The Bothell High School football team bounced back from its 4A KingCo championship loss to Skyline by destroying Puyallup Friday night at Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell. The playoff game was never close, as the Cougars pounded their visitors 54-14.

Bothell scored early and often but the first few were not touchdowns. A 27-yard field goal by Rilyn Gherardini and then a safety gave Bothell an odd 5-0 lead to start the game.

But a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Sam McPherson started the landslide of scoring for Bothell. Damani St. Johns-Watkins scored on a 23-yard pass from wide receiver Cameron Gale and then McPherson pushed the advantage to 26-0 on an 11-yard run to open the second quarter of play.

Cougar quarterback Ross Bowers found Jackson Kemig for a 13-yard touchdown pass to end the first-half scoring.

The second half would start like the first half ended, as McPherson took the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, draining all the hope out of the Puyallup players.

The Vikings finally got on the board during their next possession, cutting the lead to 40-7 and breaking the shutout.

But McPherson was too much for Puyallup, scoring his third touchdown of the game on a 7-yard run. St. Johns-Watkins finished the scoring for the Cougars with a 4-yard touchdown run.

With the win, Bothell advances to the round of 16 of the state playoff next weekend.