Kentwood falls to Curtis in Week 10 playoff tussle

Under the lights at Bob Lucey Field in University Place, the Kentwood Conquerors’ remarkable season came to close, falling 30-20 to the Curtis Vikings on Nov. 7 in the Week 10 district playoff round.

The Conquerors, led by first-year head coach Quincey Davison Jr., fought until the final whistle. But in the end, key turnovers and costly penalties proved too much for Kentwood to overcome.

“Hats off to Curtis. They came out, played hard, and they made some plays and pivotal moments,” Davison Jr. said. “My boys also played hard. They gave everything they got, and that’s all you can ask for.”

The game certainly lived up to the hype. Kentwood came into the game with an overall record of 7-2 and winners of their last five in a row. Curtis came into the game with an overall record of 6-3, with two of their losses to Puyallup and Sumner, which are the No. 1 and 5 seed in this year’s state tournament, respectively.

The game started slow for both sides. Curtis struck opened the scoring with a first-quarter field goal, then added a touchdown in the second quarter to take a 10-0 lead. But Kentwood answered before halftime when senior quarterback Brandon Tagle connected with sophomore wide receiver Tre Mayfield on a 80-yard touchdown strike. After the missed extra point, Curtis carried a 10-6 lead into the break.

“It’s playoffs, it has a different sort of intensity,” Tagle said. “But you want to keep the same amount of intensity like any other game. You don’t want to be too high. Don’t want to be too low. We stayed calm.”

After halftime, Curtis extended its lead to 16-6 before Kentwood’s defense came up with a big play. With five minutes left in the third quarter, senior defensive back Lupe Muipu intercepted a Vikings pass in Kentwood territory.

Kentwood then drove down the field, and with the first play of the fourth quarter, junior running back Darian Williams scored a one-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 16-12.

But Curtis quickly responded with a long touchdown run to take an 11-point lead and take all the momentum back. The Vikings scored another long touchdown soon after to make the score 30-12 with seven minutes to play in the game.

The Conquerors did not go down without a fight of their own. In Kentwood’s next possession, Tagle rallied the offense down the field to finish with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Williams. The two-point conversion was good, and Kentwood cut Curtis’s lead to 10.

Kentwood forced a turnover on downs on the Vikings’ next drive, but with less than three minutes left in the game, Tagle threw an interception that clinched the game for Curtis.

“They had us tonight. But on a given night, I feel me and my guys can get the job done. Kept it close, trying to call the way back throughout the game,” Tagle said.

The senior quarterback finished the night 19-of-26 for 227 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Williams finished with 11 carries for 36 yards and a touchdown on the ground and 9 catches for 125 yards and a score through the air. Unfortunately, Kentwood’s 11 penalties proved costly compared to Curtis’s five.

“I’m proud of our program and I couldn’t be more happy about how these boys competed all year,” Davison said.

While the loss was not the result the Conquerors were looking for, Davison Jr. focused on the bigger picture. This season was a major turnaround for a program that had not had a winning record since 2021.

“The season has been amazing. I remember when we were going to camp and we were still trying to learn from each other and get better every day,” Davison Jr. said. “The boys have shown that, and that’s what led us here. It wasn’t one player, it was a team thing.”

Tagle said this game might be his last game playing competitive football. Tagle, who is hoping to play basketball in college, said he has enjoyed every moment with his team.

“I’m so glad I got to experience the season with this team. We have something so special. It’s a huge family over here. I don’t think people expected Kentwood to do as good as they did,” Tagle said.

As the Conquerors look toward next season, Davison Jr. said the focus now shifts to building on the culture laid by the senior class.

“Don’t let these seniors’ work go in vain. Make sure their teammates know the foundation they laid,” Davison Jr. said. “It’s our job with the young guys to keep that tradition going and keep moving forward.”

Davison Jr. said that even though the scoreboard does not reflect the work that was done this season, it was proof that the program is headed forward, one step at a time.