3 takeaways from Arlington vs. Bothell: Offenses steal show in last-second Eagles' win

Leyton Martin, Jake Willis and crew score final touchdown and two-point conversion with 31 seconds remaining in 50-49 victory

Arlington wide receiver Jake Willis participates at the PLU 11v11 Football Tournament in Parkland. / Photo by Todd Milles

A combined 99 points, 14 touchdowns and nearly 850 yards of total offense later, it was No. 9 Arlington celebrating a one-point victory Friday night.

Trailing by two touchdowns in the first half, the Eagles rallied past visiting Bothell, trading scoring drives throughout the third and fourth quarters before taking what turned out to be the game’s final lead on a two-point conversion with less than a minute to play, and closing out a 50-49 win with an end zone interception at the buzzer.

Here are three takeaways from the Arlington-Bothell game:

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Bothell football, led by coach Tom Bainter, should be factors in the 4A Kingco in 2024. / Photo by Todd Milles

ARLINGTON GOES FOR WIN

It wasn’t until there were only 31 seconds remaining on the clock that this game’s lead shifted for the final time.

After Bothell scored its seventh and final touchdown with 1:28 to play, the Eagles needed less than a minute to answer.

Returning starter Leyton Martin engineered a quick drive, including a 51-yard pass to Chase Deberry on third-and-14 and an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jake Willis on fourth-and-goal to cut Bothell’s lead to 49-48 with 31 seconds to go.

The Eagles then lined up for the go-ahead two-point try, and Martin found Eli Rae crossing the end zone for what ended up being the deciding conversion.

“There was no doubt we were going for two when we scored,” Arlington coach Greg Dailer said.

Bothell quickly drove into Arlington territory on the game’s final series, reaching as far as the Eagles 35 with two seconds remaining, but Willis intercepted a Jaylen Viars' pass in the end zone as time expired to seal the win.

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EAGLES' OFFENSE FLYING

Arlington is off to a quick start in the program’s return to Class 4A, and enters 4A Wesco play next week on the heels of two high-scoring victories.

After routing Mount Vernon (47-13) in Week 1, the Eagles followed up with their seven-touchdown performance Friday.

Martin paced a high-flying offense that totaled 442 yards and reached the end zone on seven of 10 drives, connecting with five receivers to complete 21-of-32 passes for 308 yards and three touchdowns.

“He’s just a point guard on the football field,” Dailer said of Martin, who led the Eagles to the state playoffs in both football and basketball last season. “He goes through our progression, and then when it breaks down, he just starts playing basketball out there and dishes the ball to whoever’s open, or decides to take it himself, and he’s just had that decision-making his whole life. 

“I think basketball really serves him well there, and he just becomes our point guard on the field.”

Deberry hauled in five catches for 138 yards and a touchdown, while Willis had seven catches for 53 yards and two scores and Rae added three receptions for 69 yards and the game-winning two-point conversion catch.

Caleb Reed led Arlington on the ground, rushing for 127 yards and four scores on 18 carries, and now has seven rushing touchdowns through two weeks.

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NEW BOTHELL OFFENSE GAINING TRACTION?

Despite tallying their highest point total since the 2021 state playoffs, Friday night’s loss leaves the Cougars 0-2 for the first time since 2015.

Bothell led much of the way against Arlington, scoring four touchdowns in the first half and finding the end zone on seven of 11 drives overall in its new go-go offense.

Viars’ 1-yard keeper to complete an efficient drive gave the Cougars an early lead on the game’s opening series.

Arlington responded on the next drive, but Wyatt Mickelberry then returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to give the Cougars a lead they carried well into the third quarter. Bothell led by as many as 13 points at multiple points in the first half.

Even after the Eagles took their first lead in the third, the Cougars scored on each of their next three drives, including taking their final 49-42 lead with 1:28 to play.

Bothell cleared 400 yards of total offense in the contest, paced by an impressive rushing attack that combined for six touchdowns. Mickelberry led the way with 16 carries for 131 yards and two scores, added the long kickoff return for the touchdown and piled up 298 all-purpose yards.

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