High Schools

<< Previous   of   Next >> Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Stanwood running back Ben Ulrich carries the ball and several Arlington defenders through the mud in the Spartans' 21-14 win Friday night.   ADVERTISEMENT   HIGH SCHOOL SCORES AND SCHEDULES: By sport: BaseballBoys basketballBoys golfBoys soccerBoys swimmingBoys tennis Boys trackBoys wrestlingCross countryFootballGirls basketballGirls bowlingGirls golfGirls soccerGirls swimmingGirls tennisGirls trackGirls wrestlingGymnasticsSoftballTrackVolleyballWrestling By date: November 16 November 17 November 18 November 19 November 20 November 21 November 22 November 23 November 24 November 25 November 26 November 27 November 28 November 29 November 30 December 1 December 2 December 3 December 4 December 5 December 6 December 7 By school: Archbishop Murphy Arlington Bothell Cascade Cedar Park Christian-Everett Cedarcrest Concrete Coupeville Darrington Edmonds-Woodway Everett Friday Harbor Glacier Peak Grace Academy Granite Falls Highland Christian Prep Jackson Kamiak King's La Conner Lake Stevens Lakewood Lopez Island Lummi Lynnwood Mariner Marysville-Pilchuck Meadowdale Monroe Mount Vernon Christian Mountlake Terrace North Sound Christian Oak Harbor Orcas Island Shorecrest Shoreline Christian Shorewood Snohomish South Whidbey Stanwood Sultan Tulalip Heritage    • Stadium map By league: Cascade Conference Non-conference Northwest 1A/2B Northwest 1B Northwest 2B Wesco Wesco 3A Wesco North Wesco South STANDINGS: Select league Cascade Conference baseball Cascade Conference boys basketball Cascade Conference boys soccer Cascade Conference boys wrestling Cascade Conference football Cascade Conference girls basketball Cascade Conference girls soccer Cascade Conference softball Cascade Conference volleyball Northwest 1A/2B baseball Northwest 1A/2B boys basketball Northwest 1A/2B boys soccer Northwest 1A/2B boys wrestling Northwest 1A/2B girls basketball Northwest 1A/2B girls soccer Northwest 1A/2B softball Northwest 1A/2B volleyball Northwest 1B boys basketball Northwest 1B boys soccer Northwest 1B girls basketball Northwest 1B girls soccer Northwest 1B volleyball Northwest 2B football Wesco 3A Football Wesco North baseball Wesco North boys basketball Wesco North boys soccer Wesco North boys swimming Wesco North boys tennis Wesco North boys track Wesco North boys wrestling Wesco North football Wesco North girls basketball Wesco North girls soccer Wesco North girls swimming Wesco North girls tennis Wesco North girls track Wesco North softball Wesco North volleyball Wesco South baseball Wesco South boys basketball Wesco South boys soccer Wesco South boys swimming Wesco South boys tennis Wesco South boys track Wesco South boys wrestling Wesco South football Wesco South girls basketball Wesco South girls soccer Wesco South girls swimming Wesco South girls tennis Wesco South girls track Wesco South softball Wesco South volleyball CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Saturday, October 31, 2009 Stanwood keeps Stilly Cup Spartans outlast Arlington 21-14 in annual rivalry, next face unbeaten Bothell in playoffs By Mike Cane Herald Writer ARLINGTON — As a brisk wind whipped mist all around them, the mud-covered Stanwood Spartans formed a large circle in a messy tar-like trough at midfield. They watched their coach proudly hoist the coveted Stilly Cup trophy. The celebration was on. Sparked by an excellent rushing attack, the Stanwood High School football team scored three touchdowns in the first half and held on in the final minutes for a 21-14 Western Conference North Division victory over the Arlington Eagles on Friday. Besides earning its second straight win in the annual Stilly Cup rivalry, Stanwood won a trip to the playoffs. A few minutes after Aaron Cupp, Stanwood's first-year head coach, lifted the Stilly Cup and savored the triumph with players, a few Spartans snuck up on Cupp and drenched him with a cooler of ice water — a jarring but welcome surprise on a windy, wet night. “That Gatorade bath is a beautiful thing. It doesn't matter the conditions. It doesn't matter anything,” Cupp said. “It's just beautiful because it's a culmination of effort.” Running back Brad Gee scored two TDs for Stanwood (4-2 Wesco North, 4-5 overall), which started the season 0-4 against extremely tough opponents (Jackson, Meadowdale, Lake Stevens, Marysville-Pilchuck) who all qualified for the postseason. But Stanwood recovered, got used to Cupp's spread offense and new defensive assignments, and won its final four North games to surge into the playoffs. Making its first postseason appearance since 2004, North No. 3 seed Stanwood got the division's final 4A quad-district playoff berth (M-P is No. 1; Lake Stevens No. 2) and will play at KingCo No. 1 seed Bothell (9-0) on Nov. 6 or Nov. 7. “It feels amazing. It's a great win,” said mud-caked Michael Randall, one of Stanwood's defensive standouts. “It was just a well-fought game. I'm definitely looking forward to the playoffs.” Narrowly missing the playoffs, Arlington (3-3 North, 4-5) had a chance to tie it in the final minutes. But Stanwood pressured Blake McPherson into an incomplete pass on fourth-and-8 at Stanwood's 35-yard line. The Spartans ran out the clock and thrilled their fans, who roared from the packed visitors' bleachers. “This feels great. I mean, with the ups and downs that we've kind of had — getting off to a rough (0-4) start — it's really nice to be able to put it together and really be able to get it done against a pretty good Arlington football team,” coach Cupp said. Running backs Gee (13 carries, 61 yards, two TDs), Ryan Schroyer (21 carries, 111 yards, one TD) and Ben Ulrich (seven carries, 38 yards) spearheaded Stanwood's rushing attack, aided by the team's stellar linemen. “It's really one of our strengths,” said Cupp. “We really believe that we can roll up our sleeves and run downhill at people. We're talented up front (and) we've got good, strong backs.” In the first half, Stanwood had its way on the ground and took a 21-7 lead to the intermission. The Spartans rushed for 182 yards on 33 carries, including two scores by Gee, a bruising back with a nose for the goal line. Stanwood's linemen were in control. Gee had 49 yards on nine carries, Schroyer 95 yards on 12 carries and Ulrich 33 yards on six carries. Arlington's only TD of the half was Riley Cobb's 26-yard reception from quarterback Andy Smith. Smith passed effectively, completing 9 of 15 passes for 140 yards. But Stanwood's stout defense limited Arlington to negative-22 yards on nine attempts through two quarters. Linebacker Jay Steik and Randall were in on numerous stops. Arlington turned the ball over on downs four times in the first half and had two turnovers; Ulrich recovered a fumble on a kickoff return and Brock Reinecke intercepted Smith late in the third quarter. Moving McPherson to quarterback, Arlington started the second half with a 16-play, 87-yard TD drive. McPherson tallied 58 yards on eight carries, including a 5-yard score. But Stanwood defensive coordinator Dan White made great adjustments, Cupp said, and Arlington didn't score again. At Larson Stadium Stanwood 14 7 0 0 — 21 Arlington 0 7 7 0 — 0 Stanwood—Schroyer 9 run (kick) Stanwood—Gee 3 run (kick) Arlington—Cobb 26 pass from Smith (Pierce kick) Stanwood—Gee 2 run (kick) Arlington—McPherson 5 run (Pierce kick) Records—Stanwood 4-2 in division, 4-5 overall. Arlington 3-3, 4-5. Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

1. City of Everett, neighbor sued over lost trees, mudslide 2. Three-car accident closes Highway 9 3. Kennedy’s assassination remains a puzzling memory 4. Ways to Give: How you can help in your community 5. Take a look under your seat 6. Novice real estate investors can lose their shirts 7. Kwan never golden, but sometimes transcendant 8. Lotto ticket worth $6.5 million sold in Lake Stevens 9. Canceled credit cards come as a shock for some 10. Count drags on long after the election's over 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Eat local this Thanksgiving • Mavericks moving on • Canada's Great Big Sea rolls into Edmonds • A. Murphy finishes 2nd in volleyball • Art Walk features music, demonstrations • EAT LOCAL: Getting the goods • Lynnwood HS history teacher Vic Bennet dies • Wildcats head to semis • CSO Chamber annual show slated Nov. 23 • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million