Sparts' gridiron team tumbles in non-league openers

Senior Clint Hepper returns a kickoff for substantial yardage in this early-season photo. Hepper scored twice against Jackson on receptions of 22 and 18 yards on tosses from Spartan QB Michael McCune. Stanwood's football Spartans (0-0 in league, 0- 2 overall) began the 2009 campaign with some early scoring against two of the finer Western Conference 4A elevens, but in the end both opponents rose to the occasion to outscore the local gridiron squad and send the Sparts to a pair of non-conference losses.

In their 35-18 setback to the Timberwolves in the season opener for both teams, the Spartans built an early 10-point lead behind an 18-yard touchdown pass from Michael Mc- Cune to Clint Hepper and a 21-stripe field goal by Kale Schmidt. That first scoring opportunity resulted when the T-Wolves' kicker punted the pigskin a mere 14 yards downfield following their initial three-play drive to begin the game.

Setting up shop on the Jackson 36, the Spartans

eventually scored from

the 22 on an aerial connection from McCune to a wide-open Hepper with 8:37 to go in the first period. Schmidt's successful boot culminated his team's second possession that ate up 46 yards in five plays. That drive's key play was a 39-yard pass reception by Schmidt down the left sideline.

For the next 35 minutes of play, however, the Timberwolves, the defending WesCo 4A South champions, controlled the field as they ran off 35 straight points through the air and over the turf.

Refusing to just fade away, the Spartans began an extended drive on their own 25 in the final quarter that resulted in a touchdown and two-point conversion 12 plays later. McCune, the senior quarterback who, like his teammates, is still absorbing the newly implemented wide-open offensive style of first-year coach Aaron Cupp, completed a screen pass to Kale Schmidt for 13 yards before fellow senior Brad Gee used the effective blocking of experienced linemen Alex Hatley, Zak Jones, Cody Landau, Michael Randall and Dexter Charles to ramble 19 stripes in three straight trips downfield.

A pair of completed aerials to Schmidt across the middle brought the Spartans to the T'Wolves' 29. Stalled briefly by two incompletions, McCune found Brock Reinecke downfield at the 17-yard line. From there Clint Hepper gathered in his quarterback's accurate toss and then outmaneuvered two defenders to cross the goal line. McCune and Schmidt, once again protected by their valiant line, combined for a two-point conversion, which provided the final 34-18 margin.

Brad Gee paced all Stanwood runners with 92 yards rushing while McCune was 13-for-25 passing for 155 accumulated yards.

Against Meadowdale, where Coach Cupp was an assistant earlier this decade before accepting a job in Oregon, the Sparts once again held their own until the second half of play.

Trailing just 21-14 after three quarters, the Spartans allowed a 23-stripe pass and a 22-yard run for touchdowns in the final period, allowing the Mavericks to pull away to a 34-14 win in the final 12 minutes.

Stanwood's two scores resulted from a pair of long runs by Brad Gee. The 215-pound running back followed Dexter Charles' block for the local squad's first TD, and then rambled 26 yards in the second quarter for another six-pointer. Zach Engelhart gobbled up over 40 yards during that first drive to set up Gee's touchdown.

Zack Johnson sacked the opposing quarterback twice to pace the defense against Meadowdale.