Bothell pulls away to beat Glacier Peak in season opener

Bothell laid out the welcome mat on Thursday at Pop Keeney Stadium, but it wasn’t for the visiting Glacier Peak Grizzlies.

The Bothell High football team handed Glacier Peak a 44-29 nonconference loss on Thursday, much in part to the Cougars’ newest members – senior transfers Alex Indelicato and Daniel Johnson – who they welcomed with open arms.

The pair combined for four of Bothell’s touchdownsas the Cougars (1-0) pulled away to beat Glacier Peak (0-1) after a wild first half. Bothell led 27-17 after the first two quarters, the teams combining for five first-half touchdowns.

Indelicato, a transfer from Kamiak High in Mukilteo, ran for 173 yards and a touchdown and caught a 58-yard touchdown pass from Bothell quarterback Jacob Sirmon.

“I feel great,” said Indelicato afterward, despite taking a knock that sidelined the shifty senior for the final few snaps of the game. “I feel like this is my family and we can do a lot more. I feel like the score could have been up more and we could have done better, but it’s great to be here.”

Johnson caught seven passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns, the first of which came on a broken play from Sirmon in the first quarter. Sirmon danced to his right, avoided a tackle and ran to his left before finding Johnson in the back of the end zone for the go-ahead score.

“Glacier Peak’s particular defense, they bring a lot of seven-man, heavy-pressure stuff,” Sirmon said. “We bump to six, they’d bring seven, so sometimes it’s hard to pick up every guy. My line is out there doing their best, I scramble a bit and big-time receivers are out there making plays.”

Sirmon was, for the most part, composed behind a much-improved offensive line. The junior finished completed 18 of 33 passes for 354 yards and four scores, and was only sacked once.

It’s a mature step Bothell coach Tom Bainter said he’s been waiting for.

“There were a couple of times where I thought he needed to get rid of the ball, but then you can’t fault him when he holds it and makes a play and something big happens,” Bainter said.

Glacier Peak took an early lead when sophomore quarterback Ayden Ziomas found Colton Bunt for a 69-yard touchdown pass just a few minutes into the first quarter. Indelicato’s 58-yard touchdown reception tied the game, and a 19-yard reception by Johnson gave Bothell a 14-7 lead.

Johnson’s second touchdown came early in the second half on a 75-yard pass play in which Johnson tiptoed the sideline and high-stepped his way to paydirt.

Junior Da’Vicious Wilson caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Sirmon in the fourth quarter, one of four receptions for 126 yards.

James Johnston connected on three fieldgoals for Bothell, hitting from 20, 32 and 26 yards.

Ziomas went 17-for-41, with 307 yards and three touchdowns.

Neither team turned the ball over, but Bainter still saw areas of improvement for the Cougars.

“We gave up a big touchdown early in the game and just came right back,” Bainter said. “We had three touchdowns taken away and had three drives extended, and that’s on us, but I like how we’re overcoming ourselves.”

Next, Bothell is scheduled to play Kentwood High at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9 at French Field in Kent.

SUMMARY

Pop Keeney Stadium, Bothell

Glacier Peak 10 7 6 6 — 29

Bothell 14 13 7 10 — 44

GP — Colton Bunt 69 pass from Ayden Ziomas (Kevin Ramsey kick)

B — Alex Indelicato 58 pass from Jacob Sirmon (James Johnston kick)

B — Daniel Johnson 19 pass from Sirmon (Johnston kick)

GP — Kevin Ramsey 21 FG

B — James Johnston 20 FG

GP — Seiver Southard 11 pass from Ziomas (Ramsey kick)

B — Indelicato 45 run (Johnston kick)