Last season, Damien Greene made a defining play in the state semifinals, intercepting Curtis’ potential game-winning two-point conversion in the final seconds.
This season, the Skyline senior decided to one-up his performance.
“My dad was just saying, ‘Make the play, make something happen,'” said Greene, who received a pep talk before Saturday afternoon’s 4A semfinal matchup with Woodinville.
Greene certainly took the talk to heart. He caught two touchdown passes, ran for another, forced a fumble and knocked a pass away in the waning seconds, helping the Spartans to a 26-21 victory over the Falcons.
“Earlier in the regular season, we’re thinking this kid is such a talent, we just need to get him going,” head coach Mat Taylor said. “I think the big thing for him is confidence.”
Greene helped Skyline to a 12-0 halftime lead, scoring both first-half touchdowns.
On the game’s opening drive, he capped a 10-play, 3 minute, 15 second drive snagging a 2-yard touchdown pass from Max Browne. Greene added another TD with 8:51 to go in the second quarter, rushing in a 1-yard score.
He wasn’t done there.
After allowing Woodinville to score on the first drive of the second half, the Spartans answered with another big play from Greene. The slippery 5-foot-9, 175-pound running back took a third-down screen pass from Browne, brook a handful of tackles, and scampered 60 yards for his third TD and a 19-7 advantaged.
Greene ended the game with eight catches for 128 yards.
“He’s a big-time player and he made big-time plays,” said Browne, who completed 22 of 31 passes for 287 yards.
The biggest of Greene’s plays came in the fourth quarter — on the defensive side of the ball.
Woodinville cut into Skyline’s deficit, 19-14, after quarterback Brett Arrivey’s 3-yard TD run. The Falcons threatened to take the lead midway through the fourth quarter before Greene — also a starting defensive back — blew up Woodinville receiver on a lateral pass. He forced the fumble and recovered the ball at the Falcons’ 42-yard line. The turnover set up a 30-yard reverse for a TD from Nic Sblendorio with 5:50 left in the game — a score that decided the game.
Woodinville marched down the field in just over two minutes, cutting their deficit to, 26-21, with 1:28 to go via Arrivey’s 5-yard TD pass to Beau Vintertun.
The Falcons then recovered an onside kick, getting the ball back at their own 45-yard line with 1:24 left. They marched down to Skyline’s 18-yard line on two plays, before Greene batted yet another pass away. The Spartans defense as a whole, held Arrivey (25 of 38, 272 yards, 2 TDs) without a completion on his final three attempts.
“I was terrified,” said Taylor, of the final 1:24. “It was like last year against Curtis. “You think you have the game wrapped up and here they come. Holy smokes.”
Saturday’s win marks the seventh time in the last eight years Skyline (10-3) will advance to the state championship game.
“I just think think so much of it is just tradition and the kids just growing up in our program and seeing what the other guys have done – the expectations,” Taylor said.
The key to Skyline recovering from three regular-season losses and winning its last five games?
“The cliche is right,” Browne said. “You hate to lose, but you learn from losing.”
Skyline will face Skyview (11-2) of Vancouver for the 4A championship at 7:30 p.m., next Saturday at the Tacoma Dome. The game will be broadcast live on Root Sports.
