Skyline bounces back in big way against Issaquah, 41-14

ISSAQUAH — Skyline spent the past week trying to forget.

Forget that Lake Oswego's Steven Long rushed for more than 420 yards and seven touchdowns last week.

Forget the turnovers that plagued the offense in losses to Lake Oswego and Bellevue.

And forget their two-game losing streak, the Spartans' first since the program's second season.

Fourth-ranked Skyline left it all in the past against 10th-ranked Issaquah Friday night, pulling away in the second half to claim a 41-14 victory on the road.

"They were bound and determined all week," Skyline coach Mat Taylor said. "The coaches broke every position down and went over fundamental drills and things we could have done better. It worked as well as we could have expected."

Issaquah (3-1) came out looking to prove it could knock off its KingCo 4A Crest Division rival, jumping out to an early lead when quarterback Ethan Kalin hit Derek Chapman on a 21-yard touchdown pass.

The first half went back and forth, but the Spartans (2-2) took a three-point lead into the half after Max Browne hit Matt Sinatro on a 7-yard TD pass 1 minute, 25 seconds before halftime.

Sinatro has become one of Browne's favorite targets. The junior caught seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown.

"He's been big, especially since Nic Sblendorio's been hurt," said Browne, who was 29 of 41 for 363 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. "He stepped into a role. Quite frankly, he's surprising a lot of people, except for himself."

The Spartans pulled away in the second half because, instead of being plagued by turnovers, they started forcing them. Skyline's defense produced three second-half turnovers — four in the game — and tightened up its run defense, allowing just 65 yards on the ground.

"It means the world to me," junior linebacker Peyton Pelluer said after the victory. "We knew we had a chip on our shoulder and we wanted to come out playing the best we can, come out wanting to smack these guys."

For Issaquah, it was a frustrating finish, an opportunity senior Jake Bakamus felt the Eagles let slip away.

"We just came out flat in the second half," said Bakamus, who had seven catches for 73 yards. "We didn't come out with enough heart. That's all it was."

Mason Kelley: 206-464-8277 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it