Team FSP keeps 'Battle of the Brands' club-football crown in Bellevue

Behind stifling defense, two Noah Smith passing touchdowns, Team FSP handles rival Team Heir, 21-6, on Saturday in Renton

It was a defensive struggle as Team FSP held on for a 21-6 win over Team Heir in an all-star club football showdown Saturday in Renton. / Photo by Todd Milles

RENTON, Wash, - The "Battle of the Brands" in Washington high school all-star football will have the same flash-embroidered lettering displayed prominetly for another year.

"F ... S ... P!"

Behind a buckling defense and just enough big-play offense, Team FSP took care of Team Heir, 21-6, on Saturday in the matchup of the premier in-state club programs at Liberty High School.

Team FSP now has won all four meetings in the series.

Noah Smith, a sophomore ouf of Central Kitsap, tossed a pair of first-half touchdowns, and he Team FSP picked off Team Heir quarterbacks three times in posting a shutout.

 "I knew that was gong to be our strength was our defense," said Tracy Ford, coach and founder of Ford Sports Performance. "I knew we were younger on offense, especially in our skill positions. We knew if we could keep them off the field, we'd be OK.

"I am really proud of the way our defense played as a whole."

Team FSP scored on its opening series, and it was the Smith-to-Tytan-McNeal combination that led the way.

They hooked up on a 46-yard pass on the second play of the game. And on fourth down, NcNeal stretched wide in the end zone to haul in a 16-yard touchdown strike for a 7-0 Team FSP lead just 4:24 into the game.

After that, scoring just didn't come very easy.

Fortunately, Team FSP has one of the most active defensive linemen in the state in David Schwerzel, of reigning Class 3A champion O'Dea, who sat back in the flats, picked off a screen pass and ran it back 75 yards to Team Heir's 10-yard line.

The turnover set up Smith's nifty 10-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Martemianov, a wide receiver from Sumner. Team FSP held a 14-0 lead 10:56 remaining in the first half.

And 31/2 minutes later, Team FSP was back in the end zone, this time on Ryland Geldermann's 78-yard touchdown scamper around left end. Geldermann recently enrolled at Curtis High School.

Team Heir had a big opportunity to score early in the fourth quarter, but its offense was stopped cold on five consecutive plays from the goal-line.

But it still led to Team Heir's only touchdown after Team FSP quarteback Brady Bonnell fumbled the ball as he stepped backward. M.J. Wadley, of Yelm, recovered the fumble in the end zone for the score with 9:06 remaining.

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