Here’s a look at this weekend’s quarterfinal playoff games involving local teams:
NORTH KITSAP (10-0) vs. ARCHBISHOP MURPHY (10-1)
When: 7 p.m., Friday
Where: Veterans Memorial Stadium (Snohomish H.S.)
North Kitsap: 1st in Olympic League 2A; beat Eatonville 66-25 in Week 10 playoffs, beat W.F. West 38-7 in state first round
About the Vikings: North Kitsap is facing Archbishop Murphy in the state playoffs for the third consecutive season, having lost the previous two meetings by a combined 61-0 margin. The Vikings have won 20 of their last 21 games, with last year’s playoff loss to Murphy being their lone defeat over the past two seasons. Senior running back Dax Solis has rushed for a school-record 1,772 yards and scored 34 total touchdowns this season to lead a North Kitsap team that’s averaging 44 points per game. The Vikings allow just eight points per contest and have held seven opponents to seven points or less. North Kitsap’s stingy defense is anchored by senior defensive lineman Ryan Brooks (the Olympic League 2A’s overall Most Valuable Player) and senior linebacker Connor Westby (the Olympic 2A’s Defensive MVP). The Vikings are making their fourth state-quarterfinal apperanace in program history and are seeking their first-ever trip to the state semifinals.
Archbishop Murphy: 1st in Cascade Conference; beat Lakewood 43-7 in Week 10 playoffs, beat River Ridge 47-7 in state first round
About the Wildcats: Defending state champion Archbishop Murphy has outscored opponents by 33 points per game this season, with its lone loss coming in a non-league defeat to perennial 3A powerhouse Bellevue. The Wildcats allow just 11.2 points per game and have held seven opponents to seven points or less. Senior running back Ray Pimentel has rushed for 1,973 yards and 27 touchdowns this season while averaging 10.6 yards per carry. Pimentel rushed for 278 yards and four scores on just 14 carries last week, helping the Wildcats race to a 47-0 halftime lead in their opening-round rout of River Ridge. Two-way senior standout Kyler Gordon has intercepted five passes on defense and totaled 1,213 yards and 16 touchdowns on offense in eight games. Ranked by 247Sports as the third-overall senior recruit in the state, Gordon has college offers from major programs such as Notre Dame, Stanford, Washington, Nebraska, Oregon, TCU, USC and UCLA. Archbishop Murphy is seeking its third consecutive trip to the state semifinals and its seventh in the last 10 years.
Recent history: Archbishop Murphy beat North Kitsap 34-0 last year in the first round of the state playoffs; Archbishop Murphy beat North Kitsap 27-0 in the 2015 state quarterfinals
Herald pick: Archbishop Murphy
MONROE (10-1) vs. SUMNER (9-2)
When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday
Where: Sunset Chevrolet Stadium (Sumner)
Radio: KRKO 1380 AM
Monroe: 2nd in Wesco 4A; beat Mount Si 44-40 in Week 10 playoffs, beat Puyallup 21-14 in state first round
About the Bearcats: After punching its ticket to state with a dramatic comeback win over Mount Si two weeks ago, Monroe beat Puyallup last week for the program’s first-ever state-playoff victory. Running behind his team’s massive offensive line, running back Isaiah Lewis rushed for a combined 427 yards and three touchdowns in the two playoff wins, including 195 yards and a score on 45 carries in last week’s victory over Puyallup. Lewis has compiled a breakout senior season with 1,899 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns while averaging 8.3 yards per carry. Senior quarterback Jaedyn Prewitt, a first-year starter, has completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,498 yards, 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Sophomore Efton Chism III leads the Bearcats in receiving with 897 yards and 12 touchdown catches, while senior receiver Isaiah Cole has posted 522 yards and six touchdowns since returning from a torn ACL that sidelined him for the first four games of the season. Monroe averages 44.4 points per game and allows 16.5.
Sumner: 3rd in South Puget Sound League 4A; beat Hazen 42-7 in Week 10 playoffs, beat Union 42-14 in state first round
About the Spartans: Sumner has won six consecutive games since suffering back-to-back losses to conference rivals Graham-Kapowsin and Puyallup. The Spartans are led by TCU commit Ben Wilson and fellow three-star senior recruit Tre Weed. Wilson, ranked by 247Sports as the top senior linebacker in the state, anchors Sumner’s defense and leads the Spartans’ two-headed rushing attack with 1,035 yards and 17 touchdowns. Weed has added 985 yards rushing, a team-high 629 yards receiving, 25 total offensive touchdowns and seven interceptions on defense. Weed, the seventh-ranked senior receiver in the state, has college offers from programs such as Syracuse, Hawaii, Air Force and Brigham Young. Sumner averages 42.1 points per game and allows 16.8. The Spartans are seeking their second consecutive trip to the state semifinals.
Recent history: Sumner beat Monroe 58-42 last year in the first round of the state playoffs
Quotable: “They want to run the ball (and) we want to run the ball,” Monroe coach Michael Bumpus said of the matchup, which features two run-first offenses that average six-plus yards per carry. “In an age where the game’s softened up a bit and it’s getting pretty with all these pass plays and stuff, it’s going to be interesting just to see some guys line up and say, ‘Hey, I’m going (through the) A-gap. Try to stop me.’”
Herald pick: Monroe
—Compiled by Cameron Van Til, Herald Writer
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