E-W, Meadowdale kick off football playoffs
Published 7:46 pm Tuesday, November 1, 2011
While last week’s Western Conference 3A and 4A championship football games were highly charged and emotional for the Meadowdale and Edmonds-Woodway players, ultimately the results didn’t mean much as far as the postseason is concerned.
All four teams in the title games already had clinched quad-district playoff berths and all four teams are hosting post-season games this weekend.
The results determined seeding with Meadowdale earning the district’s top spot, while Edmonds-Woodway is the district’s No. 2 seed. Still, the Mavericks can justifiably point with pride to finishing the regular season undefeated.
Now the real fun begins as Meadowdale hosts Prairie at 7 p.m., Nov. 5 at Edmonds Stadium.
Edmonds-Woodway is looking to bury the memories of blowing a 17-point lead late in the third quarter to Lake Stevens. Coach John Gradwohl is one the best in the business and should have the Warriors ready when they host South Kitsap at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 4 at Edmonds Stadium.
Last week’s record: 3-0
Year to date: 25-8
MEADOWDALE VS. PRAIRIE
Game time: 7 p.m., Saturday at Edmonds Stadium
Records: Meadowdale 9-0 overall; Prairie 6-3
Last week’s results: Meadowdale 34, Oak Harbor 17; Prairie 39, Battleground 27
Players to watch: Meadowdale quarterback Brian Marty leads a multi-faceted attack with running backs Giavani Shepard, Kyle Newsom and Kyler Larsen, along with wide receivers Ryan White and Tyler Morehouse. Shepard rushed for 130 yards on 20 carries against Oak Harbor. Larsen had 96 yards on 10 carries, while Newsom had 78 yards on nine carries with four touchdowns. Prairie quarterback Colin Seitz completed 27 of 43 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Battleground. Running back Tyler Duncan rushed for 61 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns.
Breakdown: So far no team has been able to shut down the Meadowdale offense and it doesn’t appear that Prairie will be able to either. The Falcons finished third in the Greater St. Helens League and their defense appears somewhat suspect. Prairie allowed 27 points to a Battleground team that finished the season 4-5. Prairie quarterback Seitz surely will test the Meadowdale secondary. Seitz has thrown for 22 touchdowns with only three interceptions. He has amassed 1,519 yards and has a pass completion percentage of 66 percent. Look for another win for Meadowdale.
Weekly Herald pick: Meadowdale 35, Prairie 21
EDMONDS-WOODWAY VS. SOUTH KITSAP
Game time: 7:30 p.m., Friday at Edmonds Stadium
Records: Edmonds-Woodway 5-4 overall; South Kitsap 6-3
Last week’s results: Lake Stevens 34, Edmonds-Woodway 31; South Kitsap 17, Central Kitsap 10
Players to watch: Edmonds-Woodway running back Desmond Young rushed for 293 yards on 25 carries and scored four touchdowns in the loss to Lake Stevens. Running back Mark Coutee and wide receiver Spiral Horn also are key components of the offense, which is led by sophomore quarterback Davis Giles. South Kitsap turned to junior backup quarterback Kevin Whatley to help spark a comeback against Central Kitsap. Starting quarterback Eddie Meisner threw nine straight incompletions at the start of the contest. Running back Adam Gascoyne rushed for 113 yards on 17 carries and scored one touchdown.
Breakdown: Edmonds-Woodway let a Wesco 4A title slip out of its hands last week against Lake Stevens. Expect the Warriors to be more focused for all four quarters this week. South Kitsap appears to be a similar team to Edmonds-Woodway both offensively and defensively. The Wolves, however, appear to be a little more one-dimensional in the backfield with Gascoyne. Edmonds-Woodway’s one-two punch of Young and Coutee should be the edge. Playing at Edmonds Stadium also should be an advantage for the Warriors.
Weekly Herald pick: Edmonds-Woodway 35, South Kitsap 21
