WIAA 2A state football championship: Anacortes proves it is no one-hit wonder

Defending state champions hold Tumwater's Wing-T offense in check, and score just enough in 20-10 rematch victory

Rylin Lang and Anacortes repeated as WIAA Class 2A champions Saturday, defeating Tumwater in the finals. / Photo by Steve Faber

SEATTLE - In the days leading up to a much-anticipated rematch at Gridion Classic, Justin Portz began poking around a few statewide podcasts, listening for analysis and predictions.

His Anacortes High School squad crunched Tumwater, 60-30, a year ago to win its first Class 2A championship, so imagine his surprise when he tuned into a couple of talking heads who predicted the No. 1 seed Thunderbirds to handily win the rematch.

One host said if point spreads were a thing in high school football, Tumwater would be a 28-point favorite based on its dominant showing this fall.

Well, Portz discovered his week's worth of in-house motivation - and the Seahawks returned to Husky Stadium with their hair on fire.

In a 20-10 victory Saturday, Anacortes held Tumwater's Wing-T attack to 200 yards on 66 rushing attempts - and one touchdown.

And on the flip side, the Seahawks found just enough offense - a pair of Ryan Harrington-to-Rylin Lang touchdown passes (33, 6 yards), and Brock Beaner's 66-yard rushing score.

"Tumwater’s defense is very, very good," Portz said. "We knew we had to score enough, and our defense had to make a couple stops, and they did."

But then, Portz addressed what he perceived as a slight toward what his program accomplished a season ago.

"How disrespected do you have to feel, we are the ones with the gold ball in our house. We are the champs. We return a bunch of guys. But nobody thinks we have a chance to win?" Portz said.

"These guys really found that fire. ... Man, Tumwater, they are tough. But these guys are tougher."

Tumwater grabbed its only lead - 10-7 - on Dylan Stevens' 28-yard field goal with 2:05 remaining in the third quarter.

The lead lasted 53 seconds after Beaner got loose off left tackles and rumbled down the sideline 66 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

"We were counted out, just like last year," Beaner said.

After a Tumwater punt, Harrington let if fly downfield, connecting with Lang on a 60-yard completion to the Tunderbirds' 9.

Two plays later, Harrington went back to his top target on 6-yard touchdown, and Anacortes' lead grew to 21-10 with 11:06 remaining.

From there, Anacortes thwarted two Tumwater red-zone drives - and celebrated another championship.

"It feels nothing short," Lang said, "of amazing."

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