SUMNER--Al Davis, the longtime NFL Oakland Raiders owner, said it best. Well, said it "shortest" anyway.

"Just win, baby."

Now, there's a new motivational phrase out there, maybe two, after Alex Kulaas coached Todd Beamer proved once again they are Titans, getting to the quarterfinals of the 4A state playoffs with a 3-0 win over Bothell at Sunset Chev Stadium last Tuesday.

The Titans played smart ball, passing the sphere around, dribbling it by and through the foe, with team play and team coverage of the foe.

So, there must have been some game plan from all that good stuff?

"Win," said Kulaas, who has coached Todd Beamer to the playoffs now four of his handful of coaching seasons there.

"Just win," he said. "That's the only game plan you have. Just win."

Added assistant coach Brett Lucas, walking on beside Kulaas after the game as both talked and smiled after this sweet win.

"Motivate and inspire, that's it," said Lucas, who does a great job of that himself head coaching the Titans' traditionally successful wrestling team he's coached now for a handful of years the same as Kulaas has coached soccer.

But what about the back pack? What about "it?" Kulaas was walking off the field talking about his game plan for the Bothell game when he remembered, "Oh, I forgot my back pack."

He went back to get it and it wasn't there. So, where was it?

With Lucas.

"I got it," said Lucas, showing the back pack as both then walked and talked when before, right after the game, it was at first, Lucas on ahead, before he came back to give Kulaas his back pack.

Now why say that?

Because these guys, along with the third assistant, got each other's backs. They've taken a team of misfits and fitted them in, seniors like defender Marlon Harrington.

"Marlon tried out three times and finally made it," said Lucas.

Finally, the Titans scored. It took them 660 seconds (60 seconds x 11 minutes), actually 670 seconds, but who's counting.

The Titans are counting on each other, all over the field. Not just on offense, either. But, first, the offense.

The first goal came 11:10 in on a flick header from freshman Troy Peterson to John Drayer waiting for it to put in and make it 1-0 Titans.

Then, the rest of the half was scoreless before 30 minutes into it senior leading goal scorer Daniel Nam, who has 19 assists to go with 15 goals, scored on a nice split of the defense into the 18-yard box and past the outcoming Bothell keeper to make it 2-0 Titans.

Did Nam expect to have this good of a team when they lost around nine starters off last year's team that went to the playoffs each of the seasons they were there?

"No, things changed at tryouts," said Nam. "We got some good freshmen and some seniors came out."

How many?

Nam named them off, seven altogether wanted to come and play on this Titans team. Rockne Simon, Travis Campbell, Vinny Dom, Chris Tartaglia, Kellen Mummert, Austin Amon, Marlon Harrington.

"I was happy when a lot of friends came out," said Nam.

Campbell, to name one, was great as a player who often would be there if Harrington or another defender was beaten by a forward.

"Team defense,' said Kulaas.

And it was awesome. A rock wall, for no lack of a better way to put it. Bothell got off a handful of shots all game -- five, while the Titans handed the Bothell keeper a lot of heat -- 16 shots for the game. The Bothell keeper was busy back there, too, having to make nine saves like a shot or two from freshman Ugo Okoli, who is right up there in goals with Nam.

"He is a good talent," said Nam, who assisted the third goal a minute later, as Peterson, for all his hard work and playing in the middle, including a free kick curler from 35 yards out on the right side that nearly went in but for a great Bothell goalie save, scored with a volley on a cross from Nam.

The Titans go on now with a simple strategy, as Kulaas said -- to win.

Nam also put it fairly succinctly of what this team is just doing together to win.

"We are playing simple," said Nam. "We are playing the ball to each other. We know what we need to do."

Win.