For the Reporter
It was a case of close but no cigar for the South King County Colts who fell 49-27 to the Portland Monarchs this past Saturday at McGinness Field in Silverton, Ore.
The Colts survived the best that the unbeaten Portland Monarchs dished out in the first half, but in the end, there was just too much Russell Schneider. The Monarchs quarterback threw for 240 yards and five touchdowns as Portland remained unbeaten in 2011.
The Monarchs, who haven’t lost a league game since dropping a decision to the Oregon Outlaws in 2008, improved to 7-0 in the Pacific Football League. The Colts dropped to 4-3.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Schneider, in his fifth year, has thrown for over 200 touchdowns in his minor league career. The Portland State University standout credited the win as a total team effort from coaching on down.
“It starts with great coaching,” Schneider said. “I also have a lot of great college level receivers that make great plays for me. The O-line blocked great for me tonight. The Colts were one of the best defenses I’ve had to face right up there with the (Southern Oregon) Renegades.”
While the Colts defense concentrated on doing what they could to contain Schneider, it was the South King County offense that responded early by going toe-to-toe with Portland’s firepower. Trailing 7-0 in the first quarter, the Colts responded with an eight-play 53-yard drive capped by a Ryan Reynolds five yard touchdown run. Mike Astley’s extra point tied the contest 7-7 with 2:56 left in the first. The drive was set up by Carlos Clark, who returned the kickoff 38 yards to set up the Colts at their own 47.
Schneider and the Monarchs responded on the ensuing drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Smith. The Colts helped out the Monarchs on the drive with 20 yards in defensive penalties. The first quarter closed with the Monarchs up, 14-7.
South King County had another chance to respond thanks to another big return by Clark. His 65-yard kick-return put the Colts in business at the Monarch 35. A sack, a penalty and a fumble eventually forced the Colts to punt.
The Colts then forced a bad punt by Portland and were once again set up in Monarch territory at the 31. A pass interference penalty moved the ball to the Monarch 16-yard line, but the Colts were denied again following three incomplete passes and a blocked field goal.
Yet another bad punt by the Monarchs had the Colts starting at the 50. The Colts kept the drive alive on 3rd and 10 when quarterback Leo Dickerson hooked up with Carlos Manning for 20 yards. Dickerson eventually found Mitch Johnson in the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown, tying the game at 14-14.
Portland went ahead for good just before the half with Schneider connecting with Zack McGinnis on a 50-yard bomb with 1:16 left. The Colts then appeared to have re-tied the game, but the apparent 35-yard touchdown from Dickerson to Robbie Delgardo with less than a minute to go was called back due to an illegal shift penalty.
Portland expanded its 21-14 halftime lead with a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter and entered the fourth with a 34-14 advantage. The Colts closed the gap to 34-21 in the fourth frame when Dickerson ran in a keeper from 5-yards out. On the ensuing drive, however, Portland stretched it out to 49-21 after Schneider’s fifth touchdown pass.
Reynolds closed out Colts scoring with a 22-yard touchdown reception from backup quarterback Micah Prescott. Prescott entered the game in the fourth quarter when Dickerson appeared to go down with a leg cramp. The back of Dickerson’s right leg was being massaged by trainers before he walked off on his own power.
McGinnis was Schneider’s top target with six catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Dickerson threw for 157 yards for the Colts. He completed 12 of 26 with one interception and one touchdown.
The Colts return home to Sunset Chev Stadium in Sumner next Saturday night June 18 against the Snohomish County Vikings. After winning its opener against Bellingham, the Vikings have dropped six straight and are 1-6 on the year. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
