Ferris denied again

Forget about all the statistics, but one. During his varsity football career, Skyline quarterback Jake Heaps remains unbeaten.

Heaps, a 6-foot-2, 195-pounder, orchestrated a late – and quick – third-quarter scoring drive that nullified Ferris’ go-ahead, 8-minute, 35-second grinder before it, dealing the host Saxons another agonizingly close State 4A semifinal loss, 24-21 Saturday at Joe Albi Stadium.

A year ago Ferris was denied against Bothell on a goal-line fumble near game’s end. This time the culprit was untimely interceptions, which denied the hosts again after giving the No. 1-ranked team all it could handle.

“We keep knocking on the door,” Saxons coach Jim Sharkey said. “We’re going to kick it in one of these days.”

For every point that Skyline (13-0) scored, Ferris (11-2) nearly always had an answer. But the same held true for the victors, who also came from behind three times.

The final touchdown covered 50 yards following a failed onside-kick attempt after Ferris had gone in front 21-17. A 9-yard pass by Heaps to Gino Simone with 1:09 left in the third quarter produced the game’s final points and victory.

And when William Chandler broke up a pass to Ferris standout Aaron Roberts inside the 20 with 3:26 left in the game, Ferris hopes of one last comeback and an upset victory were thwarted. Skyline ran out the clock and ended the Saxons’ season.

“This was a heck of a game and that’s a dang good football team,” said Skyline coach Mat Taylor, lauding Ferris. “They made plays our kids weren’t used to. At the same time, our kids held in check and we rallied at the end.”

Heaps finished 20 for 35 for 257 yards, passing for two touchdowns and running in another. Fellow junior Connor Halliday proved a worthy counterpart, going 20 for 31 for 229 yards and a TD. But he also was picked off three times.

“I take shots as a quarterback and try to have my guys make plays,” Halliday said. “You know, if I’d take one of those picks back we’d probably win the game.”

The visiting Spartans – on a gray day that began with a snow removal detail that included some willing Skyline fans, WIAA representative Randy Ryan said – drew first blood.

Brian Schwartz kicked a 26-yard field goal on the 12th play of a 72-yard march in which Heaps completed three passes, one covering 40 yards, but threw high and long on three other occasions.

Ferris proved to be a worthy challenger as Halliday answered by engineering a 79-yard drive. Halliday was 5 for 7 for 55 yards and hit Aaron Roberts for a 3-yard score four minutes later.

Skyline drove right back, Heaps eluding tacklers for a 15-yard run on the first play of the second quarter. But Halliday hit Roberts on a play that covered 68 yards, ending only because sophomore standout Kasen Williams was able to run him down from behind.

Garrett Saiki’s dive over the goal-line pylon put Ferris back up 14-10.

Ferris’ next two possessions ended on interceptions of long Halliday passes. One led to a drive and touchdown with 34 seconds remaining until intermission and a 17-14 Skyline lead.

On that drive, the Saxons couldn’t catch a break. A pass completion prior to Skyline’s second TD, they came up with the football on what appeared to be a fumble. The receiver was ruled down, although he jumped up looking for the ball.

“That was disappointing,” Sharkey said. “We thought we had the fumble and didn’t get the call there. That was tough.”

Still, Ferris went on a brilliant time-consuming 19-play drive that consumed all but 3:35 in the third quarter. Halliday was 8-for-10 for 48 yards and added a 12-yard scramble on the 80-yard march, Nate Tonani bursting the final 8.

“He’s a slippery bugger, isn’t he,” Skyline’s Taylor said of Halliday. “We almost had him three or four times and he got out of it and made plays.”

So did Heaps, and five plays later Skyline had the lead back, his a 30-yard completion being pivotal.

Ferris had two more chances in the fourth quarter. One ended in interception at the Spartans 20 and the other came on the knockdown by Chandler of the pass to Roberts.

The senior slot receiver finished his Saxons career with nine catches for 151 yards.

“I wouldn’t take anything back,” Sharkey said of his team’s effort. “I thought our kids executed real well. It was a matter of making them earn their points and I thought we did that short field or long field. The game played out how we hoped it would, going into the second half and getting it to the fourth quarter where we’ve been good all year. We didn’t make the plays, but (Skyline’s) a very good football team.”