E-W runs past Redmond, looks to football playoffs

Published 11:05 pm Tuesday, October 25, 2011

After a slow start, Edmonds-Woodway ran past Redmond.

Running backs Desmond Young and Mark Coutee each rushed for more than 100 yards to lead the Warriors to a 34-7 victory over the Mustangs in a non-conference football game Oct. 21 at Edmonds Stadium.

A pair of fumbles slowed down the Edmonds-Woodway offensive attack, which finally got on track when Young scored on a 13-yard run in the first quarter. Young finished with 139 yards on 17 carries and scored two touchdowns.

“It was an all right game,” Edmonds-Woodway coach John Gradwohl said. “Once we got our footing, we played pretty well.”

Quarterback Davis Giles scored on a 1-yard run and Young followed with 3-yard TD run in the second quarter. Coutee then had a 2-yard scoring run as the Warriors led 28-0 at halftime. Mac Mclachlan closed out the E-W scoring with a 1-yard TD run in the third quarter.

Coutee finished with 104 yards on 15 carries. Giles completed 5 of 11 passes for 73 yards.

Edmonds-Woodway (5-3 overall) hosts Lake Stevens (8-0) in the Western Conference 4A championship game at 7 p.m., Oct. 28 at Edmonds Stadium. The game also will determine seeding for the playoffs.

“I feel pretty good. I think we are getting better every week,” Gradwohl said. “Lake Stevens is a heck of a football team. Their quarterback (Jake Nelson) is a great quarterback. He runs and throws. He has good kids to throw to.”

While the Vikings have the experience edge, Gradwohl noted that his team has been in the playoff mode since the start of league play. The Warriors opened with three non-conference losses but then reeled off four straight league victories to take the Wesco South Division crown.

With only five teams in the South Division, Gradwohl told his team that one or two losses could put the Warriors at a severe disadvantage. In addition, in the event of a tie, the Warriors drew the worst number among the five teams.

“We’ve had our backs against the wall for a while,” Gradwohl said. “They’ve responded.”

Lake Stevens looks to be the best team Edmonds-Woodway has faced this season with the possible exception of Meadowdale.

“They do a lot of good things,” Gradwohl said. “What I’ve seen is that they don’t throw to one or two guys. They’re all contributors.”