Stanwood’s done, now it’s Rogers in state playoffs

Even the state’s No. 1 team must deal with adversity.

With standout quarterback Mitchell Muller recovering from the flu and cornerback Kyle McAllister out with a sore knee, Bothell entered its 4A district seeding game with a solid plan last Friday night against Stanwood at Pop Keeney Field.

“We knew we needed to continue to get better for the playoffs, so we continued to work hard and get better each and every practice leading up to the game,” senior Kevin Knapp said.

Judging from the result — a 61-0 blowout — the Cougars showed their hard work paid off.

Bothell (10-0) will next host Rogers (7-3) at 7:30 p.m. this Friday in the opening round of the 4A state playoffs.

The Cougars made their mark on both offense and defense from the start — and cruised to victory from there.

On Stanwood’s opening drive, senior cornerback Adam Boase dropped a Spartan receiver in the backfield for a loss, which led to a Stanwood three and out.

Bothell’s first play was a Muller toss to junior running back Luke Proulx, who took it 14 yards for a Cougar first down. On the next play, Muller found senior wide receiver John Sullivan for a 26-yard touchdown pass.

“Have trust and everyone do their jobs” said Boase of an extra facet to Bothell’s game plan.

The Cougar defense backed that up by allowing only 114 yards of total offense, and junior defensive back Taven Shumaker added an interception toward the end of the game to cap off a great defensive night. Senior linebacker Jeremy Owen led the team with five tackles, including one for a loss.

On the offensive end, highlights included Muller throwing for four TDs, including 59- and 36-yard strikes to senior wide receiver Kevin Knapp, and Proulx’s four scores. Muller finished 9-for-9 passing for 190 yards and Proulx had 10 rushes for 227 yards.

Dangerous return man junior Wendell Galvan got in on the action in the first half. After fielding a punt, he showed his electricity by eluding the first tackler and returning the ball 42 yards. This return set up Muller throwing a quick pass to senior tight end Evan Hudson for an 8-yard-touchdown.

Before the half was over, Proulx broke through for a 53-yard touchdown run to put Bothell ahead, 48-0.