Prep football notebook: Storylines, analysis, Week 9 stars

After all the twists and turns of the high school football regular season, the stage is set for next week’s winner-to-state contests.

The slate of local Week 9 action included regular-season finales in Wesco 4A and the North Sound Conference, as well as crossover games in Wesco 3A and first-round bi-district playoff matchups at the Class 2A level.

Here’s a look back at what transpired Friday night, and a look ahead at next week’s winner-to-state matchups.

MP STEAMROLLS SNOHOMISH FOR WESCO 3A CROWN

The first meeting this season between Marysville Pilchuck and Snohomish was a down-to-the-wire affair.

Friday night’s rematch was a running-clock rout.

The sixth-ranked Tomahawks remained unbeaten and rolled to an emphatic 52-3 win over visiting Snohomish in the Wesco 3A title game.

It was a stark contrast from Marysville Pilchuck’s 17-14 victory over the Panthers’ in their season-opening non-league clash, when the Tomahawks managed just 10 points on offense.

“It says a lot about how much we have grown,” Marysville Pilchuck coach Brandon Carson said. “We didn’t play very well in Week 1, but we’ve just gradually gotten better and better each week. I’m really proud of this season’s class. They deserve this.”

The Wesco 3A North champion Tomahawks (9-0) cruised to a 35-0 second-quarter lead and held Wesco 3A South champion Snohomish to just 119 yards of total offense.

It was largest margin of victory in what’s been a dominant season for Marysville Pilchuck, which has outscored opponents by 30 points per game. Aside from the season opener against Snohomish, the Tomahawks have won every other contest by at least 19 points.

With the victory, Marysville Pilchuck claimed Wesco 3A’s top overall seed and will host Metro League No. 7 seed Ballard in next week’s winner-to-state Week 10 playoffs. If the Tomahawks advance to state, their 49-point dismantling of Snohomish should certainly benefit them in state-playoff seeding.

Snohomish, meanwhile, received Wesco 3A’s No. 2 seed with the loss. The Panthers will host Pierce County League No. 3 seed Lakes — the ninth-ranked Class 3A team in the state — in next week’s winner-to-state round.

WESCO 3A NORTH DOMINATES THE SOUTH

Marysville Pilchuck’s rout of Snohomish highlighted another dominant crossover showing from the Wesco 3A North.

North teams swept Wesco 3A’s seven crossover games Friday night by a combined 308-102 margin, beating South teams by an average of 29.4 points. None of the seven crossover games — which pit corresponding seeds from the Wesco 3A North and South against one another — were closer than 21 points.

It was a similar story last year, when the Wesco 3A North won six of the seven crossover matchups and outscored South teams by an average of 25.1 points per game.

In the North-South matchup of No. 2 seeds, Squalicum held Edmonds-Woodway without an offensive score and earned a 28-7 win. With the victory, the Storm claimed Wesco 3A’s No. 3 seed and will host a winner-to-state game next week against KingCo No. 3 seed Juanita, which is just 2-7. Edmonds-Woodway received Wesco 3A’s No. 4 seed and will travel to face South Sound Conference No. 2 seed Yelm for a state berth.

In the North-South crossover matchup of No. 3 seeds, Arlington outlasted Meadowdale 63-42 in the highest-scoring game of the season involving local teams. Arlington quarterback Trent Nobach threw seven TD passes to six different receivers, leading the Eagles to their highest-scoring output in at least 15 years.

With the victory, Arlington earned Wesco 3A’s No. 5 seed and will travel to face South Sound Conference champion Peninsula in next week’s winner-to-state round. Meadowdale will be Wesco 3A’s No. 6 seed and will travel to face KingCo 3A/2A champion and fifth-ranked Bellevue.

In the North-South loser-out crossover matchup of No. 4 seeds, Ferndale beat Shorecrest 38-13 to claim Wesco 3A’s seventh and final Week 10 playoff berth. The Golden Eagles travel to face Metro League champion and top-ranked O’Dea in next week’s winner-to-state round.

GP WINS ON LAST-SECOND FIELD GOAL, CLAIMS WESCO 4A NO. 3 SEED

Heading into Friday night’s Wesco 4A regular-season finales, Lake Stevens had already clinched its seventh consecutive conference title and Monroe had secured the league’s No. 2 seed.

The only part left to be determined in Wesco 4A was the seeding order between Glacier Peak and Mount Vernon, who squared off Friday night in a battle for third place. The game was decided on the final play, with Brayden Corwin kicking an 18-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to lift the host Grizzlies to a 17-14 victory.

Corwin accounted for all 17 of Glacier Peak’s points, including a pair of TD receptions from Tyson Lang. Their second TD connection tied the game at 14-14 late in the third quarter.

Near the midway point of the fourth quarter, Mount Vernon had a golden opportunity to pull in front with 1st-and-goal from the Grizzlies 3-yard line. But Glacier Peak’s defense came up with a pivotal red-zone stop, keyed by back-to-back sacks from linebacker Dylan Owen. His second sack pushed the Bulldogs all the way back to the 24-yard line, and their ensuing field-goal attempt sailed wide left.

Glacier Peak then took over and marched downfield with a steady diet of Owen runs, driving all the way to the Mount Vernon 1. That set up a last-second chip-shot field goal by Corwin, who split the uprights to give the Grizzlies the No. 3 seed in Wesco 4A.

Glacier Peak travels to face North Puget Sound League No. 2 seed Kentwood in next week’s winner-to-state round. Mount Vernon, the No. 4 seed in Wesco 4A, travels to face South Puget Sound League 4A champion and fourth-ranked Graham-Kapowsin.

Lake Stevens, meanwhile, will host NPSL No. 6 seed Tahoma in next week’s winner-to-state round. The top-ranked Vikings (9-0) have outscored opponents by 51.1 points per game.

Monroe will host KingCo 4A No. 3 seed Mount Si in a rematch of the Bearcats’ dramatic comeback Week 10 victory over the Wildcats two years ago.

MATCHUPS SET IN LOADED 2A BI-DISTRICT

The 2A Northwest/Sea-King Bi-District playoffs began Friday night with three opening-round matchups: Sedro-Woolley beat Cedarcrest 24-7, Lake Division champion Sehome topped Burlington-Edison 20-14 and Liberty-Issaquah routed Blaine 57-6.

The Sky Division’s top three seeds — Lynden, Lakewood and Archbishop Murphy — had byes for the first round of the bi-district playoffs.

The victories by Sedro-Woolley, Liberty and Sehome advanced them to next week’s winner-to-state round, where they face the Sky Division’s top three seeds in a compelling slate of matchups that include a pair of 2A top-10 showdowns.

Sixth-ranked Lakewood hosts 10th-ranked Liberty next week, with the Cougars seeking their first state berth since 2012. Fifth-ranked Archbishop Murphy hosts ninth-ranked Sedro-Woolley in another winner-to-state contest, which will be a rematch of the Wildcats’ 27-14 victory in last week’s regular-season finale. And in the other winner-to-state game, fourth-ranked Lynden hosts Sehome.

KING’S CLAIMS NORTH SOUND TITLE

King’s rallied from a five-point halftime deficit and clinched the North Sound Conference title with a 28-18 win over visiting South Whidbey. It was the Knights’ first league title since claiming the Cascade Conference crown in 2014.

King’s finished tied with Cedar Park Christian atop the North Sound standings at 3-1 in league play, but earned the head-to-head tiebreaker with a 52-6 rout of the Eagles two weeks ago. Since falling to 1-5 with a loss to Granite Falls in their conference opener last month, the Knights have won three straight games.

King’s hosts a winner-to-state contest next Saturday night against either North Sound No. 4 seed Granite Falls or Northwest Conference 1A No. 3 seed Meridian, who square off in a Week 10 play-in game Tuesday night.

CPC, the defending North Sound champion, received the conference’s No. 2 seed. The Eagles travel to face NWC 1A co-champion Lynden Christian — the third-ranked 1A team in the state — in a winner-to-state contest Friday night.

South Whidbey and Granite Falls finished tied for third place in the North Sound Conference, with the head-to-head tiebreaker giving the Falcons the No. 3 seed. South Whidbey travels to face NWC 1A co-champion Mount Baker — the fourth-ranked 1A team in the state — in a winner-to-state game Friday night.

KAMIAK EARNS FIRST WIN

Kamiak picked up its first win of the season with a 37-7 victory over winless Jackson. It snapped an 11-game losing streak for the youth-laden Knights, who have just four seniors on their roster.

“It’s huge for these guys to end the (regular) season with a win and not finish the (regular) season 0-9,” Kamiak coach Bryant Thomas said. “They practiced hard all week. You started to see glimpses of what we could do over the last three weeks.

“When you’re playing the Monroes and Lake Stevens of the world, … you’re going to have those types of (rough) games. But these kids worked their butts off, and they were up for the challenge.”

WEEK 9 STARS

Trent Nobach, soph., Arlington

Nobach completed 12 of 14 passes for 324 yards and seven TDs in the Eagles’ 63-42 win over Meadowdale. He threw TD passes to six different receivers.

Jaden Roskelley, jr., Arlington

Roskelley totaled 226 yards from scrimmage and three TDs in the Eagles’ victory over Meadowdale. He rushed for 172 yards and two TDs on 19 carries and caught three passes for 54 yards and one TD.

Cade Younger, sr., Arlington

Younger hauled in TD receptions of 67 and 41 yards in the Eagles’ win over Meadowdale. He finished with three catches for 106 yards.

Hussain Al-Mayyahi, sr., Meadowdale

Al-Mayyahi rushed for 157 yards and three TDs on just 10 carries in the Mavericks’ loss to Arlington.

Jordan Justice, sr., Marysville Pilchuck

Justice ran for 142 yards and three TDs on just seven carries and scored on a 60-yard interception return in the Tomahawks’ 52-3 victory over Snohomish.

Brayden Corwin, sr., Glacier Peak

Corwin caught TD passes of 46 and 36 yards and kicked a game-winning 18-yard field goal as time expired, accounting for all of the Grizzlies’ points in their 17-14 win over Mount Vernon.

Dylan Owen, sr., Glacier Peak

Owen ran for 173 yards on 33 carries and came up with back-to-back sacks during a pivotal fourth-quarter red-zone defensive stand in the Grizzlies’ victory over Mount Vernon.

Wesley Garrett, soph., Kamiak

Garrett totaled 159 yards from scrimmage in the Knights’ 37-7 win over Jackson. He rushed for 84 yards on four carries and caught four passes for 75 yards.

Garrett Fuller, sr., Monroe

Fuller ran for 130 yards and two TDs on 10 carries in the Bearcats’ 51-6 victory over Cascade.

Tanner Jellison, jr., Lake Stevens

Jellison completed 13 of 19 passes for 244 yards and tossed TD passes to four different receivers in the Vikings’ 62-0 win over Mariner.

Dallas Landeros, sr., Lake Stevens

Landeros rushed for 115 yards and two TDs on just seven carries in the Vikings’ rout of Mariner.

Kasen Kinchen, sr., Lake Stevens

Kinchen caught four passes for 107 yards and one TD in the Vikings’ rout of Mariner.

Landyn Olson, jr., Marysville Getchell

Olson had four receptions for 90 yards and one TD and intercepted a pass on defense in the Chargers’ 44-18 win over Lynnwood.

Daniel Tran, sr., Lynnwood

Tran rushed for 122 yards and one TD on 19 carries in the Royals’ loss to Marysville Getchell.

Caden Carrigan, jr., Stanwood

Carrigan ran for TDs of 86 and 10 yards in the Spartans’ 35-13 victory over Shorewood.

Hayden Teeter, soph., King’s

Teeter accounted for 247 total yards and two TDs in the Knights’ 28-18 win over South Whidbey. The dual-threat quarterback threw for 147 yards and two TDs and ran for 100 yards on 21 carries.

Bodie Hezel, sr., South Whidbey

Hezel rushed for 158 yards and two TDs on 22 carries in the Falcons’ loss to King’s.

Kellan Cerrillo, sr., Cedar Park Christian

Cerrillo ran for 101 yards and one TD on 13 carries in the Eagles’ 14-7 win over Sultan.