LAUREL — Mount Baker only needed one player and an authoritative offensive line to stay in the postseason race.
Senior running back Marcques George racked up a career-high 317 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns on just 17 touches in a 41-6 win over Meridian on Oct. 21.
George carried the ball 16 times for 280 yards, totaling four rushing touchdowns. He also had one catch for 37 yards and a score.
“He’s fun,” Mount Baker coach Ron Lepper said of his star running back. “He’s worked hard, he’s kind of quiet and he just does what he’s supposed to do. He plays hard every night.”
George didn’t have much to say regarding his performance, other than the fact it felt good to post such an explosive game.
Late in a scoreless first quarter, George ripped off the first of his many head-spinning runs — a 59-yard gallop that got Mount Baker inside the 5-yard line. He capped the drive off a few plays later with a 1-yard touchdown dive to give the Mountaineers a 6-0 lead after a failed two-point conversion attempt.
Meridian punted on its next drive before George stayed the course and went 48 yards for his second rushing touchdown on the very next play.
Mount Baker senior running back Wilhem Maloley secured the next score, nabbing a pass in the flat from senior quarterback Landon Smith and taking it 18 yards for a touchdown. It was 20-0 with two minutes remaining in the first half.
This is Smith’s first year as Mount Baker’s starting quarterback after being held out much of last season with an injury.
“The game’s slowed down a lot, and I’m starting to pick things up and see different things,” Smith said.
Senior defensive back Landen Hanstead got it right back for the Mountaineers on a sideline toe-tap interception a few plays later. George turned that into six points quickly on a 37-yard catch-and-run score.
It got out of hand fast as Mount Baker scored four touchdowns in a span of 10 minutes to take a 27-0 lead at halftime.
At the outset of the third quarter, George made it clear his night was not done.
The electric, shifty runner evaded defenders on his way to a 49-yard touchdown scamper on the first play of the second half. His final score came near the end of the third quarter on a 36-yard rushing touchdown — his fifth of the night. It also initiated the running clock.
Mount Baker deployed its bench early in the fourth quarter, and Meridian scored its lone touchdown of the game on a 2-yard run by senior running back Marcus Castaneda with 1:46 remaining.
“We still have an opportunity, but we had to take care of this game,” Lepper said. “If we didn’t win this game, we had no chance. Now we’ve got a chance to see what we can do, and if we can, then we get another chance at a mini-playoff … the season is still there.”
Smith completed 4-of-16 passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns. Maloley totaled 18 yards rushing on four carries, in addition to his 20-yard touchdown reception.
For Meridian, sophomore quarterback Jaeger Fyfe completed 12-of-29 passes for 91 yards. Senior wide receiver Hunter Jones caught six balls for 59 yards. Junior running back Joshtyn Elmer led the Trojans rushing, totaling 25 yards on seven carries.
“I think with who we are, we played hard with who they are,” Meridian coach Patrick Ames said. “You just do the best you can and try to hold on, and the other team has really great, experienced players. Unfortunately, we’re not a team that can make any mistakes and expect to compete with the quality [teams] in our league.”
Mount Baker will host undefeated Lynden Christian on Oct. 28 in its final game of the season at 7 p.m. Meridian travels to face Bellingham on Oct. 28 for a 7 p.m. non-league contest at Civic Stadium.
