Nine touchdowns — including a fumble recovery and 95-yard runback for a score — sparked a crushing 59-32 win for South Whidbey over Lakewood on Friday.

The Falcons are 1-0 in the Cascade Conference, 1-2 overall.

“This was a good example of 11 guys making one play, all night long,” said Falcon running

back Henry Mead.

Mead, a senior, ran for 277 yards and four touchdowns and is now the league’s leading rusher.

In the first quarter, Mead had 11-yard and 51-yard runs for the first touchdowns of the game. The quarter ended with the Falcons 12, Cougars zip.

In the second quarter, Cougar quarterback Justin Lane was on his 5-yard line in a fourth-and-inches situation.

He was hoping to fool the Falcon defensive line.

But Falcon outside linebacker Dustin Varney had Lane’s number.

“He was rolling toward me in the backfield, and I think it was a quarterback sneak, so I grabbed the ball and threw it over my head because I knew Hunter (Rawls) was there,” Varney explained.

Rawls was ready for it.

“I picked it up and ran to the end zone, faster than I ever have,” Rawls recalled. “It was a thrill, to score on a big play all the way down the field like that. Doesn’t happen every day, that’s for sure.”

Varney felt Lakewood never really recovered.

“We were ecstatic, watching Hunter run down and score,” he said. “Lane was good, but we put a serious rush on him.”

It seemed to the players that Rawls’ TD took some of the air out of Lakewood’s balloon, but the Cougars fought back and scored 20 points.

Unfortunately for them, South Whidbey also scored, on a Mead 42-yard run, and stayed in front 32-20 at the half.

Varney caught a six-yard pass from Rawls to make it 38-26 as the third quarter drew to a close.

The fourth quarter began with a short Danny Zuver TD over the middle, then Varney caught a 27-yard pass from TJ Russell, and Sam Lee made a 61-yard run to cap the night, 59-32.

“From the first series, we knew we could run on them,” Mead said. “When the play comes into the huddle, I start looking for the guy who is unblocked, keep my eye on him, then find a way to get past him.”

Falcon co-coach Mark Hodson said it was a classic ground game.

“We took what they gave us,” he said. “Great game, big win.”

Rawls said that Friday night’s upcoming contest against undefeated Cedarcrest (1-0, 3-0) is a defining moment for the team; South Whidbey won last year.

“They’re looking for payback and the conference title,” Mead said.

“We know they’re good, and we hope a huge crowd shows up,” Rawls added.

Mead ran the ball 23 times for 277 yards, Zuver had 25, Varney 42 and Lee 73. Rawls went one-for-five for six yards and a touchdown. Russell threw once for 27 yards and a TD.

Leading tacklers were Russell, Jon Poolman and Zeke Spalding — in his first varsity game — with six apiece; Varney had five.

Russell had one interception in the end zone and Varney another with a 22-yard return. Tyler Norris had two sacks and four “hurries” on the quarterback, forcing Lane to throw earlier than he wanted. Dillon Parrick had a sack and

three hurries.