Trojans earn a trip to state 4A quarterfinals

The Auburn varsity football team kept its state title dreams alive with a 28-14 victory over Woodinville last Friday.

The win buys the Trojans (11-0) a trip to the second round of the state 4A football playoffs and a 1 p.m. showdown Saturday with the only other undefeated team alive in the bracket – No. 1 ranked Skyline (11-0).

Senior running back Jeff Gouveia found the end zone three times for Auburn, running his season total to 31 touchdowns. Gouveia scored on runs of 2- and 1-yards and added a 99-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, tying the 53-year-old school record that senior Derek Barrows also tied earlier this season.

Down 21-0 at the half, Woodinville crawled back in during the second half, scoring on a 44-yard run and a 13-yard pass play.

“It was a good game, they’re a good football team, with only one loss coming in,” Auburn coach Gordon Elliott said.

“They come from a good league. They gave us all we could handle.”

In addition to providing a challenge for the Trojans offensively in the second half, the Falcons forced Auburn to take to the air in the first half. Not a problem for his team, Elliott said.

“We always see how they’re defending against us,” he said. “And they were packing against the run. At that time you have to start throwing to loosen them up, so you can go back to the run. And we know we can do that. We can throw also.” In addition to Gouveia’s three scores, senior Chris Young added a 5-yard touchdown run in the first half.

Now with Woodinville in the rear-view mirror, it’s time for Auburn to look to the contest looming Friday.

“It’s going to be a challenge for us,” Elliott said. “They’re a good, accomplished football team, and we have to go up and deal with them on their field and with their fans.”

And according to Elliott, his team is up to the task as long as they remember to play their game.

“I hope there isn’t (any intimidation on the part of the Auburn players),” he said. “We just have to go up there and play Auburn football and control the things that we can control. All we can do is go out there and play our game. At this point, whoever you play is a good team, and the team that plays best on that particular day and takes care of the football is the one that wins.”’

The Trojans will face the Spartans at 1 p.m. Saturday at Skyline.

“We have a lot of respect for them and the things they’ve accomplished,” Elliott said. “They’ve been real successful the past couple of years and have some big names come out of there. It’s going to be a real honor and a challenge to go against them and find out whose football is better.”

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