Lake Stevens QB Blake Moser is lightning fast.
The dual-threat junior and one of the best athletes in the state ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds.
He rushed Sumner for 129 yards and four touchdowns in Saturday night’s 4A championship game at Husky Stadium.
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That’s why the Vikings trusted their signal caller to pick up less than a yard in the fourth quarter and one yard late in overtime.
Why wouldn’t he?
Answer: Sumner’s Elias Tulifoya saved the season.
Moser stood in shotgun with the football three yards from the pay field. Tulifua, meanwhile, formed a line to the left of the signaler, clear of obstruction, and prepared to launch a surprise attack. He knew exactly what was coming.
“I had to play,” Tulifoya said. “There’s (expletive) here.”
As Moser backed away, Sumner’s secondary gave him nowhere to shoot. As Tulifuya exploded around left tackle, he rolled to his right and followed the Vikings speedster.
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Before Moser could cut into the frontcourt, Tulifoa arrived. He tripped the quarterback with a small move, and Spartans linebacker Austin Grewal did the rest — but it was “Tully” who saved the game. Lake Stevens turned the ball over down low and Sumner needed just a field goal to clinch back-to-back state titles in Seattle.
“(Coach Ross) started the blitz,” Tulifoya told The News Tribune. “In that moment, a fool is a fool. This is where legends are born.
“I hit a ball and put some pressure on the quarterback, but that was my son Austin Grewal out there. I just put some pressure on it.”
Spartans running back Lance McGee’s six touchdowns will forever go down in state championship lore, but the performance of an unexpected hero shouldn’t be overlooked.
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Head coach Keith Ross certainly won’t forget.
“We won the state championship because of (Tully’s) tackle,” Ross said. “Last week, Mason Ota made the play.
“We have a sticker on our program that says CTG – Game Changing. They both made game-changing plays. One helped us (beat) Puyallup and one helped us win the state championship.”
Tulifoya’s interception gave Mackey and the Sumner offense a chance to get back in the game, and they marched 25 yards to seal the game 41-35 in overtime of the 4A championship game at Husky Stadium.
It’s a story of resilience: The Spartans lost to the Vikings in Week 1 and a 36-point loss to Puyallup in Week 5, only to be eliminated from the playoffs in both games. That’s what makes this title even more satisfying than the last, a belief shared by almost every Spartan.
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“We just started our revenge journey,” Spartans DL Shaun Griffith said. “I’m happy now.
“Tully did his job at an elite level and he executed what he was supposed to do. I’m glad he was there.”
Lake Stevens quarterback Blake Moser (6) is beaten by Sumner wide receiver Elias Tulifua (11) during the first quarter of the 4A state championship game at Husky Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Seattle.
