The Cascade Bruins are poised to advance to the postseason for the first time since 1998.
A win at home tonight against Lake Stevens will give Cascade a 4-1 record in the Wesco North with three league games to play. Provided they beat Lake Stevens, the Bruins can clinch a playoff berth with victories in two of those remaining games, if one of them is over Stanwood.
Cascade was a perennial playoff team in the ’90s. Between 1989 and 1998, the Bruins made 10 straight state tournament appearances, winning a state championship in 1991 and reaching the semifinals five times in 10 seasons.
Then coach Terry Ennis (now at Archbishop Murphy) left to become the Everett School District’s athletic director and the district opened a new high school (Jackson), siphoning off a portion of Cascade’s talent pool.
The program dropped from title contention, but remained a mid-level outfit. Now, it’s back and this year’s edition has a familiar look.
The hallmarks of Ennis’ teams were a power-running fullback, breakaway speed at tailback and fundamental defense. This year’s Bruins have a bullish fullback, J.P. Oliver, a fleet tailback, Travis Warren, and their defense is holding opponents to an average of 16.4 points a game.
Here’s a look at Cascade’s game with Lake Stevens and the rest of the weekend schedule:
Lake Stevens at Cascade
Kickoff: 7 tonight at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Records: Lake Stevens is 2-3 in the Wesco North and overall. Cascade is 3-1, 4-1.
Last year: Cascade’s Evan Crawford returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown and the Bruins converted three of six Lake Stevens turnovers into points in a 21-7 victory.
Last week: Lake Stevens running back Jon Rossi carried 19 times for 109 yards and scored two TDs in a 21-13 loss to Oak Harbor.
Cascade running back J.P. Oliver carried 29 times for 147 yards and scored the go-ahead TD in a 24-14 win over Monroe.
Players to watch: Rossi has 534 yards on 94 carries. Lake Stevens quarterback Keefe Driscoll is 24-for-58 for 275 yards. His primary target has been Dane Gilbertson, who has 10 catches for 109 yards.
Oliver has 547 yards on 117 carries. Fellow back Travis Warren has 305 yards on 37 carries. Cascade quarterback Dirk Snel is 27-for-58 for 212 yards.
Breaking down the game: Rossi and fellow back Issac Molstre are comparable to Oliver and Warren. The two quarterbacks have similar numbers as do the defenses. The difference might come down to Snel’s ability to make field goals.
Little-known fact: Snel’s 37-yard field goal was the game-winning score in the Bruins’ win over Snohomish.
John McDonald’s pick: Cascade 17-14.
Mike Cane’s pick: Cascade 24-10.
Monroe at Snohomish
Kickoff: 7 tonight at Snohomish Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Records: Monroe is 2-3 in the Wesco North and overall. Snohomish is 1-3, 2-3.
Last year: Snohomish quarterback Nick Caraballo completed five of 12 passes for 102 yards and two TDs in a 21-7 victory.
Last week: Monroe running back Jeff Donaldson had 21 carries for 176 yards and a touchdown in a 24-14 loss to Cascade.
Snohomish running backs Steve Harrington (nine carries, 85 yards and three TDs) and Luke Darling (nine carries, 74 yards) led a running game that amassed 360 yards on 36 carries in the Panthers’ 35-14 win over Kentlake.
Players to watch: Donaldson is the division’s leading rusher with 763 yards on 127 carries.
Darling has 394 yards on 83 carries, Harrington has 275 yards on 45 carries and quarterback Kevin Rodland has 306 yards on 41 carries while completing 17 of 33 passes for 358 yards. Tight end Nate Van Duine has 13 catches for 256 yards.
Breaking down the game: Monroe may be over-reliant on Donaldson. Oak Harbor focused its defense on containing him and the Bearcats were unable to come up with an alternative.
Snohomish has several more options on offense, including the quarterback, who is a threat to run, and the tight end, who is a 6-foot-4 target.
Little-known fact: Snohomish has won five straight games since the series resumed in 2000.
John McDonald’s pick: Snohomish 28-21.
Mike Cane’s pick: Snohomish 28-24.
Everett at Kamiak
Kickoff: 7 tonight at Goddard Stadium.
Records: Everett is 3-2 in the Wesco South and overall. Kamiak is 2-3, 2-3.
Radio: KRKO (1380 AM)
Last year: Kamiak running back Austin Curran had three carries, two for touchdowns, in a 30-14 win.
Last week: Everett running back Andrew Skorney carried 10 times for 124 yards and scored two TDs and fellow back Justin Boyce carried 16 times for 83 yards and two TDs in a 42-0 win over Shorewood.
Kamiak running backs Josh Reed and Bryson Kelly scored two TDs each in a 42-0 win over Lynnwood.
Players to watch: Everett has a triple-threat backfield with Skorney, Boyce and David Peoples.
Reed leads Kamiak with 384 yards rushing. Kelly is right behind with 276. Wide receiver Rebel Hall has 21 catches for 261 yards. Quarterback Clayton Phillips is 36-for-70 for 378 yards.
Breaking down the game: Everett has out-rushed Kamiak by about a 2-to-1 margin this season. But the Seagulls haven’t demonstrated much of a passing game while the Knights are better balanced. Turnovers have been Kamiak’s downfall. If the Knights lose possessions and let Everett dominate time of possession, the Seagulls’ ground game will determine the outcome.
Little-known fact: Everett has scored 73 more points than Kamiak this season and surrendered 37 fewer.
John McDonald’s pick: Everett 35-14.
Mike Cane’s pick: Everett 34-21.
Other games tonight
Wesco North: Stanwood (2-2, 3-2) at Marysville-Pilchuck (1-4, 1-4), Mount Vernon (0-4, 0-5) at Oak Harbor (4-0, 5-0), 7 p.m.
Wesco South: Mariner (3-2, 3-2) vs. Meadowdale (2-3, 2-3) at Edmonds Stadium, 5 p.m.; Edmonds-Woodway (5-0, 5-0) vs. Shorewood (1-4, 1-4) at Shoreline Stadium, 7 p.m.; Lynnwood (0-5, 0-5) vs. Mountlake Terrace (1-4, 1-4) at Edmonds Stadium, 8 p.m.
Cascade Conference: Sultan (2-0, 4-1) at Cedarcrest (2-1, 3-2), King’s (1-1, 4-1) at Archbishop Murphy (2-0, 5-0), Lakewood (0-1, 2-3) at South Whidbey (0-2, 0-5), 7 p.m.
Northwest 1A/B: Darrington (0-2, 1-4) at La Conner (1-1, 3-2), 7 p.m.; Cedar Park Christian (2-0, 3-1) at Concrete (0-2, 1-4), 7:30 p.m.
Non-conference: Granite Falls (1-4) at Blaine (2-3), 7 p.m.
Games Saturday
Northwest 1A/B: Charles Wright (2-0, 4-0) at Friday Harbor (2-0, 5-0), 12:30 p.m.; Coupeville (1-1, 2-2) at Orcas Island (0-2, 3-2), 1 p.m.
Prep Editor John McDonald is 12-5 on his picks this season. Prep Writer Mike Cane is 8-9.
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