Thinking about the Tacoma Dome sparks wonderful memories for Dave Ward.
The last time Ward coached a game in the spacious venue he celebrated with his Oak Harbor High School players after they won a Class 4A state football championship. That was Dec. 2, 2006. Now, a bit less than two years later, Ward will return with his new squad.
As the first-year head coach at Archbishop Murphy High, Ward leads his unbeaten Wildcats against the Lynden Lions Saturday at the Tacoma Dome. Kickoff for the 2A state semifinal game is set for 10 a.m.
“It is going to be fun for me — great memories from two years ago. So we’ll look forward to playing inside and get out of this rain,” Ward said last week after Archbishop Murphy beat Centralia 40-13 in the quarterfinals on a cold, wet night in Tumwater.
Saturday’s clash is a rematch of the season-opening game for Murphy (12-0) and Lynden (10-2). Murphy won 26-15 Sept. 5 at Terry Ennis Stadium in Everett. That result should not linger in the Wildcats’ minds though, Ward said.
“It’s always dangerous the second time you play a team. Your players have a tendency to take them a little bit lightly and we’ve got to avoid that,” said Ward, “because Lynden is better than they were early in the season.”
Murphy, ranked No. 2 in the final Associated Press 2A poll, has outscored its playoff opponents 140-20 and hasn’t lost a game on the field since Nov. 18, 2006. Meanwhile, sixth-ranked Lynden’s only other loss this season was against Ferndale, ranked No. 2 in the final Associated Press 3A poll. Lynden has won eight consecutive games, including a 41-23 triumph Oct. 31 versus No. 7 Burlington-Edison (11-1), which plays No. 1 Prosser (12-0) Saturday in the other 2A semifinal.
Lynden’s top offensive players are junior quarterback Jordan Hastings (1,764 yards passing, 19 touchdowns, nine interceptions), junior receiver Blair Bomber (56 receptions for 804 yards and 12 TDs) and senior running back David Gaylord (765 yards rushing and seven TDs, 5.8 yards per attempt).
“They’ve got a young quarterback who’s real confident now,” Ward said of Hastings, who is also a threat to run (666 yards rushing, 11 TDs). “They’ve got linemen who are really protecting him. So it’s going to be a close game. We know that.”
The winner advances to the 2A championship game, scheduled for 1 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Tacoma Dome.
“We know that throughout the season they’ve improved. We’ve seen film and they’ve gotten a lot better,” said Murphy linebacker/fullback CJ Milburn, Murphy’s leading tackler and top rusher (738 yards, 8.2 yards per attempt, eight TDs).
Saturday’s 10 a.m. semifinal start time is bizarre for football teams used to playing at night. Coach Ward scheduled a morning practice Thursday and a walkthrough this morning to help players adjust to the change.
It’s easy to get dehydrated in the temperature-controlled Tacoma Dome, Ward said, so all week he reminded players to drink plenty of water. Dealing with the Dome’s noisy atmosphere is also a challenge, he said.
“Everything reverberates in there and it can be a really loud facility,” said Ward.
Attempting to simulate the Dome’s quirks, Murphy practiced Wednesday evening at Dempsey Indoor, an enclosed facility at the University of Washington.
In a game featuring two powerful teams with potent offenses and stifling defenses — they’ve combined to allow just 34 points in six playoff games — the difference might be which squad handles the heat and noise best.
Mike Cane’s pick: Archbishop Murphy 28, Lynden 13
John McDonald’s pick: Archbishop Murphy 27, Lynden 21.
Tom Lafferty’s pick: Archbishop Murphy 35, Lynden 14.
All three prognosticators were 1-0 last week. KRKO radio broadcaster Tom Lafferty is 35-14 for the season. Herald Prep Writer Mike Cane is 32-17. Prep Editor John McDonald is 31-18.
Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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