Newport (8-2) VS. Bellarmine Prep (8-2), 2 p.m. Saturday
Two weeks ago in his team’s 49-24 4A KingCo crossover round win over Woodinville, Newport football coach Mike Miller knew he had seen a special effort from senior running back Conner Baumann.
With the season on the line, and facing a group of Falcons they had already seen during the regular season, Baumann toted the ball 20 times for 241 yards and an eye-popping six touchdowns, seemingly putting a signature performance on his prep career.
As improbable as it seemed, it wasn’t even the best game of the postseason for Baumann.
“I thought he just went off,” Miller said of Baumann’s game against Woodinville. “I told him if he could repeat that, it would be awesome, not thinking he would.”
Last week against Lake Stevens, Baumann did exactly that, rushing 20 more times for 481 yards and six more scores.
“He’s just been phenomenal,” Miller said. “I think they have all responded well and it feels like we’re peaking when we should.”
The offense certainly hit a high point last week in the district playoffs against the Vikings, with four different players scoring rushing touchdowns as Newport pulled away in the second quarter for a 62-35 win.
Miller said the game was eerily similar to the rivalry loss to Issaquah during the regular season, where his team hung around early, but saw momentum swing the other way in a lopsided loss.
“I didn’t know what to think after that game,” Miller said. “The difference against Lake Stevens was we kept responding and matching score for score and eventually wore them down.”
Baumann certainly played a large part in that and leads a group of ball carriers that has the Knights back in the state playoffs despite losing four-year starter Isaac Dotson, now at Washington State.
“That was the question everybody had and we had too,” Miller said. “We knew we had some talent coming back and we would be pretty good up front.”
Baumann credited the work of fellow running backs and speedsters Paul Wells and Nkumbu Chisebuka for stretching defenses and allowing him to operate between the tackles, along with an offensive line that has formed a certain identity on the ground.
“Paul and Bu are really fast and shifty,” he said. “(Quarterback) J.P. (Routen) has really stepped up and taken care of this offense.”
Wells has 16 rushing touchdowns of his own on the year to go with Baumann’s 18, and Chisebuka has added six of his own and nearly 500 yards. Routen has a has done his share on the ground as well, scoring twice and averaging nearly six yards per carry.
The challenge grows this week against a group from Bellarmine Prep that has allowed more than 21 points only twice on the year, in losses to Olympia (28-10) and Tumwater (26-14).
The Lions, despite losing quarterback Sefo Liufau, now the starter for Colorado, have scored 50 or more oiints four times this year, including each of the past two weeks in blowout wins.
“Every team at this point is a good team that executes well,” Miller said. “I’m hoping we can just keep this thing rolling.”
A win will send Newport to the quarterfinals, where they will face either Bothell or Graham Kapowsin.
