Not much has fazed Issaquah junior Grant Gellatly this season.
Not opposing defenders. Not opposing coaches’ defensive schemes. Not even the oversized apparatus that engulfed his right hand Friday night.
“He really has three fingers he’s playing with, and a club, but it didn’t seem to bother him,” said Issaquah head coach Chris Bennett. “He’s such a hard runner and he just makes the adjustment. He’s just that good.”
Gellatly, who suffered a broken right thumb Sept. 19 against Inglemoor, made a triumphant return last week — with an enormous cast on his right hand. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound running back carried the ball 11 times for 121 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Issaquah beat Eastlake 28-3 on the road.
“It actually didn’t hurt at all during the game,” said Gellatly, who now has 11 touchdowns in four games. “It wasn’t a problem, I had to carry in my left hand the whole time, but I could hold onto the ball.”
Gellatly played a key role in the Eagles’ first possession, carrying the ball four times for 48 yards, capping off the drive with a 10-yard TD. The score put Issaquah up 7-3 with 5:56 to go in the first quarter.
Dustin Talley, who missed the first month with a broken ankle, made his 2008 debut, carrying the ball seven times for 35 yards. He put Issaquah up 14-3 on a 1-yard dive in the second quarter.
“It was small, but it’s a great feeling to just come back and get a touchdown,” said Talley, who wasn’t sure he would even be able to come back this season.
Eagle quarterback Joey Bradley was efficient, completing 8 of 11 pass attempts for 80 yards. He connected with Brennan Miller for an 18-yard TD with 20 seconds remaining in the first half. Gellatly tacked Issaquah’s final score on with 3:04 left in the third quarter, taking the ball 39 yards up the right sideline on a misdirection play.
Eastlake struck first Friday. On the second play from scrimmage, quarterback Drake Furcini connected with Jeff Grotjahn on a play action pass for a 61-yard gain down to the Eagle 9-yard line. The Wolves were unable to punch the ball into the end zone, however, settling for a 22-yard field goal from Kelly Rockey, and a 3-0 lead.
“We did a nice job to get there. They did a nice job to keep us out of the end zone,” said Eastlake head coach Gene Dales.
Eastlake got within the 10-yard line on its next possession, but Furcini’s fourth-down pass to Grotjahn was broken up by Ryan Tiernan in the end zone. The Wolves struggled against the large Eagle defensive line, turning the ball over on downs four times. They were forced to punt on their other offensive possession. Eastlake, which averaged more than 200 yards rushing in its first four games, was held to 69 yards rushing on 27 carries.
“I told our players here at the end of the game, this is the worst we’ve been pushed around since I’ve been here,” Dales said. “Physically we just got beat up, and you can’t point fingers at anybody. It just is what it is.”
The Wolves had success in their passing game. Furcini was 16-for-23 for 196 yards. He completed eight consecutive attempts to start the second half. The Eagles earned 205 rushing yards from five different ball carriers.
Issaquah improved to 2-0 in the KingCo 4A and 5-0 overall and will host winless Redmond at 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 10. Eastlake fell to 1-1 in league and 3-2 overall and travels up the hill to face undefeated Skyline at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Issaquah vs. Redmond
Kickoff: 7 p.m., Oct. 10 at IHS
Quick look: The Mustangs run a pass heavy offense behind the arm of David Gilbertson — son of former UW coach and current Seahawk assistant coach Keith Gilbertson. Gilbertson has passed for over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns this season, but Redmond is still winless at 0-5.
Prediction: Issaquah has surrendered yards through the air this season, but the Eagles will be prepared for the Mustangs’ air attack. Final score: 34-14 Issaquah.
Eastlake vs. Skyline
Kickoff: 7 p.m., Oct. 10 at SHS
Quick look: Skyline hasn’t faced an offense like Eastlake’s since week-one opponent Sheldon. The Wolves and Spartans are less than one mile apart, and emotions will be running high for both schools.
Prediction: It’s been a while since Skyline has played an opponent with a winning record, but the Spartans offense has tuned up in its previous five games. Expect a fast start from both teams. Final score: 35-14 Skyline.
