The Arlington and Oak Harbor football teams are plenty familiar with one-point games.
In last year’s meeting between the two teams, Oak Harbor rallied for a 22-21 win after blocking a punt in the final minute to set up a touchdown and game-winning two-point conversion.
And this year, both teams are coming off one-point thrillers entering Friday night’s Wesco 3A North showdown between the Eagles and ninth-ranked Wildcats at Arlington High School.
The two teams were on opposite ends of dramatic finishes last week.
Arlington (5-2 overall, 3-1 Wesco 3A North) rallied from a pair of seven-point fourth-quarter deficits to edge archrival Stanwood for a 28-27 win. Stanwood drove to the Arlington 1-yard line in the closing seconds, but senior Michael Van Beek blocked a potential game-winning 18-yard field-goal attempt as time expired to give the Eagles their eighth consecutive Stilly Cup victory.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Arlington coach Greg Dailer said of his reaction. “I was hoping something good would happen. (Stanwood) has a pretty good field-goal kicker, but you never know in high school football. It was pretty exciting. Huge sense of relief.
“Our kids showed a lot of grit,” he added. “We didn’t play a great game on either side of the ball, but we played with a lot of heart and just never gave up.”
Meanwhile, Oak Harbor (6-1, 3-1) suffered its first loss of the season last week in a 29-28 overtime defeat to second-ranked Ferndale.
The Wildcats rallied to force overtime with a touchdown and game-tying two-point conversion in the final minute of regulation.
Then after Ferndale took a seven-point overtime lead with a touchdown and extra point, Oak Harbor answered with a touchdown to cut it to 29-28. But the Wildcats’ ensuing two-point conversion attempt failed, as a fade pass to the corner of the end zone fell incomplete.
Moments after the tough loss, Oak Harbor coach Jay Turner turned the attention to Friday’s clash against Arlington.
“The toughest thing now is coming back, because we have Arlington next and Arlington’s really good,” Turner said. “So we’ve got to try to get back and get focused again.”
No. 9 OAK HARBOR at ARLINGTON
When: 7 p.m., Friday
Where: Arlington H.S.
Radio: KRKO 1380 AM
Oak Harbor: 6-1 overall, 3-1 Wesco 3A North; lost to Ferndale 29-28 (OT) last week
About the Wildcats: Ninth-ranked Oak Harbor suffered its first loss of the season last week in a 29-28 overtime defeat to second-ranked Ferndale. The Wildcats’ high-powered Wing-T rushing attack struggled against the superior size of Ferndale’s defensive front, but Oak Harbor hit several big plays in the passing game. Senior quarterback Jordan Bell completed 11 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown, while senior Tamarik Hollins-Passmore had three catches for 146 yards and a score. Senior fullback Mackenzie Nuanez leads the Wildcats’ ground attack this season with 740 yards and 12 touchdowns, followed by Hollins-Passmore with 562 yards and four scores.
Arlington: 5-2 overall, 3-1 Wesco 3A North; beat Stanwood 28-27 last week
About the Eagles: Arlington earned its eighth consecutive Stilly Cup victory last week, blocking an 18-yard field-goal attempt as time expired to hold on for a 28-27 win over archrival Stanwood. The Eagles have six special-teams scores this season, including sophomore Cade Younger’s pivotal kickoff-return touchdown last week that was followed by the eventual game-winning two-point conversion. Senior receiver Campbell Hudson led Arlington with six catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns in the Stilly Cup, bumping his season receiving totals to a team-high 425 yards and six scores. Junior quarterback Anthony Whitis has been one of the top passers in Snohomish County this season, throwing for 1,525 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Herald pick: Oak Harbor
EVERETT at MEADOWDALE
When: 8 p.m., Friday
Where: Edmonds Stadium
Everett: 5-2 overall, 3-1 Wesco 3A South; beat Marysville Pilchuck 43-22 last week
About the Seagulls: After three consecutive one-win seasons from 2012 to 2014, Everett has reached five wins for the third consecutive year. The Seagulls have won three straight games by 16 points or more, outscoring those three opponents by a combined 67-11 margin in the second half. Junior running back Christian Balmer has rushed for 842 yards and nine touchdowns this season, averaging 120 yards per game and 6.5 yards per carry. With a win over Meadowdale, Everett can secure its first trip to the district crossover round since 2010.
Meadowdale: 4-3 overall, 3-2 Wesco 3A South; beat Lynnwood 51-17 last week
About the Mavericks: Sophomore quarterback Hunter Moen threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s rout of Lynnwood, and sophomore receiver Colton Walsh had a career-high performance with five catches for 130 yards and two scores. Will Schafer, a senior, is Meadowdale’s leading receiver this year with 568 yards and six touchdowns. On defense, Schafer and fellow senior defensive back Jayden Jackson have each intercepted five passes this season. In last year’s meeting, the Mavericks rallied from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to earn a 47-40 overtime win over Everett.
Herald pick: Everett
No. 10 LAKEWOOD at SEDRO-WOOLLEY
When: 7 p.m., Friday
Where: Sedro-Woolley H.S.
Lakewood: 6-1 overall, 4-0 Northwest Conference; beat Blaine 32-30 last week
About the Cougars: With a victory over Sedro-Woolley, Lakewood would clinch the Northwest Conference’s top seed and secure at least a share of the program’s first league title since winning the Cascade Conference in 2013. The 10th-ranked Cougars remained unbeaten in NWC play last week with a 32-30 victory over winless Blaine. Lakewood rallied from a nine-point third-quarter deficit and denied a potential game-tying two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter to edge the Borderites. Senior quarterback Austin Lane threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns in the win, while senior receiver CJ McClellan had seven catches for 111 yards and two scores. Lane has completed 69.2 percent of his passes this season for a Snohomish County-leading 1,955 yards, 25 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
Sedro-Woolley: 4-3 overall, 3-1 Northwest Conference; beat Bellingham 59-20 last week
About the Cubs: Sedro-Woolley routed Bellingham last week to bounce back from its first conference loss of the season — a 48-20 defeat to Burlington-Edison two weeks ago. The Cubs feature a balanced offense led by junior quarterback Carter Trammell and a slew of ball carriers. Trammell has thrown for 986 yards, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions this season, while Sedro-Woolley’s rushing attack is averaging 177 yards per game and 6.4 yards per carry. The Cubs beat Lakewood 41-21 in last year’s meeting before making a Class 2A state-quarterfinal run.
Herald pick: Lakewood
STANWOOD at MARYSVILLE PILCHUCK
When: 7 p.m., Friday
Where: Quil Ceda Stadium
Stanwood: 2-5 overall, 2-3 Wesco 3A North; lost to Arlington 28-27 last week
About the Spartans: Stanwood suffered its eighth consecutive Stilly Cup loss last week, falling to archrival Arlington in a heartbreaking 28-27 defeat. The Spartans twice held a seven-point fourth-quarter lead, but Arlington rallied for a one-point edge and blocked a potential game-winning 18-yard field-goal attempt as time expired. Stanwood senior running back Tyler Rich rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown and had five catches for 85 yards in the loss. The Spartans trail Squalicum by a half-game for the Wesco 3A North’s fourth and final postseason berth. Stanwood owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Squalicum by virtue of beating the Storm earlier this season.
Marysville Pilchuck: 2-5 overall, 1-3 Wesco 3A North; lost to Everett 43-22 last week
About the Tomahawks: Marysville Pilchuck surrendered 29 straight second-half points in last week’s 43-22 non-league loss to Everett. The Tomahawks have lost three consecutive games since routing crosstown rival Marysville Getchell in the annual Berry Bowl. Senior quarterback Kee-An Ballard has led Marysville Pilchuck’s offense this season with 1,268 total yards and 17 touchdowns, rushing for a team-high 396 yards and nine scores. The Tomahawks will seek to avenge last year’s 27-14 loss to Stanwood.
Herald pick: Stanwood
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