Lions erupt early, often to put away Trojans 48-7

Freshman quarterback, playmakers connect in Auburn Mountainview’s runaway win

Handed the keys to the Auburn Mountainview offense when the senior starter went down with a devastating injury, freshman quarterback Kayde Bodine endured a bumpy ride.

The drive was considerably smoother Friday night.

A poised and prepared Bodine threw short and long, completing 14 of 17 passes for 273 yards and five touchdown passes in the Lions’ 48-7 rout of North Puget Sound League rival Auburn at Troy Field.

The 5-foot-10, 155-pound Bodine has found confidence and gained rhythm pulling the trigger to a spread offense that had lost its leader, Drew Davenport, to a season-ending knee injury on opening night, a 52-13 collapse to Auburn Riverside on Sept. 6.

“I see myself (not as a freshman) but playing with my brothers, and we’re going to keep on going, and we’re going to win,” Bodine said. “I’ve grown a lot with this offense. When I came into this program I didn’t know much … but Drew (and the others) have helped me so much.”

So too have the Lions’ seasoned playmakers. Teagin Child caught three TD passes, Cooper White had two others, and running back Berkley Alfrey ran for 134 yards and two more scores in the NPSL interdivisional win.

“At times freshmen have had to step up for us,” said Child, a junior wide receiver and free safety. He finished the night with seven catches for 150 yards. “(Freshmen) have struggled in the past, but watching Kayde play is amazing. I can’t imagine anyone else that I would rather have as my quarterback, besides maybe Drew, than Kayde.”

The Lions (2-1) racked up 464 yards of offense to beat the Trojans (0-3) for the fifth time in the last six meetings.

“The guys had a really good week of practice and translated it onto the field tonight,” said Lions coach Jared Gervais. “I’m really proud of how they bounced back from an interesting start to the season.”

Auburn Mountainview carries momentum into its NPSL Mountain Division opener against Enumclaw (3-0) next Friday at Auburn Memorial Stadium. Auburn goes for its first win against Thomas Jefferson (0-3) in an NPSL Sound Division opener Thursday at Federal Way.

The Lions scored on their first four possessions to build a 28-0 lead after the first quarter.

Bodine hit White in the flat and the all-purpose senior player darted 11 yards for the TD, capping an eight-play, 66-yard game-opening drive.

After an Auburn 3-and-out, Bodine drilled a short, slip screen completion to Child who outran the Trojans’ secondary for a 66-yard TD.

Auburn coughed up the ball on its second possession, with Vimialu Taimalelagi getting the recovery, setting up Alfrey’s 17-yard TD run off tackle that extended Auburn Mountainview’s lead to 21-0.

The Trojans then put together a 10-play, 49-yard drive to the Lions’ 21. But linebacker Caden Reyes picked off a Frank Lakisa pass on third down and took the ball 62 yards to the Trojans’ 23-yard line. Two plays later, Bodine’s quick delivery found Child on a 28-yard score with 39 seconds left in the first quarter.

Auburn scored on Lakisa’s pump-fake throw that landed in the hands of a streaking Keegan Yu for a 50-yard play.

But Auburn Mountainview added a pair of touchdowns – Alfrey’s 33-yard run and Bodine’s 18-yard strike to Child – in the final 3½ minutes of the second quarter for a 41-7 halftime lead.

The Lions recovered a Trojans’ fumble, and Bodine immediately went to work, lofting a 46-yard TD pass to White over the middle with 9:58 left in the third quarter.

Auburn Mountainview’s 3-3-5 stack defense foiled and contained Auburn.

“As long as use your head, you’re quick and you stick close to your rules and play as a team, you play great,” Child said of defensive coordinator Kent Rodseth’s schemes. “Everyone else is perfectly fine with the way that you play, and you have a lot of fun (running the defense).”

Gervais lauded the play of his leaders and the progress of Child, who returned this season healthy and ready to make an impact. Child had missed a good portion of last season with a hamstring injury and a broken thumb.

“He’s kind of the glue that holds everything together defensively,” Gervais said. “Teagin and (linebacker) Reyes do a great job.”

For Auburn, a rebuilding program stacked with underclassmen, it was another frustrating night.

“We will do a lot of soul searching. We’re looking for answers right now,” said Trojans coach Aaron Chantler. “We have to go back to the drawing board and look at the film.

“We can’t keep saying ‘young’ as an excuse,” he added. “We have to grow up faster. … We’re trying to put them in situations (to succeed) but we don’t see growth.”

Auburn Mountainview’s Berkley Alfrey (3) sacks Auburn quarterback Frank Lakisa, forcing a fumble the Lions converted into a touchdown during the first quarter of the NPSL game Friday night. RACHEL CIAMPI, Auburn Reporter

Auburn Mountainview’s Berkley Alfrey (3) sacks Auburn quarterback Frank Lakisa, forcing a fumble the Lions converted into a touchdown during the first quarter of the NPSL game Friday night. RACHEL CIAMPI, Auburn Reporter