Capping off homecoming week and beginning the conference season on a happy note, the South Whidbey High School football team throttled visiting Sultan 42-19 Friday, Oct. 4.

Now the Falcons take on defending league champion Cedar Park Christian at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at Lake Washington High School.

South Whidbey and CPC are both 4-1 this season and 1-0 in North Sound Conference play.

The Eagles only loss this season was 36-33 to Rancho Christian of Temecula, California.

Cedar Park Christian broke a 21-21 halftime tie Friday against Granite Falls with a 28-point third quarter on the way to a 55-29 win.

John Petrus piled up seven touchdowns on only 10 carries and finished with 245 yards. He scored on runs of 45, 39, 28, 1, 70, 20 and 44 yards. Jackson Oestrich added 218 yards on 23 rushes.

South Whidbey 42, Sultan 19

The Falcons first-team defense was solid. The only score it surrendered came in the third quarter when Sultan returned a turnover to the 2-yard line. Both other Turk scores came late when Sultan’s first-team offense scored against the Falcon reserves. One TD was set up by a fumble by the second-team offense.

The stars of the defense, according to coach Mark Hodson, were the defensive backs – safeties Bodie Hezel and Billy Rankin and corners Ryan Morgan and Alex Black.

“I thought they played really well,” Hodson said.

He also liked the work of linebackers Kobe Balora and Kole Nelson.

Nelson stood out on both sides of the ball. The senior quarterback rushed six times for 128 yards and completed seven of nine passes for 58 yards. He was also 6-for-6 kicking extra points

After viewing film of Sultan, South Whidbey thought the Turks were vulnerable to QB runs. Nelson proved the point, as did his backup Ryan Morgan, who scored on a 72-yard run.

The Falcons took control early on a pair of first-quarter touchdown runs set up by big gainers by Nelson. Black raced in from the 10 for the first score, then Rankin scored from the 9.

South Whidbey took a 21-0 lead into halftime on a 4-yard run in the second period.

Aiden Coleman, who led the team in receiving with three catches for 35 yards, scored in the third quarter on an 18-yard pass from Nelson.

Sultan followed with its first score, set up by returning a turnover to the 2-yard line.

South Whidbey countered with a 3-yard Rankin run.

Morgan’s long run in the fourth quarter finished the Falcons’ scoring.

For the game, Hezel ran for 103 yards on 13 carries; Rankin had 69 yards on seven rushes.

Alex Black looks to pick up some yards after hauling in a pass. (Photo by Jim Waller/South Whidbey Record)

Bodie Hezel (8) hustles to a Sultan fumble. (Photo by Jim Waller/South Whidbey Record)

South Whidbey’s defensive front gets ready to explode on the snap. (Photo by Jim Waller/South Whidbey Record)

Kole Nelson kicks an extra point for the Falcons. (Photo by Jim Waller/South Whidbey Record)

Dexter Jokinen (6) helps bring down a Sultan runner as Alex Black (11) and Tasman Dussault (44) close in. (Photo by Jim Waller/South Whidbey Record)

Kobe Balora hits Sultan ball carrier Kaden Hardwick (44) high while Alex Black snags his legs. (Photo by Jim Waller/South Whidbey Record)