Jake & Blake show

Published 12:01 am Friday, September 30, 2011

If Lake Stevens quarterback Jake Nelson is looking to redeem himself with a big performance against Arlington tonight he hasn’t talked to his coach about it.

But that doesn’t mean Vikings coach Tom Tri hasn’t noticed.

“You can see it in the way he’s practiced this week,” Tri said.

Nelson, who had four turnovers in last year’s 36-28 loss to the Eagles, leads the undefeated Vikings into Arlington to take on the Eagles, also unbeaten, in a matchup that could very well decide who takes home the Wesco North crown.

The matchup starts behind center. Nelson and Arlington’s Blake McPherson are both three-year starters and are a big reason their teams are both averaging nearly 45 points a game this season.

“I think Jake is the best running quarterback in the league,” said Arlington head coach Greg Dailer. “I think we have the best passer. It’s going to be a fun matchup.”

The stats back Dailer up. McPherson leads all Wesco quarterbacks with 1,179 passing yards in four games and Nelson is the leading rusher among Wesco signal-callers by a large margin. Nelson’s 331 yards rushing is 173 yards more than the next Wesco QB.

“We’ve got to keep Jake in the pocket,” Dailer said of his team’s strategy. “He is a tough and fast runner so our goal is to keep him contained.”

Arlington likes to send blitzes from the edges and from its safeties, which usually forces quarterbacks into mistakes and ultimately turnovers.

“Jake has to have good pocket awareness first,” said Tri. “He has to take command of the offense, be consistent, take care of the football and trust his receivers.”

When McPherson and the Eagles potent offense is on the field, Lake Stevens is going to have their hands full as well. Besides completing 59 percent of his passes and tossing 12 touchdowns, the Eagles signal-caller can also do damage with his feet, especially around the goal-line having rushed for three touchdowns.

“We’re going to have to play great assignment defense,” Tri said. “(Blake) throws a great deep ball and also hits the intermediate routes and he’s got great feet. He’s got good command of what that offense does.”

If Nelson and Lake Stevens have unfinished business with their Wesco North rival, then Arlington has a message for the Vikings.

“Our creed all week has been if there’s unfinished business, let’s finish it,” Dailer said. “If they think they got away with one last year, let’s see.”

Come tonight everyone will see.

My pick: Arlington 42, Lake Stevens 36 (OT)

Arch. Murphy at Lakewood

7 p.m., Lakewood H.S.

This game has been circled on Lakewood’s schedule for a long time. In fact the Cougars made it their homecoming game just to add a little drama.

The Cougars have never beaten their rival Archbishop Murphy, but tonight might be there best chance yet. Last year Lakewood nearly beat the Wildcats last season at Terry Ennis Stadium, losing 35-28. This year, led by do-everything quarterback/running back/receiver Justin Peterson, Lakewood is soaring high again.

After a come-from-behind win over Prairie in the opener, the Cougars have beaten Lynden Christian, Granite Falls and Coupeville by a combined score of 161-19. The 4-0 start has the Cougars ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press Class 2A poll.

Murphy, meanwhile, is ranked No. 2 after impressive wins over Kennedy in Week 2 and Cedarcrest in Week 3. Led by Alex Galgano, Morgan Masanda and Conner Kruse, the Wildcats have scored 118 points in their past two wins.

This game will come down to who makes the most plays late in the game. With Peterson and big target tight end Dustin Stanton, Lakewood might finally have the right mix of players and confidence to make those plays.

My pick: Lakewood 39, Archbishop Murphy 38

Glacier Peak at Meadowdale

8 p.m., Edmonds Stadium

This has become an annual battle for the Wesco 3A championship. Glacier Peak got the upperhand last year with a 42-21 beatdown of the Mavericks en route to a league title. Two years ago it was Meadowdale slipping past the Grizzlies on their way to a Wesco 3A championship.

This year Oak Harbor has inserted itself into the race. The Wildcats came from behind to beat Glacier Peak in Week 2, putting the pressure squarely on the Grizzlies tonight. Glacier Peak must beat the Mavs if it wants to keep any title hopes alive.

Meadowdale, which has trounced its opponents by a combined score of 148-25, is ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press Class 3A poll. The Mavericks are led by the running back duo of Giavani Shepard and Kyle Newsom.

Glacier Peak likes to live through the air. David Linney led the Grizzlies in their first two games, but Chris Becerra took over in Week 3. In a Week 4 win over Marysville Getchell, Linney and Becerra split the snaps, with the two throwing for 73 and 72 yards, respectively.

My pick: Glacier Peak 31, Meadowdale 23

Chief Leschi at Darrington

7 p.m., Darrington H.S.

The Darrington football team has been struggling a little this season. The Loggers numbers are down and they haven’t won a game yet.

So they’re calling in Jim Lambright. The former UW football coach will attend tonight’s game against Chief Leschi and will be speaking to the team before the game and serving as an honorary coach. Darrington will also be dedicating its scoreboard tonight.

All that emotion can only be a good thing.

My pick: Darrington 19, Chief Leschi 13