National spotlight on Lake Stevens-Kamiak clash
Published 8:52 pm Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Every week Lake Stevens football coach Tom Tri preaches to his team “it’s just another game.”
This week that’s a little tougher.
The Vikings are celebrating their homecoming game with a contest against Wesco 4A rival Kamiak, which, if Lake Stevens wins, would clinch a third consecutive league title for the Vikings.
Oh, and the game is being broadcast on national television.
“We’re just seeing it as another game,” Tri said. “Of course they’re excited, but we’re just trying to make sure that we execute. We haven’t really talked a whole lot about the fact that it’s on national TV. It’s more about homecoming and this would clinch a Wesco 4A championship if we win. It’s a big deal.
“The fact that it’s on TV, it’s a bigger game for the kids that’s for sure.”
His counterpart, Kamiak head coach Dan Mack, is also maintaining the “business-as-usual” approach.
“Nothing has changed, really, on our part,” Mack said. “We’re practicing like we normally do. Our kids have been very focused. We had a great practice (Wednesday), probably one of our best ones of the year. It’s business as usual. The only thing that has really affected me is the interviews and the paperwork that we’ve had to do. But it’s fun, and the kids are excited. It’s something that they’ll remember the rest of their lives.”
Still, the prospect of being seen by millions of viewers is exciting for Lake Stevens and Kamiak. The game, which will be played at Lake Stevens High School and broadcast on at 7 p.m. Friday on ESPNU, is an exciting chance for both teams to show the nation what they can do.
“I think everybody’s pretty excited. How could you not be?” said Kamiak senior quarterback Connor Alexander, who set his television to record the game on Wednesday night. “We couldn’t really believe it at first. … Everyone’s like, ‘Holy crap.’”
Like Lake Stevens, the Knights have a lot on their mind heading into Friday’s game. Kamiak, which is fighting for its playoff life, is sending a rooter bus to the game to pack Lake Stevens High School with Knights fans. Last season, the Vikings topped Kamiak 37-34 in a thriller. Thinking back to that game makes it a bit tough for the Knights to treat Lake Stevens like just another game.
“We’ve been looking forward to this game ever since last year,” Alexander said. “Obviously, playing on ESPN makes it a little more fun, a little more important. We’ve been talking about this game all year long. We’ve been taking each game one game at a time, all year long. But we’d be lying if we said Lake Stevens wasn’t in the back of our minds all season. If we win it’s crucial for a playoff spot. Getting revenge from last year. This year, it just means so much more.
“It’s kind of a big game all around.”
Lake Stevens senior tight end Riley Krenz is pumped for the latest Lake Stevens-Kamiak clash. He said playing the game on national television will be one of the highlights of his Vikings career.
“I’m not going to downplay anything: it is an awesome opportunity,” Krenz said. “It’s so cool. … For this to happen, and for our team to get chosen to do this, it’s amazing for the town and the guys. It’s probably the coolest high school experience I’ll have as far as football in my career.”
Krenz and the Vikings, who are currently ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press 4A poll, feel like they have something to prove in this game. The idea of being able to show the nation what it can do has Lake Stevens eager to take the field Friday.
“Definitely excited, surprised, but at the same time it got us motivated,” Krenz said. “… We just kind of looked at it like, ‘We’re ranked pretty high. Now we have to go prove it. We have to earn it.’”
The game will feature two of the top quarterbacks in Wesco 4A in Alexander and Lake Stevens senior Jacob Eason. Eason, the No. 3-ranked quarterback in the nation according to ESPN and who is committed to the University of Georgia, is 106 of 153 for 1,811 yards, 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
“He’s an outstanding person and a great football player,” Mack said of Eason. “He’s equally as great a young man as a football player.”
For the Knights, Alexander has also posted a strong senior campaign. He is 118 of 189 for 1,764 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions — numbers similar to Eason’s.
“They have a lot of skill players that are talented,” Tri said. “They’ve got a lot of speed. They present a lot of problems.”
Added Krenz: “Every time we play Kamiak it seems like it’s a battle.”
The challenges have Tri and Mack trying to keep their respective squads focused and ready for the even brighter Friday night lights.
“Really, it’s about the next opponent,” Tri said. “That happens to be Kamiak. It just so happens that it’s homecoming and that it is on TV. We just focus on what we can control: that’s our effort, our attitude and our execution. … The whole theme of the week is to focus on what each guy could do to focus on to help our team be successful. We need to focus on our job and our assignment every play. We’re getting the opportunity to get another Wesco title.
“And be on TV.”
