Prep Football Preview: Wesco 3A South team capsules
Published 1:30 am Sunday, August 26, 2018
EDMONDS-WOODWAY WARRIORS
Last season: 9-2, 6-0 in conference play (lost in first round of state playoffs)
Coach: John Gradwohl (23rd season)
Key players: Josh Brown, sr., OL/DL; Capassio Cherry, sr., RB; Ben Grimes, jr., LB; Grayson LeCompte, sr., WR/DB; Anthony Woo, jr., OL/DL
Outlook: Edmonds-Woodway graduated all 11 starters from last year’s stalwart defense, which allowed just 13.7 points per game while helping lead the Warriors to the Wesco 3A South title and their first state-playoff appearance since 2011. Tasked with helping fill the void are players such as junior linebacker Ben Grimes — a transfer from the Midwest — and senior defensive backs Grayson LeCompte and Jack Kramer. Edmonds-Woodway returns standout senior running back Capassio Cherry, who averaged 8.9 yards per carry last season and rushed for 1,221 yards and 16 touchdowns in just seven games.
EVERETT SEAGULLS
Last season: 7-3, 5-1 in conference play (lost in Week 10 playoffs)
Coach: David Coldiron (first season)
Key players: Anthony Amundsen, sr., OL/DL; Christian Balmer, sr., RB/LB; Riley Bennett, sr., TE/DB; David Eisenkraft, sr., K/P; Jacob Gentzler, sr., WR/DB; Nick Mardesich, sr., OL/LB; Jonathan Murphy, sr., TE/DB; Ethan Ollis, sr., QB; Jeremy Reed, soph., RB/DB
Outlook: New coach David Coldiron takes over an Everett program that made massive strides the past three seasons under previous coach Doug Trainor, including a breakthrough 7-3 campaign last year that resulted in the program’s first Week 10 playoff appearance since 2010. Everett graduated seven of its eight first-team all-conference selections from last season, but among the key returnees are senior offensive lineman Anthony Amundsen and two-way senior standout Christian Balmer, who averaged 6.5 yards per carry last year while rushing for nearly 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns. Coldiron replaced last year’s run-heavy flexbone option attack with a zone-blocking offense that will include more passing, but said Balmer and the hard-nosed ground game will still be a focal point.
LYNNWOOD ROYALS
Last season: 1-9, 0-6 in conference play
Coach: Keauntea Bankhead (fifth season)
Key players: no players reported
Outlook: Keauntea Bankhead engineered a massive turnaround in his first four seasons at Lynnwood, guiding the long-struggling program to the state playoffs in 2016 to end a 21-year state drought. But after graduating numerous key players, the Royals took a step back last season while going winless in league play and getting outscored by an average of 30 points per game. New stars will need to emerge for Lynnwood to get back on track.
MEADOWDALE MAVERICKS
Last season: 4-6, 3-3 in conference play
Coach: Matt Leonard (fourth season)
Key players: Tyler Gibson, sr., WR/CB; Nate Hebert, sr., RB/SS; Alex Krueger, jr., OT/DT; Alex Maxwell, sr., OT/DT; Hunter Moen, jr., QB; Calvin Nguyen, jr., C/DT; Zach So, sr., WR/OLB; Colton Walsh, jr., WR/FS
Outlook: After graduating a bevy of offensive firepower from its historic 2016 state-semifinal team, Meadowdale suffered a rash of injuries last year during its first losing season in more than a decade. The junior-laden Mavericks look to bounce back this fall behind players such as senior offensive lineman Alex Maxwell and second-year starting quarterback Hunter Moen, who threw for 1,845 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in seven games last year.
SHORECREST SCOTS
Last season: 5-5, 2-4 in conference play
Coach: Brandon Christensen (eighth season)
Key players: Eladio Fountain, jr., QB; James Huffman, jr., LB; Gavin McFarlane, sr., DB; Gabe Reyes, sr., OL/DL; Sammy Seliga, sr., WR/DB; Markus Selzler, jr., DL/RB
Outlook: Shorecrest ended a streak of five consecutive losing seasons with a 5-5 campaign last year, coming one victory shy of the program’s win total from the previous three seasons combined. The Scots return junior quarterback Eladio Fountain as they look to build on last year’s improvement.
SHOREWOOD THUNDERBIRDS
Last season: 3-6 (played an independent schedule)
Coach: Brandon Torrey (fourth season)
Key players: Matthew Bangsberg, sr., WR/DB; Skyler Hammer, sr., QB/DB; Brandon Main, sr., TE/LB; Joseph Williamson, sr., WR/DB; Tres Zeigler, sr., OL/DL
Outlook: Shorewood returns to Wesco 3A South competition this fall after playing an independent schedule last season in an effort to build up its long-struggling program. Facing primarily Class 2A opponents, the Thunderbirds won three games last year to match their win total from the previous three seasons combined.
SNOHOMISH PANTHERS
Last season: 5-5, 4-2 in conference play (lost in Week 10 playoffs)
Coach: Joey Hammer (first season)
Key players: Carter Cole, sr., OL/DL; Tyler Massena, sr., WR
Outlook: Joey Hammer, a 1998 Snohomish graduate, takes over at his alma mater as just the fourth head coach in the past 56 years of the tradition-rich Panthers program. Snohomish graduated standout running back Keegan Stich, who rushed for 1,581 yards and 21 touchdowns last season while averaging 7.8 yards per carry. After seeing the program fall one win short of state each of the past three years, receiver Tyler Massena and two-way lineman Carter Cole are among the key returners on a senior-laden team looking to end a 10-season state-playoff drought.
