MARYSVILLE — Erik Lind isn’t fond of the visiting sideline at Quil Ceda Stadium.
“I hate going on that sideline,” the Marysville Pilchuck senior quarterback said with a laugh. “It’s our stadium. I want my side.”
Bragging rights are once again up for grabs as Lind and the Tomahawks take on Marysville Getchell in the fourth annual Berry Bowl Friday night at Quil Ceda Stadium — the field on the Marysville Pilchuck campus where both teams play their home games.
Lind and Marysville Pilchuck usually stand on the west sideline. This Friday, however, the Chargers will be designated the home team, sending the Tomahawks to the east sideline.
“We’ve been waiting for this moment forever,” said Marysville Getchell junior Kyle Pinca. “It feels like yesterday it was summer and we were preparing for this team. I’m super excited for this.”
Like all crosstown rivalries, the Marysville Pilchuck and Marysville Getchell players are very familiar with one another, having grown up together.
However, unlike some of the more storied rivalries, the Chargers and Tomahawks are playing just their fourth matchup. Marysville Pilchuck is undefeated in the series.
“This isn’t just for us. It’s for our school too,” Pinca said. “I feel like we’re so new, people still don’t believe in us yet. I feel like if we solidify the fact that we can beat the hometown rivals we can go out there and be a team that people know.”
“It’s huge for me. I know it’s huge for everyone out here,” said Sam Watson, a senior offensive lineman for the Tomahawks. “Ever since Getchell opened up we came to this school and knew they were our rival. This is our game. All year this is my game. This is the one I’m stoked for.”
A key to Marysville Pilchuck’s recent success was last year’s strong senior class. With a large group of Tomahawks graduated — including running backs Austin Joyner and Killian Page, and defensive standouts Drew Hatch and Nic Alonso — it’s time for new Marysville Pilchuck players to leave their mark in Berry Bowl history.
“That’s what I’m most excited about,” Watson said. “All of those guys were phenomenal athletes and amazing people. And now it’s my turn. I’m the senior. I think that’s the coolest (thing). I’ve been waiting for this my whole life. I love it.”
“That’s the beauty of high school football,” said Marysville Pilchuck head coach Brandon Carson. “Sometimes, you’ve got to wait for your turn and when you get your shot you’ve got to rise up to the occasion and make plays. Last week, we had a few guys rise up and make some plays. I want us to improve upon how we played last week and we’re going to do our darndest to win the thing.”
Just because there’s some new personnel for the Tomahawks, doesn’t mean Marysville Getchell is taking its crosstown rival lightly.
“They run a lot of misdirection so we’ve got to read our keys on defense and make sure we don’t get fooled,” said Davis Lura, the Marysville Getchell head coach. “Offensively, we just can’t turn the ball over and we’ve got to score in the red zone.”
Marysville Getchell still has star running back Collin Montez, however the junior could miss Friday’s Berry Bowl with an ankle injury. Montez, who also missed the game against the Tomahawks his freshman year because of a foot injury, hurt his ankle in the first series of the Chargers’ game against Arlington last week.
Montez hopes to be able to play and understands how big the game is to the Marysville community.
“I’m going to do whatever it takes. I really want to (be out there),” Montez said. “I don’t know. It just all depends. I’m trying to do everything I can. I’m in the training room exercising and icing. It’s horrible.”
Carson and the Tomahawks are going to make sure they know where Montez is at all times. The Marysville Pilchuck coach and his team, like the Chargers, hope No. 3 is able to take the field Friday night.
“We’re planning that he’s going to be in the backfield. I sure hope he’s out there,” Carson said. “We like playing against top guys. Our guys like seeing how they stack up against some of the better players in the league. You just have to know where he’s at on the field. Whether it be quarterback or running back or wide receiver, you have to make sure you know what he’s doing.”
Marysville Getchell is hoping to reverse the recent Berry Bowl trend. The Chargers, in the fifth year of their football program, have been outscored 136-27 in their three previous contests against Marysville Pilchuck.
“We want to compete. That’s the biggest thing that we’ve talked to the kids about,” Lura said. “No matter what we’re doing, any drill, we want to be competitive because you want to try to simulate game conditions in practice. We want to treat it like another game. Obviously, there’s going to be some distractions … but you just try to get through that and do business as usual.”
Everyone agrees the rivalry is a friendly one. And the two teams are excited to put on a show Friday night in front of a packed Quil Ceda Stadium.
Regardless of what sideline they have to stand on.
“It’s always fun. We get the whole town coming out and it’s a really good atmosphere,” Lind said. “I love it because we get to play against all the guys we’ve been playing with — and against — ever since we were little. I know the city loves it. … I think in past years it was a lot more heated than it is now. I think now we go out there and we know we’re just going out to play. “Obviously, on the field, we’re going to be enemies for those 48 minutes but it’s a lot more fun.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
