It’s not winner-take-all. Both teams will advance to the playoffs. But that doesn’t mean tonight’s Kamiak-Mariner football game won’t be bitterly contested.
The winner moves on as the Wesco South’s second seed into the quad-district playoffs, the loser as the third.
But this is a district rivalry. When the Mukilteo School District opened Kamiak High School a little more than a decade ago, Mariner athletics took a huge hit. The majority of its coaches went to the new school. Many of its programs sank to the bottom of their respective standings, with one or two exceptions — the most visible being the Marauders’ football team.
While other programs struggled to revive themselves, the football team remained competitive. And there is nothing Mariner enjoys more than beating Kamiak.
Kamiak, too, is into the spirit of the rivalry. Last year’s Kamiak seniors were delighted to get a win over Mariner after losing two straight. The Knights now lead the series 7-5.
This year’s seniors — on both sides — want a win just as badly.
Here’s a look at the rivalry game and the rest of the weekend schedule:
Kamiak at Mariner
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Goddard Stadium, Mariner High School.
Radio: KRKO (1380 AM)
Records: Each team is 6-1 in the Wesco South with a loss to Edmonds-Woodway. Kamiak is 7-1 overall. Mariner is 6-2.
Last year: Kamiak running backs Bryson Kelly (25 carries, 151 yards, two touchdowns) and Justin Glenn (16, 111, one) combined for 262 yards rushing in Kamiak’s 19-7 win.
Last week: The Kamiak defense came up with three sacks in the final four plays to preserve a 38-35 victory over Meadowdale. Glenn carried 20 times for 198 yards and three TDs. Quarterback Jacob Jansen completed eight of 12 passes for 110 yards and a TD.
Mariner QB Tyler Tuiasosopo had three TD runs and RB Matt Jones carried 12 times for 192 yards in a 35-13 win over Mountlake Terrace.
Players to watch: Glenn is a multi-purpose back with 116 carries for 1,112 yards and 14 catches for 212 yards. He has scored 19 TDs, 15 rushing and four receiving. Jansen is 71-for-115 for 1,211 yards and 13 TDs.
Jones, who missed the middle portion of the season with an injury, has 46 carries for 470 yards and four TDs. Tuiasosopo is 49-for-102 passing for 694 yards and eight TDs.
Breaking down the game: Both teams have plenty of weapons on offense. The question is whose defense will step up?
John McDonald’s pick: Kamiak 34-28
Mike Cane’s pick: Mariner 27-24
Tom Lafferty’s pick: Kamiak 42-35 OT
Cascade at Oak Harbor
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Memorial Stadium, Oak Harbor High School.
Records: Cascade 5-2 in the Wesco North, 6-2 overall. Oak Harbor is 7-0, 8-0.
Last year: Cascade rallied from a 14-0 deficit, but failed on both of its point-after attempts and lost 14-12. Oak Harbor scored two first-quarter TDs as the result of Cascade miscues on kickoffs. The Bruins fumbled the opening kickoff, leading to Oak Harbor’s first TD. Then they failed to recover a squib kick, giving the Wildcats possession deep in Cascade territory and leading to another Oak Harbor TD.
Last week: Cascade RB Julian Willis carried 14 times for 172 yards and three TDs in a 42-6 win over Arlington.
Donovan Hunt had a 49-yard TD run to become the first of seven Oak Harbor players to score a TD in the Wildcats’ 47-21 win over Monroe.
Players to watch: Cascade RB Lorne Bridgford has 172 carries for 1,117 yards and 12 TDs. Willis has 75 carries for 539 yards and five TDs. QB Aaron Frey is 22-for-49 for 399 yards and five TDs.
Oak Harbor QB Johnny Encinas is 125-for-200 for 1,622 yards and 24 TDs. WR Rodrick Rumble has 41 catches for 597 yards and nine TDs. WR Michael Bell has 44 catches for 524 yards and nine TDs.
Breaking down the game: Talk about a contrast in styles. These two teams take completely different approaches to moving the football. Cascade throws about as often as Oak Harbor runs. Another difference might be Cascade’s defense. The Bruins have allowed just six points during their recent four-game winning streak.
John McDonald’s pick: Oak Harbor 14-13
Mike Cane’s pick: Cascade 21-20
Tom Lafferty’s pick: Oak Harbor 21-14
Lake Stevens at Everett
When: 5 p.m. today
Where: Everett Memorial Stadium
Records: Lake Stevens is 4-3 in the Wesco North, 5-3 overall. Everett is 2-5, 3-5
Last year: Lake Stevens RB Isaac Molstre carried 18 times for 154 yards and three TDs in a 28-10 Vikings’ victory. He also had two interceptions.
Last week: Lake Stevens QB Nick Baker was 12-for-29 for 228 yards and two TDs in a 45-21 loss to Snohomish. The Vikings had five turnovers.
Everett QB Brice Herrick was 8-for-15 for 205 yards and two TDs in a 28-0 win over Stanwood. WR Jake Frauenholtz had three catches for 89 yards and a TD. WR Rendel Jones had two catches for 71 yards and a TD.
Players to watch: Baker and Herrick have each passed for more than 1,000 yards.
Breaking down the game: There’s a lot on the line for both teams. Lake Stevens must win — and hope for a Cascade loss and a Marysville-Pilchuck victory — to participate in a three-way tiebreaker for the North No. 3 seed into the 4A quad-district playoffs. Everett needs a win and a Shorecrest win to participate in a three-way tiebreaker for the Wesco 3A No. 2 seed into the 3A quad-district playoffs. Confused? Imagine how the players feel.
John McDonald’s pick: Lake Stevens 28-21
Mike Cane’s pick: Lake Stevens 20-17
Tom Lafferty’s pick: Lake Stevens 28-7
Archbishop Murphy at South Whidbey
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Waterman Field, South Whidbey High School.
Records: Archbishop Murphy is 6-0 in the Cascade Conference, 8-0 overall. South Whidbey is 5-1, 7-1.
Last year: Murphy RB Henry Woods ran for 118 yards and two TDs in a 41-6 Wildcats’ win.
Last week: Murphy QB Alex Martinez ran for two TDs and passed for another and the Wildcats forced six turnovers in a 46-0 win over King’s.
South Whidbey had five turnovers, four of them interceptions, in a 19-0 loss to Cedarcrest.
Players to watch: Woods was injured last week, but the running back-rich Wildcats can turn to Russel Stiegler (94 carries, 615 yards, eight TDs) and Tyler Allen (41 carries, 387 yards, nine TDs).
Breaking down the game: The Falcons had a nice run, which will continue next week in the 2A District 1 playoffs, but Cedarcrest and Murphy are the real deal.
John McDonald’s pick: Archbishop Murphy 35-0
Mike Cane’s pick: Archbishop Murphy 34-13
Tom Lafferty’s pick: Archbishop Murphy 35-14
Other games tonight
Wesco North: Monroe (0-7, 0-8) at Snohomish (6-1, 7-1), Marysville-Pilchuck (4-3, 4-4) at Arlington (3-4, 3-5), both 7 p.m.
Wesco South: Shorewood (0-7, 0-8) vs. Meadowdale (4-3, 4-4) at Edmonds Stadium, 5 p.m.; Mountlake Terrace (1-6, 1-7) vs. Shorecrest (2-5, 2-6) at Shoreline Stadium, 7 p.m.; Edmonds-Woodway (7-0, 8-0) vs. Jackson (4-3, 4-4) at Everett Memorial Stadium, 8 p.m.
Cascade Conference: Cedarcrest (5-1, 7-1) at Coupeville (2-4, 4-4), Granite Falls (2-4, 4-4) at King’s (0-6, 0-8), Lakewood (2-4, 2-6) at Sultan (2-4, 2-6), all 7 p.m.
Northwest 2B: Orcas Island (0-5, 0-8) at La Conner (1-4, 1-7), 5 p.m.; Concrete (4-1, 5-3) at Darrington (5-0, 8-0), 7 p.m.
Non-conference: Stanwood (1-7) vs. Lynnwood (2-6) at Edmonds Stadium, 8 p.m.
All three prognosticators were 3-0 last week. Herald Writer Mike Cane is 24-7 on the season. Herald Prep Editor John McDonald is 23-8. KRKO broadcaster Tom Lafferty is 22-9.
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