Hockinson defenders swallow up a Liberty running back.
Sophomore wide receiver Sawyer Racanelli pushes a defender off after pulling in a catch in the second quarter.
Hockinson senior quarterback Canon Racanelli (12) reacts as Head Coach Rick Steele runs toward him and his teammates to celebrate after they secured a spot in the 2A state football semifinals last Saturday at Battle Ground District Stadium.
“Why not us?”
That’s what Hockinson players and coaches asked each other and chanted following a 34-20 2A state football quarterfinal win over Liberty High School from Issaquah at Battle Ground District Stadium last Saturday afternoon.
It’s a good question. With a senior quarterback equally lethal on foot and through the air, a pack of wide receivers still waiting for a challenge, and now, a proven lockdown defense, the 12-0 Hawks have every reason to be asking what’s stopping them from winning two more games and bringing a first-place trophy back to North County.
The win sends the Hawks to the first state football semifinals in program history, but more importantly in the present, proved what their hard-charging playing style can withstand and the mental toughness of their on-field leadership.
Hockinson was against the ropes early in the first quarter. The Patriots of Liberty employed their ground-and-pound style of offense on the first drive of the game, capping it off with an 18-yard touchdown run, which put them up 7-0 after the extra point. They didn’t throw once.
Minutes later, the the ball was back in Liberty’s hands after the Hawks fumbled a snap.
The Hawks’ defense barely had time to catch their breath before they were ordered back onto the field to stop a defense that ran down the field with ease on their previous possession, but it would prove just enough.
On the very next play, the Hawks recovered a fumble of their own on Liberty’s 12 yard line and senior quarterback Canon Racanelli knew right where he was going — one play, one pass to his brother, one touchdown.
Sophomore wide receiver Sawyer Racanelli pulled in a jump ball to even the score at seven after the extra point.
“I always trust that he’s going to make a play,” Canon said after the game of going right to his 6-3 brother after the fumble, even though he faced double coverage at times throughout the game. “He’s a freak athlete and we had a great game plan.”
This early fumble recovery would prove one of many big plays the Hawks defense would come up with throughout the game against speedy runners they hadn’t seen the likes of much this season. Hockinson Head Coach Rick Steele said they did their best to replicate their high-octane style in the week leading up, but it moreso came down to the players stepping up to the challenge after getting run over on the first drive.
“The defense just stepped up big,” he said.
Early in the second quarter, the Hawks collected another fumble deep in Patriots territory, and Canon punched it in from the 1-yard-line to put the Hawks up 14-7.
By the middle of the second quarter, Hockinson’s defense had adjusted and began to swallow up Liberty’s relentless rushing attack, and the Patriots were forced to throw. But it was not in vain. The Hawks were caught off guard by reverse option and the Patriots evened the score at 14-14 after the extra point.
With under four minutes left in the half, Sawyer again climbed the ladder over a Patriot cornerback to pull in his brother’s throw to give the Hawks a 21-14 lead after the extra point.
The Hawks would lead the rest of the game.
The Patriots nailed a 42-yard field goal to put the score at 21-17 before the half.
At halftime, Steele said he told Canon to put the team on his shoulders.
“That’s what he’s been doing all year,” Steele said. “He’s the best quarterback in Clark County. We’re just damn happy he’s on our team.”
Canon was listening.
He racked up his second rushing touchdown of the game in the first 10 minutes off a 10-yard run to put the Hawks up 27-17, and after forcing a three-and-out in the Patriots’ own territory, capped their next drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass to wide-open senior wide receiver Matt Henry. The Patriots converted another field goal at the end of the third quarter, making the score 34-20, were it would stay the rest of the game.
Liberty tried to get their runners going in the second half, but the Hawks defense held strong, and when a small breath of life appeared early in the fourth quarter after a Canon fumble, they squandered it with a failed attempt at another reverse option pass downfield that fell into Hockinson’s hands.
“We knew they were a heck-of-a football team,” Steele said. “I told our kids at halftime the team that wanted this game the most was going to get it, and we got fired up at halftime and we came out and finished this game off. I’m just so proud of ‘em — so proud of ‘em.”
Canon was excited for the win, but deviated back to the task at hand after the game.
“It feels pretty good. We know we’ve got two more weeks and that’s what we’re most looking forward to,” he said. “We gotta put that ring on our finger.
“When you’ve got two games left, it’s not special till the last one.”
Stats highlights: Canon connected on 19 of his 29 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns, along with 14 rushes for 47 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Senior running back Colton Wheeler rushed 11 times for 50 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Peyton Brammer caught four passes for a team high 93 yards, and Sawyer finished with six catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns.
Next up: 2A semifinals
Hockinson vs. West Valley
12 p.m., Nov. 25, at Gonzaga Prep High School in Spokane.
