Key Week 2 games: GP, Snohomish clash in crosstown rivalry

It doesn’t count in the conference standings, but this non-league showdown certainly carries plenty of meaning for the town of Snohomish.

With bragging rights at stake, the Glacier Peak and Snohomish high school football teams square off for town supremacy Friday night in their annual rivalry game at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

“It’s a big deal, especially within the community,” said Glacier Peak head coach Shane Keck, who was elevated from defensive coordinator last week after Nick Bender had to step aside for health reasons. (Bender remains the offensive coordinator.)

“(Glacier Peak) branched out of Snohomish (High School), so a lot of our families grew up in Snohomish families, went to high school there and those types of things,” Keck said. “And so any time you have an inter-district rivalry, whether you’re in the same division or not, I think it’s a fun deal for the community. Our kids are excited (and) our coaches are excited.”

Glacier Peak has dominated this crosstown rivalry, winning all seven matchups since the teams began playing in 2012. That includes the Grizzlies’ 36-28 win last season, which was one of just two games in the series that have been decided by single digits.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for Snohomish to shine,” said second-year Panthers coach Joey Hammer, a 1998 Snohomish High graduate. “It’s just all about going out and competing and owning your role, flying around, making plays.

“It’s about time we go and take care of business against GP,” he added. “I think that you can make (this game) more than what it is, and so I think that we just have to go out there and do what we do.”

GLACIER PEAK vs. SNOHOMISH

When: 7 p.m., Friday

Where: Veterans Memorial Stadium

Glacier Peak: 1-0; beat Edmonds-Woodway 35-14 last week

Snohomish: 0-1; lost to Marysville Pilchuck 17-14 last week

Radio: KRKO 1380 AM

Webcast: STSPN.com

Outlook: Glacier Peak has won all seven matchups since this crosstown rivalry began in 2012, including a 36-28 win last season. The Grizzlies allowed just 226 total yards in last week’s non-league victory over Edmonds-Woodway and came up with two key special-teams plays, including a 70-yard touchdown off a blocked field goal. Tyson Lang had a strong debut as Glacier Peak’s starting quarterback, throwing for three TDs and rushing for another. Defending Wesco 3A South champion Snohomish looks to bounce back from last week’s narrow non-league loss to Marysville Pilchuck after being held to less than three yards per carry.

Herald pick: Glacier Peak

4A No. 1 LAKE STEVENS at 3A No. 5 LINCOLN

When: 7 p.m., Friday

Where: Lincoln Bowl (Tacoma)

Lake Stevens: 1-0; beat Ferndale 55-0 last week

Lincoln: 0-1; lost to Camas 24-14 last week

Outlook: Lake Stevens dismantled Ferndale in a non-league rout last week, outgaining the Golden Eagles 550-43 in total yardage. The reigning Class 4A state runner-up Vikings should receive a much bigger test in this star-studded showdown against Lincoln, which reached the 3A state playoffs last year and is loaded with skill-position talent. The Abes have five of the state’s top 90 senior recruits according to 247Sports, including Boise State-bound cornerback Donovan Clark. Lincoln also features top-100 nationally ranked junior Julien Simon, a four-star athlete with scholarship offers from major programs such as Michigan, Auburn, Penn State, Washington, Oregon and USC. The Abes’ array of talented receivers and defensive backs will face a Lake Stevens team that’s also deep and skilled at both position groups, with Pac-12 recruit Kasen Kinchen and Yale commit Joe Gonzales leading the way for the Vikings. In last year’s matchup, Kinchen intercepted two passes as Lake Stevens dominated on both sides of the ball in a 38-21 win. Lincoln is coming off a non-league loss to 4A fifth-ranked Camas in which the Abes gained 479 yards of total offense, but managed just six points until late in the fourth quarter.

Herald pick: Lake Stevens

No. 2 WOODINVILLE at MONROE

When: 7 p.m., Friday

Where: Monroe H.S.

Woodinville: 1-0; beat Balboa (Calif.) 51-0 last week

Monroe: 1-0; beat Eastlake 42-41 (OT) last week

Outlook: Monroe is coming off a dramatic overtime victory over Eastlake, a 4A state-playoff team from last season. The Bearcats rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit and blocked an extra point in overtime, then scored a game-tying touchdown on their overtime possession before kicking the deciding extra point. Monroe’s offense totaled 544 yards in the non-league victory, led by the trio of quarterback Gio Fregoso (34-of-47 passing for 388 yards and one TD), running back Blake Rybar (237 total yards and five TDs) and receiver Efton Chism III (14 catches for 205 yards). With conference rival Lake Stevens looming next week, the Bearcats continue their three-game opening gauntlet with this non-league showdown against three-time defending KingCo 4A champion Woodinville. The Falcons reached the state semifinals last year and are coming off a season-opening rout of Balboa in San Francisco. Woodinville rolled to a 38-14 win over Monroe in last year’s meeting.

Herald pick: Woodinville

No. 4 ARCHBISHOP MURPHY at No. 1 HOCKINSON

When: 7 p.m., Friday

Where: Hockinson H.S. (Brush Prairie)

Archbishop Murphy: 1-0; beat Eatonville 53-13 last week

Hockinson: 1-0; beat Toppenish 48-7 last week

Outlook: These two powerhouse programs have combined for the last three 2A state championships, with Archbishop Murphy winning the crown in 2016 and Hockinson claiming back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. The Wildcats rushed for 351 yards in last week’s rout of Eatonville but face a far greater challenge against the two-time defending state champions, who are riding a 28-game win streak. Hockinson is missing University of Washington-bound receiver and reigning 2A state player of the year Sawyer Racanelli, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. But the Hawks are still loaded with talent, led by dual-threat quarterback Levi Crum and three-star receiver Peyton Brammer. Crum threw for more than 3,800 yards, 52 TDs and just six interceptions last season and carved up Archbishop Murphy’s defense in last year’s regionally televised showdown, totaling 492 yards and tossing six TD passes in a 42-13 rout of the Wildcats.

Herald pick: Hockinson

SQUALICUM at ARLINGTON

When: 7 p.m., Friday

Where: Arlington H.S.

Squalicum: 1-0; beat Redmond 34-26 last week

Arlington: 1-0; beat Mariner 35-7 last week

Outlook: Arlington opens league play against defending Wesco 3A North champion Squalicum, which has won two of the past three league titles since its football-only move from the Northwest Conference in 2016. Arlington sophomore Jacob Kramer rushed for 203 yards and two TDs in last week’s win over Mariner, averaging 8.1 yards per carry. Sophomore quarterback Trent Nobach also played well for the Eagles, tossing three TD passes and one interception. Squalicum, the coaches’ pick to win the Wesco 3A North, opened with a single-digit win over Redmond for the second straight year. The Storm beat Arlington 42-21 in last season’s league opener.

Herald pick: Squalicum

No. 10 OAK HARBOR at MARYSVILLE PILCHUCK

When: 7 p.m., Friday

Where: Quil Ceda Stadium

Oak Harbor: 1-0; beat Seaquam Secondary (B.C.) 29-14 last week

Marysville Pilchuck: 1-0; beat Snohomish 17-14 last week

Outlook: Marysville Pilchuck opened by beating Snohomish for the second straight year, holding the defending Wesco 3A South champions to just 14 points and less than three yards per carry. Dillon Kuk returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown to put Marysville Pilchuck in front, and the backfield tandem of Jordan Justice and Dylan Carson totaled 235 yards rushing to lead the Tomahawks. Oak Harbor picked up a victory last week in new head coach Marcus Hughes’ debut, with Caden Leckelt and Jake Mitten both surpassing 100 yards rushing for the Wildcats. This Wesco 3A North opener is a rematch of Oak Harbor’s 28-0 shutout last year, when the Wildcats held Marysville Pilchuck’s offense to just 175 total yards.

Herald pick: Marysville Pilchuck