LAKEWOOD — Trailing 28-26 with 5:39 left on the clock and facing a fourth-and-2 at the Sentinels 12-yard line, Huskies coach Roger Hoell decided to try and pick up a first down instead of attempting the go ahead field goal. His decision backfired when Isaiah Perez was stopped at the 11 and Steilacoom held on for the win to advance to the quarterfinal round of the 2A state tournament.

It was a classic back-and-forth battle at Harry E. Lang Stadium in Lakewood Saturday. Othello scored on the second play of the game when a scramble by quarterback Kyler Villareal turned into an 81-yard touchdown run. The PAT failed and the Huskies took an early 6-0 lead. Othello hit pay dirt for the second time in the first quarter on a Trevor Hilmes 4-yard run (PAT) to push the score to 13-0 and quiet the Sentinels crowd.

Steilacoom regrouped late in the quarter and posted seven on the board when quarterback JJ Lemming hooked up with Emeka Egbuka for a 15-yard score (PAT).

The Sentinels took their first lead of the contest in the second 12 minutes of action when Mykiah Brown recovered a Huskies fumble on the Steilacoom 49 (PAT) and took it to the house.

Othello answered back on a 28-yard pitch and catch from DJ Guzman to Villarreal (pass failed) to put the Huskies up top 19-14 at the half.

It was all Steilacoom in the third quarter. Lemming and Egbuka hooked up for a second time, this one from 33 yards out (PAT), and a 6-yard Jordan Bush-Johnson run (PAT) made it 28-19 Sentinels.

The Huskies weren’t down, however. Perez busted off a 72-yard touchdown run (PAT) with just under 10 minutes to go and cut the Steilacoom lead to 28-26.

Othello’s defense came up big on the Sentinels ensuing possession when a Lemming pass was tipped at the line and picked off by cornerback Patrick Azevedo at the Steilacoom 42.

The Huskies ground out a time consuming drive and looked to be in position to regain the lead with just over 5 minutes left on the clock, but turned the ball over on downs at the Sentinels 12 yard line.

Othello got the ball back with 40 seconds to go, but Guzman tossed an interception on the first play and that was it for the Huskies.

Villarreal led the Othello ground attack with 123 yards on 14 carries. Perez toted the rock 17 times for 115 yards. Hilmes finished with 15 carries for 62 yards. The Huskies aerial assault was basically non-existent with Villarreal and Guzman combining for 79 yards on 13 attempts. Villarreal led all receivers with two catches for 41 yards.