Cedar Park Christian Claims NSL Junior Division Title With Late Touchdown

In a thrilling finale of the Junior division in the North Sound Jr Football League, the Cedar Park Christian Eagles stunned the previously undefeated Lake Stevens Vikings 16–15 at Monroe High School on Saturday. Lake Stevens entered the championship with an 8–0 record and a win earlier in the season over Cedar Park. But the Eagles came in focused on redemption, determined to rewrite the outcome of their Week 3 loss and claim the title that had narrowly eluded them the first time.

From the opening kickoff, Cedar Park Christian played with energy and intent. Still, it was Lake Stevens that struck first. On their opening scoring drive, the Vikings blended precision passing from Maxen Pester with powerful runs from Cole Nelson to march down the field. Pester connected with Cole Nelson for a 17-yard gain before delivering another strike to Joshua Mulholland to set up first and goal at the one. On the next play, Pester punched it in on a quarterback keeper, and the Vikings converted the two-point attempt to take an early 8–0 lead.

Cedar Park Christian’s first few possessions stalled as the Lake Stevens defense controlled the trenches. Linebacker Riley Wade and defensive back Maxen Pester made key tackles, while Hank Engelbrecht and Kairee Degrant limited Cedar Park’s ground game. But the Eagles refused to back down.

Late in the second quarter, they pieced together a game-changing drive. It began with a gritty 18-yard rush by Tristan Carrasquero to shift field position and momentum. Ashwin Dharmaraj completed a short pass to Dodger Sherwood to move the chains and followed up with a bold fourth-down throw to Grayson Hall, who caught the ball in stride and dashed into the end zone for a 41-yard touchdown. With Cruz Conniff calmly converting the two-point kick, the Eagles tied the game at 8–8.

Lake Stevens answered quickly, again relying on Nelson’s power running. After a 22-yard burst moved the Vikings into striking range, Nelson carried four more times inside the 10-yard line, eventually setting up Riley Wade’s 1-yard plunge for a touchdown. The successful point-after attempt gave Lake Stevens a 15–8 lead at the break.

Coming out of halftime, Cedar Park Christian’s defense elevated its performance. Sherwood was everywhere, finishing with a game-high six solo tackles and stuffing multiple runs at the line of scrimmage. Matthew Barnes Jr added key stops, and late in the game Isaac Allan delivered a clutch sack on a second down that helped stall a potential go-ahead drive.

Offensively, Cedar Park moved methodically but couldn’t break through in the third quarter. Dharmaraj continued to manage the game effectively, completing a pass to Isaia Samuelu and handing off to Sherwood and Hall for modest gains. However, a fumble late in the quarter gave Lake Stevens an opportunity to extend their lead, but the Eagles’ defense stood firm. The Vikings moved the ball inside the red zone again, with Pester completing a 17-yard pass to Mulholland and Nelson pushing through multiple tackles for gains. But on fourth-and-short, the Eagles held, giving their offense one more chance.

Trailing by seven with the clock ticking down, Cedar Park put together a defining drive. Dharmaraj found Hall on a 24-yard completion to bring the ball near midfield. Then, on fourth-and-three, he dropped back found Samuelu in the flats. Samuelu avoided a defender and turned the short catch into a dramatic 46-yard touchdown reception. Conniff stepped up once more and nailed the extra-point kick, giving Cedar Park its first lead of the game, 16–15.

Lake Stevens still had time to respond and moved into Cedar Park territory with less than two minutes left. Pester used his legs and arm to convert a pair of short gains, and Nelson—who finished with 15 carries for 124 yards—churned ahead for another first down. But as the Vikings closed in on scoring range, Cedar Park’s defense tightened. On third down, Pester was sacked by Allan, pushing the offense back. Two incomplete passes followed, and with just seconds remaining, the Eagles took over and ran out the clock.

It was a gutsy, emotional win for a Cedar Park squad that lost 30–20 to Lake Stevens earlier in the year. This time, their poise, discipline, and clutch execution delivered a championship.

Cedar Park was led by Dharmaraj, who completed 8 of 11 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Hall had two receptions for 65 yards and a score, while Samuelu added two catches for 52 yards and the game-winning touchdown. On defense, Sherwood recorded six solo tackles, Allan had one sack, and Barnes contributed three stops.

For Lake Stevens, Nelson was dominant, rushing 15 times for 124 yards and a touchdown. Pester completed 14 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for another score. Mulholland added four catches for 42 yards. On defense, Pester led with four tackles, followed by Wade with three.

In the end, Cedar Park Christian showed that a single loss doesn’t define a season. With redemption on the line and a title at stake, they rose to the moment, made every play that mattered, and finished their season as champions.

Player Stats

Lake Stevens Vikings – Offense:

• Maxen Pester – 15 carries, 28 yards; 14 passes, 59 yards; 5 receptions

• Cole Nelson – 15 carries, 124 yards, 1 TD; 1 reception, 17 yards

• Graham Shields – 1 carry, 42 yards, 1 TD; 1 reception, 33 yards, 1 TD

• Akem Seguro – 5 carries, 19 yards; 1 reception, 33 yards

• Moroni Tevaga – 2 carries, 24 yards; 2 receptions, 15 yards, 1 TD

• Treycen Peterson – 4 carries, 79 yards, 1 TD; 1 reception, 10 yards

• Tayos Mudaliar – 3 carries, 20 yards

• William McKee – 2 carries, ‑4 yards

• Cooper Donovan – 1 carry, ‑1 yard

Lake Stevens Vikings – Defense:

• Wyatt Dreher – 1 INT

• Maxen Pester – 4 tackles

• Riley Wade – 3 tackles

• Kairee Degrant – 2 tackles

• Hank Engelbrecht – 1 tackle

Cedar Park Christian Eagles – Offense:

• Isaia Samuelu – 4 rushes, 7 yards; 2 receptions, 52 yards, 1 TD

• Grayson Hall – 2 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD

• Ashwin Dharmaraj – 6 rushes, 1 yard; 8 of 11 passing, 124 yards

• Ethan Fye – 1 rush, 1 yard

• Tristan Carrasquero – 2 rushes, 20 yards

• Jordan Rich – 1 rush, 3 yards

• Dodger Sherwood – 4 rushes, 7 yards; 3 receptions, 4 yards

Cedar Park Christian Eagles – Defense:

• Dodger Sherwood – 6 tackles

• Matthew Barnes Jr – 3 tackles

• Isaac Allan – 1 sack