Tigers come close, lose in championship game…

Our Tigers played in a game that left islanders proud we were represented by such a great bunch…here’s more from Kris Brown:

Friday Harbor fans, few in number and very cold, held out until the
bitter end in hopes that the Senior Tigers would triumph in the 2009
North Cascade Youth Football League championship game on Saturday evening. They faced the Burlington Tigers who they had defeated just a few weeks earlier 18-7.

From the beginning it was a battle of defensive lines and running
backs. Burlington scored two times in the first half, both on runs,
but missed the after point attempts. Running back Nate Steenkolk
finally broke through in the second quarter for a 65 yard run into the
end zone and threw for the point after. The Friday Harbor squad was
behind 12-7 at the half.

Late in the third quarter, the Burlington boys opened a hole to run in
another touchdown but still couldn’t convert on the point after. With
1:24 left in the game, Steenkolk injured his neck as he caught a Woods pass for a touch down bringing the game to 18-13. With tingling in his neck and arm he lay on the field and as a precaution he was taken by ambulance to the hospital for evaluation. He was released shortly after the game.

When the game resumed, Alec Kurtz failed on a fake kick and pass for the point after. Kurtz then tried an onside kick to regain possession
but Burlington recovered and with 1:09 left, ran out the clock.

“Your team has nothing to be ashamed of,” commented one referee after the game. “I’ve never seen such a small squad play so well against a team twice their size. It was unbelievable how hard they fought.”

In their 8-3 season with the second place finish was preceded by an
10-1 season and second place finish as Juniors in 2008 and an
undefeated season in 2007 which saw them crowned NCYFL Junior Champions.

Note: The Friday Harbor Athletic Association, sponsors of Tiger
football, wants to thank our fans and cheerleaders for such wonderful support this season. We offer a special thanks to those who donated
more than $600 to help our Cheerleaders join us for the game as well
as a pizza party and overnighter.

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