EVERETT — Since 2008, the Archbishop Murphy Wildcats and Lynden Lions have met four times with each team winning two games.
But that doesn’t begin to tell the story of the disappointment and frustration that the Lions have caused the Wildcats.
In 2008, Archbishop Murphy hosted Lynden in the regular-season opener for both teams and earned a 26-15 win. The two teams met again in the Class 2A state semifinal and Lynden got its revenge with a 21-13 win.
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In 2009, the story was the same. Archbishop Murphy defeated Lynden 34-20 in the season opener for both teams at CenturyLink Field (then Qwest Field). But a few months later, Lynden won again when it mattered most, defeating the Wildcats 38-14 in the state semifinals.
Lynden went on to win state championships in both years, while the Wildcats stayed home. In 2010, the Wildcats earned a trip to the state championship game, only to suffer a 34-14 loss to Tumwater.
The Wildcats and the Lions did not meet in the regular season this year, but they face each other for the Class 2A state championship at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Archbishop Murphy’s seniors have come so close to a state championship three times before. They know that in order to go out on top in their final try, they will have to beat a team that has not only had the Wildcats’ number in their previous playoff meetings, but is undefeated so far this season. With that in mind, The Lions definitely have the respect of the Wildcats coaches and players.
“That’s the thing about Lynden, they always fulfilled the expectations of being a great football team,” senior quarterback Conner Kruse said. “I remember our freshman year, that was one of the biggest football teams for us that I have ever seen. That was a dream team if there ever was one.”
Archbishop Murphy coach Dave Ward also praised Lynden and its football program, which keeps the Lions a perennial power.
“We have great respect for the job they do and the fact that they are consistently in the playoffs and they play well and they seem to get better and better each week,” Ward said. “We have seen them early and then we have seen them late in the playoffs and so we know they have great practice plans and they work hard.”
Having a history with the Lions means that Ward and his players aren’t overlooking the task at hand.
“They definitely will be the best team we have seen all year,” Ward said. “We are playing at a high level right now and we are playing a team like Lynden. It’s going to be the best two teams in the 2A as far as I can tell.”
Lynden coach Curt Kramme expects the game to be very competitive.
“I think you are going to see two fired up squads,” Kramme said. “Both teams want to win and expect to win and respect each other.”
For senior offensive lineman and linebacker Sam Shober, losing in the semifinals in 2009 still stands out in his memory.
“Especially in our sophomore year, to know that we could beat them and then just kind of get crushed,” Shober said. “It’s horrible to lose like that. I think that that kind of lingers, at least for me, still now. This is a team that we can’t beat in the playoffs supposedly. So, I mean for sure for me this is a kind of game that I have been waiting on for a while.”
A victory Saturday brings a state championship to the Wildcats, which everyone involved says is the most important thing. But to get that title the Wildcats know they have to play at the very top of their game.
“I guess you kind of want it so much more,” Kruse said. “You can go against a team who you know you have lost to twice and who you know they supposedly have our number, but you just got to be excited for it.”
There aren’t many kids on either team who played big roles in the games played in 2008 and 2009. Yet despite not having a lot of familiarity with Lynden this year, the Wildcats know that they are in for a challenge.
“Watching them win those two (past) games has really gotten our team’s attention,” Ward said. “Our team knows that these guys really bring it at this point in the season and we have to be on our best game.
“The fact that it is Lynden and we haven’t beaten them in the playoffs really has our attention,” Ward added. “It really makes us want to get something out of every practice and every day.”
From past experience, Ward also knows to beware of a little trickery from the Lions.
“We’ve got to make sure that we get ready for their trick plays,” Ward said. “They save a lot of their trick plays until they get into the finals or the semifinals. We got film from their semifinal game against W.F. West and sure enough there was a reverse pass out of the end zone.”
Even before time expired in Archbishop Murphy’s 50-14 win over Prosser in the state semifinals, the Wildcats knew it was Lynden that they would have to beat to win the championship.
“I think there was two minutes left in the Prosser game and I don’t know how much we were up by, but we knew we were going to win and my dad told me that Lynden had won,” Shober said. “I think I’ve really been just kind of waiting for it all year. We heard from the start, even in the preseason, we knew how good they were, so we kind of have just been waiting for this.”
Ward seemed apprehensive to admit that beating Lynden would make winning the state championship sweeter.
“No … a little bit,” Ward said before bursting into laughter. “It would be sweet. It’s not going to matter who it is. But you know, Lynden has been there and they have been able to finish recently. They have been able to finish and have that experience. And I want our players to know what that feels like and to finish this season and realize that they took care of everything on the journey and didn’t leave any business undone.”
Shober didn’t hesitate when asked the same question.
“Yeah,” Shober said immediately. “I’m sure they wouldn’t like to hear that, but definitely. This is a team that we have lost to twice, so it would only make it that much better.”
Kramme said he thinks that the motivation of losing to Lions in previous playoff games might help the Wildcats early on, but won’t last too long.
“I think that might help for the first four, five or six plays, but after that it’s going to be 11 guys from Lynden and 11 guys from Archbishop Murphy playing football,” Kramme said.
Ward makes sure, though, that he points out that beating Lynden is not the thing of ultimate importance. Walking out of the Tacoma Dome with a state championship is what matters to the Wildcats most.
“The state championship is bigger than beating Lynden,” Ward said. “I want to make sure I emphasize that. It will just be even sweeter because we all know how good Lynden is.”
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