Outlook
Lake Stevens won the Wesco 4A title last year and appears fully capable of repeating this season. What happens after that is anybody’s guess, with two playoff teams from last season, Monroe and Mariner, breaking in new head coaches. Kamiak continues to play the Vikings — and every other team in the conference — tough and Snohomish, which fell to Mariner in the last week of the regular season to decide the conference’s final postseason berth, looks to continue its rise in head coach Kai Smalley’s third season. Mount Vernon continues to adjust to the Wesco 4A after arriving from the Northwest Conference in 2012. Cascade and Jackson, neither of which is more than three seasons removed from a playoff berth, will try to rebound after tough campaigns in 2014 that saw the teams post a combined 1-13 record in conference play.
The favorite
Lake Stevens. The front-runner is about the only thing in the Wesco 4A that is clear. Returning seven starters on defense and six on offense — including star quarterback Jacob Eason, tight end Riley Krenz and running back Andrew Grimes — the defending champion Vikings once again are the team to beat.
The dark horse
Umm … Everybody else.
Kamiak has found consistent success since head coach Dan Mack took over the program in 1998. The Knights hope to again challenge Lake Stevens for a conference title and a playoff berth.
A pair of teams with new head coaches that went to the playoffs a season ago — Mariner and Monroe — also hope to be in the mix, with Mark Stewart (Mariner) and Michael Bumpus (Monroe) leading their respective squads in 2015.
5 games to watch
Jackson vs. Cascade (Sept. 18): The Everett School District rivals will be looking to bounce back from tough 2014 seasons when conference play starts in mid-September. When the two teams met last season, they combined to score 72 points in the Bruins’ 41-31 win.
Kamiak at Monroe (Oct. 2): The Knights and Bearcats were both undefeated going into last year’s showdown, which saw Kamiak prevail 27-23 in a game that neither team led by more than seven points.
Kamiak at Lake Stevens (Oct. 23): The national spotlight falls on the two Snohomish County teams as they play Lake Stevens’ homecoming game live on ESPNU. The Knights always play the Vikings tough, pushing Lake Stevens to its limit last season before the Vikings prevailed 37-34.
Monroe at Mariner (Oct. 23): Mariner’s first-year coach, Mark Stewart, hopes to have the Marauders fighting for a playoff spot for the second consecutive season. This game could be a key to that goal.
Mariner at Snohomish (Oct. 30): The final week of regular-season play could see Mariner and Snohomish jockeying for seeding in the district playoffs — or once again fighting for their playoff lives.
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