Easton. - Yosemite running back Jayme Lee rushed for a career high 198 yards on 22 carries and scored two touchdowns. Unfortunately for the Badgers, Lee's efforts weren't enough, as the Badgers fell to Washington Union, 41-33, in a shootout at John Ventura Field Friday night.
Lee (44 carries for 329 yards, 2 TDs), whose previous best was 102 yards on 13 carries in the Oct. 3 loss to Chowchilla, gained 127 yards and scored twice in the second half, but the Badgers could not overcome the Panther's 20 unanswered point outburst in the second quarter.
Washington quarterback Adam McCurley (73-140-2, 10 TDs and 1,218 yards) engineered Panther touchdown drives of 60, 63 and 63 yards in the quarter throwing to Eddie Daniels (19 catches, 364 yards and 4 TDs) for 31 yards and a score, Josh Williams (12 catches, 323 yards and 3 TDs) for 37 yards and a touchdown and the 6-foot, 170 pound McCurley ran for 17 yards for a another score.
The Badgers got off to a sluggish start and fell behind by a 27-7 margin with: 56 left in the second quarter.
Yosemite had four drives in the second quarter; the first was four downs and a punt, two more drives ended with interceptions.
"Washington started the game with a five man front, sometimes six, that slows up the passing game," Lee said. "But in the second half we opened up the running game running counters and running inside so Washington changed their defense, but couldn't stop us much after that."
"The touchdown to Williams in the second quarter was big," said Yosemite head football coach Aaron Eames. "He caught the ball over his shoulder, on his fingertips and was able to hold on for the score, which hurt us."
Yosemite was without starting wide receiver Cody Shahan (16 receptions, 241 yards), who has been sidelined with a high ankle sprain.
Junior running back Jackson Glines' 11 catches, tied a Yosemite record for receptions in a game, previously held by John Blea against Sierra in 2005.
The feature match-up of two of the North Sequoia League's top quarterbacks, Yosemite's Lownsbury, and McCurley from Washington Union, didn't disappoint the fans in attendance.
The Badgers' Jesse Lownsbury (72-122-4 for 917 yards and 10 TDs) passed for 228 yards, completing 27 of 50 passes, including touchdown passes of 12 and 23 yards.
His 50 attempts eclipsed the school record of 44 that he threw against Washington Union in 2007
Not to be outdone, McCurley completed 17 of 32 passes, while compiling 416 yards and five touchdowns.
"McCurley played a good game and passed for five touchdowns," Eames said. "When a team can pass and run with equal balance, it's hard to stop."
The two teams combined for 1,006 total yards, with Washington Union gaining 526 total yards, and Yosemite accumulating 480 total yards.
"We came out a little flat and it was hard to get into a good rhythm," Lownsbury said. "We needed to have a complete game to win - executing on offense, defense, that didn't happen in the first half."
The Badgers came back in the third quarter with Glines catching a 12-yard pass from Lownsbury for one score (the extra point was no good) and a five yard run by Lee for another.
Yosemite made it a one-possession deficit with 1:29 in the fourth quarter when Lownsbury directed a 94-yard drive, 44 yards on the ground by Lee, and capping it with a touchdown pass to Jon McNamara (16 catches for 215 yards and 5 TDs).
McNamara grabbed a pass from Lownsbury in double coverage and came down into the back of end zone to complete a 23-yard scoring play and pull to within 41-33 of the Panthers but the Badgers were out of timeouts and Washington ran out the game clock.
Although it wasn't a good day to be a defender, senior Robert Rainey led the Badgers with 6 solo tackles, while senior Greg Smith had 11 total tackles for the Yosemite.
Senior Erik Sotelo registered three sacks for the Badgers for minus 16 yards, while also making six tackles.
The Badgers host the Liberty Hawks of Madera Ranchos on Friday for Homecoming. Game time is 7 p.m. at Badger Stadium.
