PREP FORECAST: League play gets under way tonight
Published 6:08 pm Wednesday, September 29, 2010
After an opening weekend of non-league contests, tonight’s prep football action offers some counters.
League play begins with three contests in the Wesco South and two in the North.
The biggie, of course, is the clash between Marysville-Pilchuck and Snohomish, last year’s North champion and runner-up, respectively.
Also in the North, Monroe, coming off a win in its opener, invades Oak Harbor, which is looking to even its record.
Click the play button at right to hear this week’s Prep Football Podcast with Mike Cane and Aaron Swaney
The big contest in the South pits Cascade against Kamiak. Cascade finished a game out of the playoffs last season. Kamiak endured its first losing season in recent memory and a win over Cascade could go a long way toward getting the Knights back on the right side of .500.
Also in the South, Mariner, coming off a loss at Lake Stevens, is on the road against Mountlake Terrace, a winner last week over Lynnwood. A Mariner win renews the status quo in the South. A Terrace victory indicates a surprising power shift in the division.
Also, Shorewood, winless in division last year and a loser last week, visits defending South champion Jackson.
Here’s a look at the two key division showdowns and the rest of the weekend schedule:
Marysville-Pilchuck at Snohomish
When: 7 tonight
Where: Snohomish Veterans Memorial Stadium
Radio: KRKO (1380 AM)
Records: Both teams are 1-0.
Last year: RB Austin Denton carried 27 times for 218 yards and two TDs in M-P’s 34-7 victory.
Last week: Denton carried 22 times for 236 yards and a TD in M-P’s 23-0 victory over Shorecrest.
Snohomish scored twice off turnovers and preserved a 36-33 win over Kamiak with a fumble recovery in the last three minutes.
Players to watch: Denton, who led the division in rushing last season, is off to another good start. M-P used eight other ballcarriers against Shorecrest, but Denton had 40 percent of the carries.
Snohomish QB Luke Perry ran 16 times for 83 yards and completed two of nine passes for 50 yards to key the Panthers’ offense against Kamiak.
On paper: Snohomish couldn’t stop Denton last year, but he was a fresh face then. The Panthers know what to expect and can form a containment plan. However, corralling Denton won’t be enough if Snohomish has to rely on its defense for a third of its points.
Predictions: John McDonald picks M-P 17-14. Mike Cane picks Snohomish 24-20. Tom Lafferty picks Snohomish 21-20 OT.
Cascade at Kamiak
When: 7 tonight
Where: Goddard Stadium
Records: Cascade is 1-0. Kamiak is 0-1.
Last year: Chris McGrath returned the opening kickoff for a TD to spark Cascade’s 27-15 victory.
Last week: RBs Aaron Miller and Dominique Moore combined for 174 rushing yards and a TD each in Cascade’s 15-0 win over Oak Harbor.
Kamiak QB Jake Sortor completed nine of 23 passes for 184 yards and four TDs in the loss to Snohomish.
Players to watch: Sortor also ran eight times for 50 yards and was Kamiak’s leading ballcarrier against the Panthers.
McGrath wasn’t among the Bruins’ leading rushers last week, but he had a 43-yard pass interception return from his defensive position.
On paper: Kamiak has to develop some diversity on offense and do away with the turnovers or it’s going to be another long season.
Predictions: John McDonald picks Cascade 21-20. Mike Cane picks Cascade 21-14. Tom Lafferty picks Cascade 28-14.
Glacier Peak at Lake Stevens
When: 7 tonight
Where: Lake Stevens H.S.
Records: Both teams are 1-0.
Last year: Lake Stevens QB Nick Baker set school records for completions (31) and passing yards in a game (341) in the Vikings’ 35-21 victory.
Last week: Glacier Peak QB Zach Richter completed 22 of 30 passes, including a 1-yarder to Tommy Rollins in overtime, to lead the Grizzlies to a 52-51 win over Arlington.
Brennan Frost rushed for 125 yards and a TD, Bryson Daggett threw for 212 yards and a TD and Brandon Preslar had 139 receiving yards and a TD for Lake Stevens in its 18-14 win over Mariner.
Players to watch: Rollins had nine catches for 124 yards and three TDs last week.
NT Jordan Eckstrom, S Chameron Lackey and LB Chase Crowley each had 10 tackles to lead the Lake Stevens defense against Mariner.
On paper: Lake Stevens made some nice defensive adjustments to limit Mariner RB KeiVarae Russell after he racked up 144 yards and two TDs in the first quarter. The Vikings showed they can withstand an offensive onslaught and that’s what they’ll get from Glacier Peak. They also showed a lot of balance on offense and Glacier Peak surrendered a lot of points to Arlington.
Predictions: John McDonald picks Lake Stevens 35-21. Mike Cane picks Glacier Peak 35-28. Tom Lafferty picks Lake Stevens 28-21.
Other games tonight
Wesco South: Shorewood (0-1) vs. Jackson (1-0) at Everett Memorial Stadium; Mariner (0-1) vs. Mountlake Terrace (1-0) at Edmonds Stadium, 5 p.m.
Wesco North: Monroe (1-0) at Oak Harbor (0-1), 7 p.m.
Non-conference: Lynden Christian (1-0) at Lakewood (1-0), Charles Wright (0-1) at King’s (1-0), Archbishop Murphy (1-0) at Eastside Catholic (0-1), Ferndale (1-0) vs. Shorecrest (0-1) at Shoreline Stadium, Cedarcrest (1-0) at Seattle Prep (1-0), Granite Falls (0-1) at Nathan Hale (0-1), Life Christian (0-1) at Sultan (0-1), South Whidbey (1-0) at Mt. Vernon (1-0), Oakville (0-0) at Highland Christian (0-1), Lynnwood (0-1) at Arlington (0-1), 7 p.m.; Stanwood (0-1) vs. Meadowdale (1-0) at Edmonds Stadium, Edmonds-Woodway (0-1) vs. Everett (1-0) at Everett Memorial Stadium, 8 p.m.
Saturday’s games
Non-conference: Coupeville (1-0) at Lakeside (0-1), 2 p.m.; Lake Stevens sophs at Darrington (1-0), 7 p.m.
Herald Prep Writer Mike Cane and KRKO broadcaster Tom Lafferty were 2-2 last week. Herald Prep Editor John McDonald was 1-3.
