I sent out a message to former Washington Husky players Jordan Reffett, Jacque Robinson, Jimmy Rogers, Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Isiah Stanback, Ron Hadley, and Kaleb McGary for a memory that has stuck with them years later. The answers range from historic moments from Hadley to iconic moment from McGary to a simple, silent, 7-second video response from Tupuola-Fetui.
“Can you give me a real quick favorite story from the Apple Cup,” I asked.
Moses Lake is situated nearly dead center in the state of Washington. Former Husky defensive end Jordan Reffett could have gone to either school, ultimately choosing UW. Given that it’s a bit over 2 hours to family and friends packed the visitor section of Martin Stadium. The Huskies knocked off the Cougars on a late TD from Cody Pickett to Corey Williams.
In the final 2:10 minutes of the contest, Pickett converted a 4th down to Charles Fredrick. The play extended the drive and set up one of the more memorable plays in Apple Cup lore, and Reffett’s memories.
“Watching the pass from Cody, I almost thought that he was throwing the ball away,” today’s honorary captain recalled. “But he put the ball in the perfect spot.”
That location was the front corner of the end zone where only the 6-2 true freshman receiver could catch it. That’s when Reffett said the Huskies as they unleashed hell on their own teammate as the 6-6, 320-pound Kalif Barnes tried to leap into the arms of the true freshman that was half his size.
“Kalif almost killed Corey when he caught the game winning touchdown in 2003,” the former Pittsburg Steeler defender recalled. “He had the wind knocked out of him and he couldn’t breathe.”
Over 1,000 pounds of humanity wrestled with Williams in the Washington end zone. Fredrick, WR Reggie Williams, RB Kenny James center Brad Vanneman and the rest of the offense all celebrated what turned out to be the game-winning score.
In Pullman in 2006, backup QB Carl Bonnell took an underdog Husky team into hostile territory and took down the heavily favored Cougars. During the game, injured starting quarterback Isaiah Stanback was interviewed during the game. He told RealDawg that while he didn’t have any “noteworthy” plays. “I couldn’t play in my last one because I was injured but we won that thing,” he said.
However, with the Huskies facing 4th down, the Cougars called a timeout and the sideline reporter Cara Capuano tracked down Stanback on the Washington sideline. She noted that he was the leading the team from his crutches. While he couldn’t be on the field his leadership fueled the final score.
“I told the guys before the game, ‘It only takes one play once that person makes a play everybody else feels guilty and everybody pitches in.’, he said. Everybody pitched in that day as UW won 35-32.
Although the game has less importance in this new era of college football, a victory over the Cougars meant a lot to the team he said, “It’s a rivalry game and we need it.”
For the Reffett clan, there was a gathering at the 50-yard line after the game.
“The after part for the 2006 Apple Cup with my brother Mitch and hometown friends coming onto the field at center field was pretty amazing,” he recalled.
That 50-yard line that the produced one of the most iconic sacks in Apple Cup history. We’ll look at that in Part 2.
