Federal Way scores 4 second-half TDs, secures trip to 4A state playoffs with win over Curtis

The Federal Way High School Eagles are on their way back to the Class 4A state playoffs.

After entering the break Saturday evening at Federal Way Memorial Stadium locked in a low-scoring tie with Curtis, the Eagles found the end zone four times in the second half — including returning a pair of interceptions for touchdowns — to close out a convincing 37-17 win and secure a spot in the state bracket for the first time since 2014.

“It feels great,” Federal Way senior Andre Jordan Jr. said. “All the hard work we’ve put in is really showing off. I’m excited.”

“It means everything in the world, man,” Eagles coach Marcus Yzaguirre said. “The kids are playing hard. All credit to the kids, all credit to my coaching staff.”

Both South Sound programs entered this week’s district round with recent momentum — Curtis having won its past three 4A SPSL games, and Federal Way its past four 4A NPSL contests — and traded scores early on before the Eagles tacked on four touchdowns in the first 14 minutes of the second half to run away with their decisive victory.

“It’s exciting to get it done,” Eagles senior Maki Piper said. “We’ve put in a lot of hard work, and I feel like we had a good game plan coming into the game.”

Early on in the contest, it seemed this matchup might go back-and-forth until the final moments.

Curtis took its first lead on the game’s first possession, driving into Federal Way territory on 15 plays before Joseph Carini’s 22-yard field goal made it 3-0 midway through the first quarter.

Federal Way answered with the first of Piper’s two rushing touchdowns three drives later, on a 29-yard run that gave the Eagles a 7-3 advantage midway through the second.

Sophomore Parker Mady responded with a 19-yard scoring run on the Vikings’ next drive to give Curtis the lead back with 3:23 left in the half.

But, the Eagles evened the game on the final play of the quarter, when Cadence Reas connected on a 37-yard field goal at the buzzer to make it 10-10 at halftime.

Federal Way put together a quick scoring drive out of the break, and Piper gave the Eagles a lead they never lost with a 9-yard scoring run less than two minutes into the third quarter.

The Eagles then forced a Curtis punt, only to turn the ball over on downs in Vikings territory not long after, ending a promising 12-play drive.

Moments later, though, Federal Way’s defense delivered the first of two momentum-swinging plays that proved pivotal in lifting the Eagles to the eventual win.

On the first play of the Vikings’ ensuing drive, defensive end Tylin Jackson made his way into the backfield, and disrupted a pass from Curtis junior quarterback Rocco Koch. Eagles four-star cornerback Rahshawn Clark intercepted the pass at midfield before sprinting up the right sideline for a 50-yard touchdown that gave the Eagles a two-possession lead.

Curtis responded with a quick scoring drive, capped by a 4-yard touchdown run from senior Lyndon Tanoa with 1:48 remaining in the third quarter, but that was the last time the Vikings reached the end zone.

“Our defense really stepped up to the plate in the second half,” Jordan said. “We said in there, ‘We’ve got to stop them,’ and we did just that.”

Federal Way extended the lead to multiple possessions for good minutes later on a 19-yard pass from senior Jay O’Neil to Jordan to make it 31-17 early in the fourth.

Any thoughts of a comeback bid were quieted seconds later, when Federal Way freshman Zamaire Tellez delivered another key defensive play, picking off another pass on the first play of the Vikings’ next drive. Tellez ran the interception back 48 yards for a touchdown to give the Eagles their final 37-17 lead with 10:34 left.

“We’re the no-fly zone on defense, so that was just the turning point in the game,” Piper said of the two interception returns.

Curtis finished with 299 yards of total offense, much of it on the ground, after Federal Way limited the Vikings to six completions, 74 yards and three interceptions through the air.

Koch added 27 carries for 102 yards to lead the Vikings in rushing, while Tanoa added 88 rushing yards and the one touchdown on 17 carries, and Mady had 144 all-purpose yards, the one touchdown and an interception on defense.

Curtis (6-4) ends the season just short of the state playoffs, but, with only nine seniors listed on the roster, is set to bring back much of its young group next season.

Federal Way tallied 400 yards of total offense in the win, paced by Piper, who rushed for 157 yards and the two touchdowns on 14 carries.

O’Neil finished 11-of-23 passing for 187 yards, the one touchdown and one interception. Jaylon Jenkins led the Eagles in receiving with four catches for 82 yards, while Clark had three catches for 61 and Jordan three for 47 and the touchdown. Jordan, an Oregon State commit, also hauled in an interception on defense in the first half.

Federal Way (8-2) — which has only two losses this season to a pair of 4A state qualifiers in Lake Stevens and Kennedy Catholic — now looks ahead to next week’s first round. State brackets will be seeded Sunday.