The Stilly Cup is usually enough to make tonight’s Stanwood-Arlington game the biggest on either team’s schedule.
For those of you unfamiliar with the rivalry, the Stilly Cup is like the Apple Cup on a smaller scale. The Cup goes to the winner of the game between the two north Snohomish County communities situated upstream and downstream on the Stillaguamish River.
Winning it secures bragging rights forever at future class reunions.
But this year, the game has an added dimension. Both teams come in unbeaten in the Wesco North and the outcome will surely have a bearing on the division championship.
Here’s a look at that game and others on the week five schedule:
Stanwood at Arlington
Kickoff: 7 tonight at Arlington H.S.
Records: Stanwood is 3-0 in the Wesco North, 3-1 overall. Arlington is 4-0, 4-0.
Radio: KRKO (1380 AM), delayed at 8 a.m. Saturday.
Last year: Stanwood won 31-14. The Spartans, behind a dominant offensive line, piled up 219 yards rushing in the first half while building a 28-0 lead. Backs Darin Schwarze (24 carries, 153 yards), Jon Rockstad (eight, 65) and Brett Geiger (nine, 53) rushed for more than 200 yards.
Players to watch: Rockstad (543 yards) and Schwarze (194 yards) are among the top rushers in the Wesco North.
Arlington quarterback Kenny Gunter is averaging more than 100 passing yards per game. He threw two touchdown passes in last week’s 22-15 win at Mount Vernon, including a game-winning 68-yard TD pass to Taylor Brown with 1:36 to play.
Breaking down the game: Arlington has been walking a tightrope all season. Three of the Eagles’ four games have been decided by a touchdown or less and they’ve been in danger of losing at least two of those.
This one’s going to be close, too. So if luck is going to play a role, it has favored Arlington so far.
Stanwood’s non-league loss to Kentwood last week kept this game from being a battle of unbeatens.
Expect the Spartans to rely on their running game to dominate time of possession and keep the ball out of Gunter’s hands. Stanwood also will have to find a way to defend against a multi-dimensional Arlington offense.
Little-known fact: Stanwood won the Stilly Cup for the first time in five years last season.
Pick: Stanwood 24-21.
Monroe at Cascade
Kickoff: 7 tonight at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Records: Monroe is 0-4 in the Wesco North and overall. Cascade is 1-2, 2-2.
Last year: Monroe claimed its first home-field win in four years, defeating Cascade 34-20. Jeremy Poff (eight carries, 152 yards, two TDs) led a Monroe running game which out-rushed Cascade by a four-to-one margin.
Players to watch: J.P. Oliver (295 yards) is leading the Bruins in rushing. Quarterback Pat Hebner (99 yards) is second.
Jeff Donaldson (285 yards) and Tim Berry (254 yards) have shared the carries for the Bearcats.
Breaking down the game: A lot depends on how Cascade comes back from last week’s disaster at Snohomish. The Bruins, who are capable of breakaways on almost every rushing play, put the ball on the ground too many times last week and never developed any continuity with their offense. If the Bruins come into the game with low self esteem, they’ll be ripe for an upset. It happened last year.
Monroe is a program in transition. After a pair of winless seasons, the Bearcats won three times last year, including two league contests. They are winless so far this season, but the combined record of the four teams they’ve played is 12-4. Monroe can run the ball and can stay in the game if it doesn’t let Cascade have the big play.
Little-known fact: Last year’s victory was Monroe’s first league win in three seasons.
Pick: Cascade 21-7.
Shorecrest at Meadowdale
Kickoff: 5 tonight at Edmonds Stadium.
Records: Both teams are 2-2 in the Wesco South and overall.
Last year: Meadowdale clinched a Class 3A district playoff berth with a 13-0 victory. The Mavericks scored on their first possession on a 46-yard Eric Marty-to-Justin Lucero pass. Travis Anderson (22 carries, 96 yards) capped the scoring with a 1-yard plunge just before halftime. The Mavericks withstood a 13-for-25, 144-yard passing effort by Shorecrest QB Jon Glancy.
Players to watch: Glancy is the second-leading passer in the Wesco South behind Kamiak’s Mark Iddins. He has completed 37 of 67 attempts for 734 yards and six TDs. Jesse Hoffman is the Scots’ leading rusher (397 yards) and receiver (19 catches, 431 yards).
Anderson has 77 carries for 320 yards for the Mavericks. Quarterback Dimitri Huffman threw three TDs to Jake Linton and ran for a TD in last week’s 28-6 win over Jackson.
Breaking down the game: Meadowdale is a 4A school this season, while Shorecrest remained in Class 3A. The Mavericks need this game a lot more than the Scots, who are well on their way to a district playoff berth. Meadowdale is in a four-way tie for fourth place in the Wesco South and probably needs to win all its remaining games to be assured of finishing among the top three 4A teams in the division.
There isn’t much difference between these two teams. Both feature accomplished quarterbacks, running backs and receivers. Meadowdale’s defense might have an edge.
Little-known fact: Last year’s win clinched a 3A district playoff berth for Meadowdale.
Pick: Meadowdale 28-27.
Everett at Shorewood
Kickoff: 7 tonight at Shoreline Stadium.
Records: Everett is 4-0 in the Wesco South and overall. Shorewood is 1-3, 1-3.
Last year: Quarterback Sean Tracey threw a 78-yard TD pass to Grant Boudon with 26 seconds to play for the game-winning touchdown in a 21-14 Shorewood victory. Tracey also had a 58-yard TD pass to Wade Gurnett and Boudon returned a punt 60 yards for a TD. Justin Boyce had two TD runs for Everett.
Players to watch: Boyce (66 carries, 454 yards) leads the Wesco South with 11 rushing TDs. QB Bryce Levin had a big game (10-for-12, 116 yards, two TDs) in last week’s 33-30 double-overtime win over Edmonds-Woodway.
Tracey (189 yards passing in three games) ran for a TD and threw for a TD in last week’s 28-7 win over Lynnwood.
Breaking down the game: On paper, Everett appears to be a heavy favorite. But the Seagulls can’t afford to give up the big plays like they did in last year’s game. If Everett can cut down on the defensive mistakes and get better production out of its running game than it got in last year’s game, it should win big. But the Seagulls can’t take Shorewood for granted. Tracey can hurt you. If Everett looks past Shorewood to next week’s game against Kamiak, it might be in for a shock.
Little-known fact: Last year’s loss was the third of four in row for Everett, preventing the Seagulls (5-5) from posting a winning record.
Pick: Everett 35-14.
Other games tonight
Wesco North: Lake Stevens (1-3, 1-3) at Oak Harbor (1-2, 1-3), Mount Vernon (0-3, 0-4) at Marysville-Pilchuck (4-0, 4-0), 7 p.m.
Wesco South: Lynnwood (0-4, 0-4) vs. Kamiak (4-0, 4-0) at Goddard Stadium, 7 p.m.; Mariner (2-2, 2-2) vs. Mountlake Terrace (0-4, 0-4) at Edmonds Stadium, 8 p.m.
Non-conference: Kentlake (1-3) at Snohomish (2-2), 7 p.m.; Lakewood (4-0) at Lynden Christian (1-3), 7:30 p.m.
Cascade Conference: Granite Falls (0-1, 2-2) at Cedarcrest (1-1, 2-2), Sultan (0-1, 2-2) at King’s (1-0, 2-1), Archbishop Murphy (1-0, 4-0) at South Whidbey (0-1, 1-3), 7 p.m.
Northwest 1A/B: Orcas Island (1-0, 2-2) at La Conner (0-1, 1-2), 5 p.m.; Coupeville (0-1, 1-3) at Friday Harbor (1-0, 3-0), Darrington (1-0, 2-2) at Cedar Park Christian (0-1, 2-2), Charles Wright (0-1, 1-2) at Concrete (1-0, 2-2), 7 p.m.
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