Juanita High School football head coach Shaun Tarantola showed Friday night that he didn’t teach former assistant coach and current Lake Washington head coach AJ Parnell everything he knows – because you can’t teach speed.
Despite the fact that the Kangs have a lot more fight this year under Parnell, the Rebels still outran their crosstown rivals, 47-19, at Juanita High School in Kirkland.
But it was the arm of the Rebels’ starting quarterback that made a huge statement during the opening minutes of the game. A 57-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tavin Montgomery to wide receiver Daegan Andrews gave the home team an early edge.
The Kangs would not be deterred, scoring a touchdown on a five-yard run by Elliot Phillips. A missed extra point left the Kangs down 7-6.
Juanita took control of the scoreboard before halftime with two scores. The Rebels scored on a 17-yard touchdown run by Salvon Ahmed and then took a 21-6 lead on an 18-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Dexter Mell to wide receiver Jared Holden.
Lake Washington would not go quietly, starting the second half with a long drive, capped off by a Phillips’ 19-yard touchdown run. It cut the lead to just one score.
But the Rebels junior quarterback led the team back with his feet, scoring a touchdown with a 16-yard run. A 40-yard field goal by Juanita’s Jackson Clemensen extended the lead to 31-13 by the end of the third quarter.
Phillips third touchdown of the game, a two-yard score, gave Lake Washington some momentum but a failed tow-point conversion left the Kangs down by 12 points.
Montgomery’s legs would once again prove to be a dagger into the heart of Lake Washington, as the quarterback scrambled 47-yards for a touchdown during what would prove to be the defining play of the game.
Montgomery finished off the scoring for the contest with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Moctezuma.
Juanita sophomore Dean Sise is pulled down by Lake Washington senior Riley Simonson. The rival teams played each other Friday at Juanita High School. Chloe Ekberg/Kirkland Reporter
Juanita High School running back Austin Cole makes a successful run to the 30-yard line during the Rebel’s win Friday night. Chloe Ekberg/Kirkland Reporter
