By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Evergreen High School started off its football regular season with a win and ended with a win, but the seven games in between got away.

The Wolverines opened with a non-league victory over Chief Sealth and ended their Seamount League and regular seasons with a 40-26 win over Highline at Highline Memorial Stadium this past Friday.

They finished with a 2-7 regular season record while Highline wound up 0-9.

Now both will face non-playoff crossover postseason games.

Highline will host Franklin of Seattle at 8 p.m. Thursday at Highline Memorial, while Evergreen's next date is still to be announced.

Evergreen started off the scoring in Friday's game between the Highline School District rivals by scoring a touchdown with 7:17 remaining on the first quarter clock.

Iveni Ngauamo ran 10 yards with the ball and plunged over the goal line for the score.

Derek Thao then missed right on the extra point to leave the score at 6-0, and three plays from scrimmage later the Pirates scored and took a 7-6 lead at the 6:06 mark.

Montae Rainwater went around the right side for a 62-yard touchdown and Kyle Tief kicked the extra point.
The Wolverines of White Center took the lead back at the 1:31 mark.

Ngauamo powered his way up the middle and cut back-and-forth to find the end zone from 28 yards out, then Thao kicked the conversion for a 13-7 Evergreen advantage.

The Wolverines made it 21-7 with 6:17 to go in the second quarter.

Eric LittleJohn snagged a 20-yard pass from Ryan Thol, then Ken Dang ran for a two-point conversion on a fake.

Highline wasted little time answering that score.

Rainwater returned the ensuing kickoff 79 yards down the left side for a touchdown and Tief kicked the PAT to cut Evergreen's lead to 21-14 at the 6:02 mark.

The Wolverines took the momentum back as Gaige Early ran 56 yards around the right side for a touchdown with 5:00 to play before halftime. The PAT was missed to keep the lead at 27-14.

Evergreen waited until 5:12 remained in the third quarter to pad the lead again.

LittleJohn took the ball and ran to his left for a 78-yard score and Thao made the kick to up the advantage to 34-14.

Highline battled back to within two touchdowns at 1:33 to play in the third quarter at 34-20, with the kick after missing following a 40-yard touchdown pass from Tief to Nathan Gordon.
But the Wolverines doubled the Pirates' pont total seven seconds into the fourth quarter.
Rafael Bourne ran the ball in from the 8-yard line, then the PAT missed off the post to leave the lead at 40-20.

Highline got the last word in with 2:12 left in the fourth quarter.

Thol zigged his way in on a one-yard keeper for a touchdown, but a Bourne run for two fell short to leave the final score at 40-26.

An onside kick attempt then fell into Evergreen hands and the Wolverines proceeded to eat up the remaining time.