Prep football notebook: Storylines, analysis, Week 2 stars

Week 2 of the local high school football season was highlighted by a trio of Snohomish County teams testing their mettle against highly ranked state opponents.

The local squads made statements in all three games.

Archbishop Murphy defeated the two-time defending Class 2A state champions, Lake Stevens prevailed in a top-five showdown and Monroe put a major scare into Woodinville during a one-point loss to the second-ranked Falcons.

Here’s a look back at the notable Week 2 storylines and stars from across Snohomish County, as well as a look ahead at what’s to come.

ARCHBISHOP MURPHY TAKES DOWN THE DEFENDING CHAMPS

Archbishop Murphy snapped Hockinson’s 28-game win streak with a 27-21 road victory over the two-time defending 2A state champions Friday night in a top-five showdown of perennial state powers.

It was a massive statement win by the fourth-ranked Wildcats, who avenged last year’s 42-13 loss to Hockinson on their home turf. This was the top-ranked Hawks’ first defeat since the 2016 Week 10 playoffs.

Archbishop Murphy quarterback Victor Gabalis opened the scoring with a 74-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, then later found Joe Ennis for a 49-yard TD pass to stretch the Wildcats’ lead to 21-7. Hockinson quickly answered, scoring a touchdown just before halftime to cut the margin to 21-14.

That remained the score until Gabalis found the end zone again on a quarterback sneak early in the fourth quarter, which extended Archbishop Murphy’s lead back to double digits. Hockinson cut the deficit to six points with less than six minutes to play, but the Wildcats (2-0) held on for a victory that’s sure to resonate across the state’s 2A football landscape.

LAKE STEVENS WINS TOP-FIVE SHOWDOWN

Lake Stevens proved worthy of its No. 1 ranking with a signature victory over a talent-laden team.

The 4A top-ranked Vikings traveled to Tacoma and outlasted 3A fifth-ranked Lincoln for a 35-26 non-league win Friday night in a showdown filled with college prospects.

Lake Stevens (2-0) committed an uncharacteristic three turnovers, but its defense came up with some key plays and stopped Lincoln on three 2-point conversion attempts.

“We had three turnovers, a lot of missed blocks, some missed tackles and tons of penalties, and yet we were still able to put 35 up and hold them to 26 on their field,” Vikings coach Tom Tri said. “Proud of our guys for just their resiliency for overcoming some pretty adverse situations.”

A pivotal sequence occurred on a pair of fourth-down plays late in the first half. Lake Stevens quarterback Tanner Jellison connected with Joe Gonzales for a 5-yard TD pass on fourth down, and then the Vikings came up with a fourth-down stop inside their own 10 on the ensuing possession to take a 21-14 lead into halftime.

“That was big momentum for us,” Tri said.

Lake Stevens thwarted another Lincoln scoring chance in the third quarter, when Gabe Ramsey intercepted a pass inside the Vikings’ 10.

After taking a one-point lead into the fourth, Lake Stevens stretched the margin with a short Dallas Landeros TD run that was set up by a 55-yard reception by Kasen Kinchen. Landeros added a 29-yard TD run later in the fourth to give the Vikings a 35-20 cushion.

The victory capped a strong non-league showing by Lake Stevens. The Vikings routed Ferndale 55-0 in last week’s opener, then beat a Lincoln team that reached the 3A state playoffs last year and features a handful of highly ranked recruits.

Lake Stevens now turns its attention to next week’s league-opening showdown against Monroe, which might be the biggest threat to the Vikings’ quest for a seventh consecutive Wesco 4A crown.

MONROE PUTS MAJOR SCARE INTO WOODINVILLE

For the second time in as many weeks, Monroe found itself in a one-point nailbiter at home against a KingCo 4A power.

This time, the Bearcats ended up on the losing side.

After a season-opening 42-41 overtime win over Eastlake last week, Monroe fell to No. 2-ranked Woodinville 21-20 on Friday night after the Falcons rallied from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit.

The Bearcats took a 20-7 lead into the fourth quarter over the three-time defending KingCo 4A champions, but Woodinville quarterback Noah Stifle tossed TD passes of 28 and 35 yards to give the Falcons a one-point edge with less than five minutes to play.

Monroe (1-1) then drove to the Woodinville 26-yard line with less than 1:30 to play, but the Falcons stopped Bearcats quarterback Gio Fregoso on a 4th-and-1 sneak and proceeded to run out the clock.

Despite the loss, Monroe has proven over the past two weeks that it can compete with some of the state’s best. The Bearcats beat an Eastlake team that reached the 4A state playoffs last year, and then nearly upset a Woodinville squad that’s coming off a 4A state semifinal appearance.

Next up for Monroe is another massive test. The Bearcats cap their three-game opening gauntlet next week against top-ranked Lake Stevens in a Wesco 4A showdown packed with potential conference-title implications.

GP CONTINUES ITS MASTERY OF SNOHOMISH

Glacier Peak remained unbeaten against its crosstown rival with a dominant 24-3 non-league win over Snohomish on Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. It was the Grizzlies’ eighth consecutive victory over the Panthers since the teams began playing in 2012.

Glacier Peak (2-0) held defending Wesco 3A champion Snohomish (0-2) to just 211 yards of total offense and an average of less than 3.5 yards per play.

WESCO 3A TEAMS EARN STATEMENT WINS

Several Wesco 3A teams opened league play with convincing victories.

Marysville Pilchuck piled up 35 first-half points and steamrolled visiting Oak Harbor for a 42-0 win Friday night. It marked a 70-point turnaround from last year’s meeting, when the Tomahawks were blanked 28-0 by the Wildcats. Marysville Pilchuck (2-0 overall, 1-0 Wesco 3A North) made the most of its 19 offensive snaps, totaling 321 yards for a whopping average of 16.9 yards per play.

Arlington (2-0, 1-0) relied on its defense, returning two interceptions for touchdowns in a 33-7 home win over defending Wesco 3A North champion Squalicum. Cole Cramer came up with a pick-six in the second quarter and Cade Younger returned an interception for a 95-yard score in the third, which broke the game open and stretched the Eagles’ lead to 26-7.

Marysville Getchell rolled to a 37-14 road victory over Stanwood to open Wesco 3A North action. The Chargers (1-1, 1-0) led 30-0 in the fourth quarter.

In the Wesco 3A South, Edmonds-Woodway began its league slate with a 38-14 road win over Shorecrest. The Warriors (1-1 overall, 1-0 Wesco 3A South) rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit with 38 unanswered points to avenge last year’s 35-14 loss to the Scots.

WEEK 2 STARS

Blake Rybar, sr., Monroe

Rybar ran for 203 yards and two TDs on 31 carries in the Bearcats’ 21-20 loss to Woodinville.

Efton Chism III, sr., Monroe

Chism III intercepted two passes and added six receptions for 44 yards in the Bearcats’ loss to Woodinville.

Roman Savchuk, sr., Mariner

Savchuk hauled in nine catches for 180 yards and two TDs in the Marauders’ 28-19 loss to Ballard.

Davanta Murphy-Mcmillan, sr., Cascade

Murphy-Mcmillan ran for 212 yards and three TDs on 27 carries in the Bruins’ 47-26 loss to Bishop Blanchet.

Meadowdale defense

The Mavericks held Shorewood’s offense to just 92 total yards and no points in a 40-8 win.

Hunter Moen, sr., Meadowdale

Moen completed 12 of 16 passes for 251 yards and two TDs in the Mavericks’ rout of Shorewood. He added 71 yards rushing on 13 carries.

Arlington defense

Cole Cramer and Cade Younger each returned an interception for a TD in the Eagles’ 33-7 win over Squalicum.

Dallas Landeros, sr., Lake Stevens

Landeros ran for 148 yards and two TDs on 24 carries in the Vikings’ 35-26 victory over Lincoln. He also caught two passes for 19 yards and a TD.

Daniel Tran, sr., Lynnwood

Tran rushed for 180 yards and two TDs on 19 carries in the Royals’ 26-20 win over Everett.

Jeremy Reed, jr., Everett

Reed rushed for 101 yards and 2 TDs and added a 90-yard kickoff return for a score in the Seagulls’ loss to Lynnwood.

Jared Taylor, sr., Lakewood

Taylor completed 13 of 17 passes for 165 yards and two TDs and rushed for 92 yards and two TDs in the Cougars’ 49-0 win over Bellingham.

Landen Pruitt, sr., Lakewood

Pruitt rushed for 141 yards and two TDs on 12 carries in the Cougars’ rout of Bellingham.

NEXT WEEK’S BIG GAMES

Monroe at Lake Stevens, 7 p.m. Friday. This matchup decided the Wesco 4A title in both 2016 and 2017, and it very well could do so again. Six-time defending conference champion Lake Stevens is coming off a signature victory over talent-laden Lincoln, and Monroe has proven itself while splitting a pair of one-point contests against KingCo 4A powers Eastlake and Woodinville. The Vikings take a 38-game Wesco 4A win streak into this conference-opening showdown and have beaten the Bearcats in 12 of the past 13 meetings, including six in a row by an average of 33.7 points per game.

Arlington at Stanwood, 7 p.m. Friday.

The Eagles and Spartans square off in the annual Stilly Cup rivalry game. Arlington has beaten Stanwood nine straight times, including a 21-13 win last season. But the Spartans have come close to ending the streak in recent years, losing the last three matchups by just 11 points combined.

Marysville Pilchuck at Squalicum, 7 p.m. Friday at Civic Stadium (Bellingham).

After a resounding rout of Oak Harbor, Marysville Pilchuck travels to face defending Wesco 3A North champion Squalicum. The Storm look to avenge last year’s 20-14 loss to the Tomahawks, who were the only team to beat them in league play last season.