Back on a familiar perch, Bothell hammers Eastlake for first 4A KingCo football title since 2014: 5 takeaways

Every year, Bothell High School football coach Tom Bainter knows one of the biggest hills to climb all season is in the 4A KingCo. Bainter knows to even get to

Every year, Bothell High School football coach Tom Bainter knows one of the biggest hills to climb all season is in the 4A KingCo.

Bainter knows to even get to a league championship game is tough.

To win it?

"It's difficult," Bainter said.

But the ninth-ranked Cougars were up to the challenge.

Scoring 33 unanswered points to erase a first-half deficit, Bothell turned away No. 8 Eastlake, 47-24, in the KingCo championship game Thursday night at Pop Keeney Stadium.

It was the Cougars' seventh 4A KingCo championship under Bainter - and first since 2014. They earn the league's No. 1 seed, and will play the Beamer-Auburn Riverside winner in next week's district round of the playoffs.

Here are five takeaways from the Bothell-Eastlake game:

AS SOON AS EASTLAKE'S GRADY ROBISON CELEBRATED DURING A TOUCHDOWN RUN, THE GAME CHANGED

For the first 16 minutes, the Wolves could do little wrong in taking early control of this showdown.

Robison capped the stretch with a magnificent scramble out of pressure on a dropback pass. He turned it into a 53-yard touchdown gallop.

But on his way to the end zone, the dual-threat quarterback suddenly decided to taunt the Bothell sideline by raising the football over his head with one hand before completing the scoring play.

Those antics not only didn't set well with Bainter's crew, they did not impress Eastlake coach Don Bartel, either.

"I don’t know what was going on with our kids tonight, but there were a couple of things very uncharacteristic of us," Bartel said. "I mean, I know we have not been here - but can we act like that for a few minutes?"

Robison's run gave Eastlake a 21-7 lead with 7:46 remaining in the first half. After that, the Cougars tallied the next 33 points over a 9:50 span.

ROBISON SHOULD STILL BE THE KINGCO PLAYER OF THE YEAR ... BUT HIS COUNTERPART MATCHED HIM THURSDAY

Robison, the Montana State commit who is the league leader in total offense, had a productive night Thursday - 120 rushing yards on 16 carries, and 13-for-23 for 131 passing yards while accounting for three total touchdowns.

But Bothell's Andrew Sirmon was the better signal caller over the final 21/2 quarters - and finished with big numbers (13 of 17, 242 yards, three passing touchdowns, two rushing scores).

It was Sirmon who led the Cougars to three consecutive touchdown-scoring drives to close the first half - and erase all of Eastlake's lead.

Sirmon threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Colin Fisherkeller at the 6:25 mark - then gave the Cougars the lead for good (27-21) with his 34-yard strike to Blake Bickhaus with 1:04 to go.

On the second play of the second half, Sirmon delivered the knockout blow with his 64-yard touchdown laser to Jordyn Turner for a 34-21 Cougars lead.

"Their quarterback (Robison) runs the football really well, and so does ours," Bainter said. "Man, I like our guy. He is deceptive. He makes you miss. He is faster than you think. He breaks tackles."

WHO WAS THAT BULL-OF-A-RUNNER FILLING IN FOR BOTHELL STAR CHRISTIAN GALVAN?

Galvan, the league's top all-around running back, has not been himself since injuring his ankle three weeks ago in Bothell's win over reigning KingCo champion Woodinville.

Galvan tried to give it a go Thursday, carrying once on the Cougars' opening series. But he immediately came to the sideline, took his helmet off and became backup Talataina Tevaga's biggest fan.

Tevaga pounded the interior of Eastlake's defense, finishing with a game-high 124 yards on 17 carries, including a 9-yard touchdown run in the final minutes of the first half.

"We knew throughout the week it was going to be touch and go with Christian," Bainter said. "The other guys have had all the (practice repetitions) the last couple of weeks before that, so they were prepared."

FOR THE MOST PART, BOTHELL'S FRONT SEVEN DID WELL TO CONTAIN ROBISON

Robison made his big plays, but so did the Cougars' defensive front - and in particular, pass rusher Gabriel Johnson.

Bothell sacked Robison six times - with Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound junior, collecting half of them. The Cougars also forced a pair of fumbles, and picked him off once.

All six of those sacks came after Eastlake went up 21-7.

"I think what happened is he got tired," Bainter said. "We had two different plans - one to rush him and hope he did not get through the middle, and the other one was to try and hold him a yard behind the line (of scrimmage), and let him scramble around."

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR EASTLAKE? WOLVES STILL PLENTY DANGEROUS

Before the loss Thursday, Eastlake had won its past seven games to win the KingCo Crest Division.

It still has game-breaking offensive standouts in Robison; running backs Leroy Jackson, Jalen Bright and Garrett Carney; and wide receiver Max Verboort to test any defense.

And as the league's No. 2 seed, the Wolves will still host a district playoff game next week against Sumner, the 4A SPSL fourth seed.

"The strength of our program is always been we've never wasted a loss," Bartel said.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS