Class 2A Semifinals / Elma 41, Montesano 40 (Ot) -- Clark Carries Elma Back To Title Game -- Clark's Big Plays Lift Team To Win

TACOMA - Dustin Clark usually does a little bit of everything for Elma's football team.

Yesterday, he did a lot of everything to lead the Eagles (11-1) back to the Class 2A state championship game, which they won last year on his last-second field goal. Clark was all over the Tacoma Dome field as sixth-ranked Elma edged rival unranked Montesano in overtime, 41-40, in a thrilling semifinal showdown.

"He's quite a kid," Montesano Coach Steve Schultz said.

And Clark had quite a day: 10 catches for 117 yards with a 17-yard touchdown, a 63-yard fumble return for the tying touchdown, four extra-point kicks (including the game-winner), two interceptions, four kickoff returns for 69 yards and a 6-yard punt return.

And it still wasn't enough to pacify Elma Coach John Hill.

"He had a big game," Hill said. "He also could have made some more plays for us. He always comes to play, but he's not the only one. This was an entire team effort."

Sophomore quarterback Kyle Basler had quite a day, too, completing 23 of 40 passes for 253 yards and two TDs.

The Basler-Clark combo goes on display again in next Saturday's championship game against Othello (10-2) at the Tacoma Dome.

Montesano, which beat Elma 29-12 in the final game of the regular season, finished 8-4.

The Bulldogs, who amassed 560 yards rushing, had their teeth in this one until the final play of overtime, when Geoff Willis' halfback pass fell short of a wide-open Jack Harbell on what would have been the winning two-point conversion try in overtime.

Moments earlier, Montesano's K.C. Dameron had wrestled a pass away from Jacob Beerbower in the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown on third-and-17.

"I told Kyle (Crass, the quarterback) to throw it to me and I knew I'd be able to get it," said Dameron, one of Montesano's two 200-yard rushers.

That made the score 41-40 and the Bulldogs, who had trouble with their kicking game all afternoon, decided to go for the victory. Kicker Rob Green had two PATs blocked earlier in the game and failed on two field-goal attempts inside the 30 in the final seconds of regulation. The first, from 27 yards, was wide right, but a roughing penalty against Elma gave him a second chance. This time, a bad snap left him scrambling and he threw an incomplete pass as time expired.

The Bulldogs won the toss in overtime and elected to go on defense. David Matthews gave Elma its first lead since the first quarter on a 15-yard burst up the middle and Clark drilled the PAT.

"I just saw the end zone and ran as hard as I could," said Matthews, who had 53 of Elma's 93 rushing yards and two TDs.

Dameron (12 carries, 216 yards, two rushing TDs) and Dan Smith (26-227-1) ran hard all day and sparked the Bulldogs to an 18-7 lead. Dameron broke a 92-yarder for a score and Smith added an 80-yard TD. Geoff Willis chipped in 98 yards on 11 tries. His spinning, 9-yard touchdown and Crass' two-point keeper gave Montesano a 34-20 lead with 9:44 left in the fourth quarter.

But Clark wasn't done yet.

He took off with the ensuing kickoff, stopped and bounced a lateral pass to Beerbower, who bolted 61 yards to the Montesano 28.

Clark, who surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the season, capped a short drive with a 1-yard pass to Clay Johnson and his PAT made it 34-27 with 6:25 on the clock.

Montesano then drove to the Elma 35, but Don Melton stripped the ball from Smith and Clark raced 63 yards with it for the tying TD with 3:05 to go.

"I saw the end zone and no one was going to catch me," he said.

Elma 7 0 6 21 7 - 41 Montesano 0 18 8 8 6 - 40

Elma - Justin Knutson 4 pass from Kyle Basler (Dustin Clark kick)

Mont - Jack Harbell 24 pass from Kyle Crass (kick blocked)

Mont - K.C. Dameron 92 run (run failed)

Mont - Dan Smith 80 run (kick blocked)

Elma - Clark 17 pass from Basler (run failed)

Mont - Dameron 40 run (Smith pass from Crass)

Elma - David Mathews 2 run (Clark kick)

Mont - Geoff Willis 11 run (Crass run)

Elma - Clark 63 fumble return (Clark kick)

Elma - Mathews 15 run (Clark kick)

Mont - Dameron 32 pass from Crass (pass failed)