3 takeaways from Sumner-Lake Stevens: Outgained, underdog Spartans not outgunned in football showdown

Austin Ferencz wins it with overtime field goal as Sumner stuns 2-time defending 4A champions, 31-28

Sumner kicker Austin Ferencz is carried off the field after booting the game winning field goal in overtime in Spartans' wild win over Lake Stevens. / Photo by Vince Miller

SUMNER, Wash.– Austin Ferencz sent a 35-yard field-goal try sailing through the uprights and Sumner’s sideline streamed onto the field Friday night at Sunset Chev Stadium to celebrate a 31-28 overtime victory over two-time defending Class 4A champion Lake Stevens.

"This win gives us so much confidence," said Ferencz, who was lifted into the air by his teammates moments after connecting on the game-winning kick.

"We’re just going to roll through the year now, we’re going to do our best, hope we stay injury-free and just keep our hopes up. Work hard, work every week like we’re going to play this team again — and hopefully we’ll get to that final game."

One of several marquee matchups on the opening weekend of high school football in Washington, both the top-ranked Vikings and No. 3 Spartans are considered 4A championship contenders this fall.

Lake Stevens entered this Week 1 meeting on a 22-game winning streak against 4A opponents, including the two state title wins in 2022 and 2023, and has advanced to the past nine 4A state brackets and past three finals.

Sumner has reached the state playoffs five of the past seven seasons since rejoining the 4A classification in 2016, including each of the past three.

And Friday’s meeting — the first since 2005 — offered another thrilling meeting between a pair of perennial state powers, with the Spartans eventually securing the season-opening victory on their home field.

Here are three takeaways from the Sumner-Lake Stevens game:

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SPARTANS MAKE STATEMENT

Lake Stevens took the game’s first lead, capitalizing on Kekoa Okiyama’s leaping sideline interception on the first offensive play of the game.

Less than three minutes later, the Vikings found the end zone on a 3-yard keeper from returning all-state quarterback Kolton Matson for the early 7-0 advantage.

But, the Spartans were quick to respond, and trailed only twice during the contest, for just over seven combined minutes.

Two offensive drives later, Spartans quarterback Nate Donavan completed a quick series with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Austin Glivar to even the game at 7-7.

Neicko Noffke blocked a punt attempt on the Vikings’ ensuing drive, and Che Molina ran it back 22 yards to give the Spartans their first lead with 2:22 remaining in the first quarter.

“I told us, if we can get a stop deep and they have to bring out their punt team, we will block it,” Sumner coach Keith Ross said. “We’ve been practicing all week, and it was great to see.”

The Vikings cut the lead to 14-10 early in the second on a 25-yard field goal from Lucas Mooring, but Israel Nabors ended Lake Stevens’ next series with an end zone interception, and Sumner drove 80 yards to the end zone, scoring on a 21-yard pass from Donavan to Kainoa Grounds to eventually lead 21-10 at the break.

Lake Stevens closed the gap and took the lead on a pair of 80-yard drives in the third and fourth quarters — returning all-state running back Jayshon Limar scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 35 seconds left in the third, and then, following a Sumner fumble in the end zone resulting in a touchback, completed another long series with a 29-yard score — but Sumner answered again.

After the Vikings took their 25-21 lead with 9:24 left, Steele Isaacs — who tallied a team-high 17 carries for 98 yards — led the Spartans to midfield on four consecutive carries, and Nabors then ripped through the Lake Stevens defense for the 50-yard go-ahead score with 7:32 to go.

Both offenses turned the ball over on downs on fourth-and-short on their next series before Lake Stevens tied the game at the fourth quarter buzzer on a 27-yard field goal from Mooring, sending the game to overtime knotted at 28-28.

Then, three plays into Lake Stevens’ overtime possession, Glivar intercepted a pass over the middle in another pivotal moment, setting up Sumner’s eventual game-winning field goal.

“I couldn’t ask for a better moment right now. Sitting right here, I’m just ecstatic. I’m around all my friends and family, and it’s just a great feeling.”

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PRESEASON ALL-STATE KICKER WINS IT

How about an overtime game-winner to open the season for Sumner’s preseason all-state kicker?

Ferencz, a senior and 4.5-star kicking recruit by Chris Sailer Kicking, watched on as Sumner’s overtime possession featured five plays, three penalties — including a touchdown that was called back. After a short run from Nabors set the Spartans up at the 18, Ferencz waited out the Vikings’ final timeout.

Then, he delivered the game-winner. The snap was high, but set just as two Lake Stevens’ defenders rushed around the edge, and Ferencz coolly sent the kick through the uprights.

“I’m just ecstatic right now,” he said. “I love this place, I love my teammates, I love Sumner High School. I’m just so happy I could pull through for all the boys. These are my brothers. We’re really a brotherhood here. For Coach Ross, he pushes all of us to be our best.

“I couldn’t ask for a better moment right now. Sitting right here, I’m just ecstatic. I’m around all my friends and family, and it’s just a great feeling.”

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LAKE STEVENS' 3-PEAT HOPES JUST FINE

Friday’s loss was the first for the Vikings since last September, first in-state loss since Week 1 of the 2022 season, and first against a 4A program since the 2021 state championship game against Graham-Kapowsin.

Despite returning only five starters on offense and just one on defense from last season’s title team, the Vikings are still very much championship contenders.

“We’re only going to get better, and that’s the good news,” Lake Stevens coach Tom Tri said. “So, I feel confident that end of the season we’ll be right there with the rest of them, and grinding it out trying to win another state championship.”

Friday night, despite some miscues, Lake Stevens was eventually able to erase a double-digit second-half deficit on the road to send the game to overtime.

“I love the effort and the grit that our kids played with,” Tri said. “We were down 21-10 at halftime, and yet had a four-point lead with four minutes to go in the game.

“So, we found a way to grind to get back into it with great effort, but we just made too many mistakes, and they were fast and physical and well-coached and did a really good job of stopping our offense.”

Sumner held Lake Stevens to its lowest scoring total since the 2022 season in the contest, but the Vikings outgained the Spartans by more than 200 yards on offense, led by their all-state backfield.

Limar collected a game-high 136 rushing yards and the two touchdowns on 24 carries, and added three catches for 42 yards.

Matson completed 29-of-46 passes for a game-high 305 yards, and the two interceptions, and added the early rushing touchdown. Seth Price had 10 catches for a game-high 93 yards, Keagan Howard added six catches for 80 yards and Cannon Kennard had eight catches for 64 yards.

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