Hawks cruise past Archbishop Murphy on TV’s Thursday Night Football
The Hockinson Hawks were an instant hit in their television debut Thursday night, and their play will be must-watch programming for any future opponents.
Levi Crum threw for 369 yards and five touchdown passes and rushed for 102 yards to lead the offense, and linebacker Jon Domingos and the Hockinson defense shut down the powerful Archbishop Murphy Wildcats in a 42-13 victory.
The game, played in Everett, was broadcast on Root Sports Northwest.
It turned into the Hockinson Show, featuring two 100-yard receiving games: Sawyer Racanelli with 14 catches for 175 yards and Peyton Brammer with 120 yards.
It also was the 16th consecutive victory for the Hawks, who went 14-0 in 2017 in claiming the Class 2A state championship. The Hawks are 2-0, winning by a combined score of 94-27 in the first two weeks.
Archbishop Murphy won the 2016 title and came into this contest ranked No. 3 in the state by The Associated Press. Hockinson was ranked No. 2, but certainly should find a few more No. 1 votes by next week.
“It was such a big game, and such a quality opponent. And to do so well …” Hockinson coach Rick Steele said. “I knew we had a good football team. I just didn’t know how good. I knew we’d find out tonight.”
In all, the Hawks totalled 541 yards of offense.
“That was pretty cool, the whole experience,” Steele said. “Just to see Levi play so well. Good golly.”
Hockinson’s defense was strong, too. Domingos had two sacks, one on a third down and the other as he forced a fumble that the Hawks would recover. Later in the game, he forced another fumble. Cam Thelen and Jeremiah Faulstick also had sacks.
The game was close for much of the first half, but the Hawks scored three touchdowns in the final five minutes of the second quarter to take command.
Crum found Nick Frichtl on a 16-yard scoring play for a 21-13 lead. After a three-and-out by the Wildcats, Hockinson went to work again, this time scoring on a 23-yard pass from Crum to Racanelli.
The next score belonged to Brammer. He intercepted Archbishop’s pass on the next play from scrimmage, returned the ball 46 yards. Two plays later, he was in the end zone on a 25-yard pass from Crum.
From 14-13 to 35-13, just like that.
The Wildcats took a 3-0 lead before Brammer got behind the defense on a 33-yard TD pass from Crum for a 7-3 Hockinson advantage in the first quarter.
The two teams scored on four consecutive possessions in the second quarter. Then it was all Hockinson.
Wyatt Jones made a fantastic move down the sideline, caught by the cameras of Root Sports, on a 14-yard touchdown run.
Racanelli finished the scoring on an 18-yard pass from Crum.
“We’re just really proud of our kids,” Steele said.
HOCKINSON 42, ARCHBISHOP MURPHY 13
Hockinson 7 28 7 0-42
A Murphy 3 10 0 0-13
First quarter
AM – Max Henderson 22 FG
H – Peyton Brammer 33 pass from Levi Crum (Nick Charles kick)
Second quarter
AM – Dillon Halpin 26 pass from Victor Gabalis (Henderson kick)
H – Wyatt Jones 14 run (Charles kick)
AM – Henderson 32 FG
H – Nick Frichtl 16 pass from Crum (Charles kick)
H – Sawyer Racanelli 23 pass from Crum (Charles kick)
H – Brammer 25 pass from Crum (Charles kick)
Third quarter
H – Racanelli 18 pass from Crum (Charles kick)
Hockinson Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Juice Jones 9-48, Jon Domingos 1-1, Crum 9-102, Jones 1-14, Aidan Mallory 1-8, Team 1-(minus 1).
PASSING: Crum 25-34-2-369.
RECEIVING: Racanelli 14-175, Brammer 6-120, Jeremiah Faulstick 3-52, Frichtl 2-22.
