By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
For the first time in Heritage High School history, the football program hosted a home playoff game on the Tulalip Reservation. They made the most of the moment, too. Under the golden glow of Saturday night lights reflecting off Tulalip Bay, the Hawks delivered a statement victory by dismantling the visiting North Beach Hyaks of Ocean Shores by an impressive score of 62-8.
The energy was electric from the opening kickoff. Families, alumni, and community members packed the bleachers and grass hill overlooking the field.
“Hosting our first-ever home playoff game is huge, not just for us but the community as well,” said head coach Shawn Custis pregame. “From the parents and teachers to the coaching staff, we’ve been working so hard to get our boys to this moment. It took so much community support to make this day happen and it’s finally here. Our boys are prepared, mentally and physically, and they know that as long as they execute our gameplan, keep in alignment, and play for each other, we can be victorious.”
That preparation coach spoke of was evident from the first snap. The Hawks looked downright unstoppable with junior quarterback J.J. Grey leading the charge and putting on a masterclass in offensive command. With the poise of a veteran and the athleticism of a highlight reel, J.J. torched the Hyaks’ defense through the air and on the ground. His perfectly timed scrambles turned broken plays into explosive gains, often leaving defenders grasping at air.
Tulalip jumped out to a 24-0 lead after the first quarter, thanks to a balanced attack of precision passing, powerful running, and opportunistic defense. Senior running back James Jones scored a 55-yard rushing touchdown to get the party started. He was followed by wide receiver Jaedynn Zackuse who caught a 35-yard pass for a touchdown and then J.J. who went around left end for a 25-yard scramble to the end zone.
In the final two minutes of the second quarter, J.J. showed off his legendary quicks when he casually carved up the North Beach defense for not one, but two more scores. The first was a 50-yard touchdown run. The second was a whopping 75-yard touchdown run with only twelve seconds remaining in the half.
At halftime, the scoreboard read 38-8, and the devoted home crowd knew they were witnessing something special. The Hawks’ offensive line dominated the trenches, giving J.J. ample time to pick apart the Hyaks’ secondary while the defense swarmed to every tackle, forcing turnovers and frustration.
Coach Custis noted at halftime that he believes Tulalip has the best scoring defense in our entire 1B classification. Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Timothy Greene said of his offense’s first half clinic, “Our kids are making the correct reads and executing our plays just like we draw them and run through them in practice. When we execute like we should, I have nothing but confidence in our offense’s ability to put up points against any opponent.”
The Hawks’ relentless tempo continued into the second half. A well-designed play led to wide receiver Jaedynn Zackuse scampering untouched into the endzone after a 25-yard run. Then the Hawks defense again stepped up and forced a North Beach 3-and-out. J.J. was back to return the punt and after picking up the ball from his own 15-yard line, he returned it 70-yards to set up an immediate scoring opportunity. On the very next play, J.J. dropped back and lofted a 15-yard pass that receiver Jaedynn jumped over a defender to catch in the endzone. With Tulalip leading 50-8 early in the 4th quarter, senior wide receiver Tokala Black Tomahawk found the end zone on nifty jet sweep.
Up by the wide margin of 56-8, more of the depth chart began to rotate in, but the intensity never dropped. Freshman quarterback Joshua Davis rolled out to his left and found sophomore wide receiver Deveyon Wells in the back of the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown to punctuate the final score at 62-8.
“We knew North Beach was an outside-in team, so our coaches prepared us all week to stop their runners from getting to the outside. We executed that game plan to a T all game,” said junior safety Ziggy Myles-Gilford. He couldn’t help but take notice of all the Hawks fans still attendance following the blowout W. “Man, it just feels amazing to being playing like we are in front of our home fans. It means everything to show them what we are capable of getting this W for them. And the fact they stayed throughout the whole game says a lot.”
The Heritage Hawks now advance one stage deeper into the playoffs. Their next game is scheduled for 3:00pm this Saturday, November 15, at Pomeroy High School. For our readers unfamiliar with Pomeroy, it’s a small eastern Washington town of only 1,400 residents. Close to Pullman, it’s a mere 5-hour and 30-minute commute from Tulalip.