fellow WSU recruit Barrington, on the Eagles’ side, caught this one to make it 7-3, Skyline, with 4:24 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles started from their own 29-yard line to start their second possession, thanks to another good run on a reverse kickoff return that went to Nico Curran. Curran ran for seven yards on this drive. Barrington, quarterbacking, on another play, nearly got to daylight but was caught from behind to explain the speed of even the defensive line of Skyline. Barrington did break through for a first down on fourth down and one with a minute left in the first quarter. Then the drive stalled at the 29, so, fourth down. But with maybe the top field goal kicker in the state, making it 7-6 seemed quite possible, going for a 44-yard try. But the Eagles opted for trickery and Rowe caught the hike and tried running, making a couple yards but not four like needed to keep the ball from being turned over on downs.

Skyline scored on its next possession, a Heaps throw to another D-1 recruit, Kasen Williams, who is only a sophomore. That drive took four plays to go 59 yards in 1:03 time of possession, making it 14-3, Skyline, with 8:53 in the second quarter.

“That team is good, No. 1 is legit,” said Sam Beesley, defensive coordinator for the Eagles. “That guy (Heaps) had only a football width to get it in there.”

Indeed. Williams was tip-toeing, falling out of the end zone as he made the beautiful catch just in bounds.

Still, that’s OK. The Eagles were in this. Barrington had eight carries so far for 66 yards, an 8-yard per carry average. So, the Eagles’ offense was moving the ball pretty good for the blue and white. All-League linebacker and UW recruit Andru Pulu was back early by a miracle since he was supposed to be out a minimum of four weeks and he was back early by a game.

The Eagles then fumbled the football after at first Barrington rushed for six more yards and Taniulu seven on a QB keeper, to be at their own 43-yard line. There was 7:15 on the clock in the second quarter.

“You can’t make mistakes with them, because they will capitalize on all of them,” said Eagles senior JoJo Warner, who recovered the fumble against Gig Harbor the week before to end the Tides’ go-ahead drive late in that game. Warner also made some great tackles in this game versus Skyline from his outside linebacker spot.

With Skyline having the ball on the Eagles’ turnover, and up just 11 points, the Eagles nearly had a play that was dynamic. With it third-and-goal for Skyline on the Eagles’ 6-yard line, looking to score. Skyline’s QB Heaps rolled out right with the football and on a blitz the Eagles’ Warner came chasing after him around the end. And Warner nearly tackled Heaps around the 15-yard line for a huge loss! And sack. But some way Heaps threw that ball as he was getting hit in the arm. The ball flew to Williams in the end zone for a touchdown to make it 21-3.

With three minutes left, Skyline went three and out which included a sack on one down and the others, incomplete passes. So, the Eagles stopped Skyline! Momentum could have then turned as the Eagles got the ball back at the 50 and Taniulu hit Alden Coleman with a couple passes and Lologo Lologo and, just like that, with 30 seconds left the Eagles were first-and-10 at the Skyline 11. But a close throw over the middle zipped by Tanielu that would have been a TD on second down was broken up by the Skyline secondary. Then again the same break up of a play on third down came too. Rowe kicked another field goal, 24-yards, for a 21-6 score favoring Skyline at halftime.

The second half was where things unraveled especially quickly, with Skyline’s Gino Simone taking the opening Rowe kickoff boot 94 yards through a defensive blocking “V” that might as well have been victory. Because that made it 28-6, Skyline, right out of the gate. And these Eagles never gave up the rest of the game. It was just tough as special teams let them down unfortunately, not offense or defense, when they left for halftime on an up note of both stopping Skyline and getting points on the board themselves.

Skyline scored on its next three possessions and led 49-6 the end of the fourth quarter. The Eagles held in the fourth quarter, no points for Skyline, but the damage was done.

Pulu spoke afterward.

“Yeah, knees a little tired,” he said. “I wanted to get more (games) in.”

This whole team did have a great season. The Eagles just didn’t capitalize on key plays and Skyline did.

“We got in the red zone. We just didn’t execute and score,” said junior Rian Miller, who did a great job as a cornerback all season. This game was tough for the Eagles, too, because the strengths of Skyline were not the great strengths of the Eagles.

As Beesley said, “They throw the ball very well. That was our area of inexperience.”

Offensive lineman Jordan Maulolo pointed to his chest when congratulated on a great season.

Maulolo was pointing to his heart.