Off the field the two teams are similar.
Both teams have multiple state championships, veteran coaches, second-place finishes in 2005, and perfect 11-0 records.
On the football field, however, the similarities between the Archbishop Murphy Wildcats and Prosser Mustangs are few and far between.
Archbishop Murphy (11-0) runs the Wing-T offense, and they run it well, with three running backs having rushed for more than 600 yards this season.
The Prosser Mustangs (11-0) have a prolific passing attack with three receivers over 600 yards receiving and a record-breaking quarterback.
On Saturday the Wildcats and Mustangs will battle it out in a Class 2A state quarterfinal game at 12:30 p.m. at Neil F. Lampson Stadium in Kennewick.
Archbishop Murphy has cruised through most of the season averaging just over 41 points a game, and outscoring their opponents by nearly 30 a game. But standing in their way will be a Prosser team that averages over 61 points a game and allows fewer than 10.
“When you get to the playoffs every game is a championship game. We got one this weekend,” Archbishop Murphy head coach Terry Ennis said.
In a matchup that may be better suited for the Tacoma Dome, in other words the Dec. 2, Class 2A championship game, the two highly-ranked and undefeated teams find themselves going head-to-head in just the second weekend of the 2A state tournament.
In his 35th year as a coach – sixth with the Wildcats – Ennis finds his team in a rare position Saturday: underdogs.
“They are returning quite a few players from last year’s 3A runner-up team and we have new faces,” Ennis said.
Murphy, which was the 2A runner-up a year ago, is led by running back Tony Houts (130 rushes for 1,244 yards and 12 touchdowns), Russel Steigler (74-for-602, 7 TDs) and Dejan Sughrim (60-for-838, 11 TDs).
Coached by Tom Moore, who is in his 21st year as head coach of the Mustangs, Prosser is led by Boise State-bound quarterback, Kellen Moore (Tom’s son) and wide receiver Cody Bruns.
Both Moore and Bruns have become regulars in the Washington State record books, etching their names into 15 different statistical categories.
This season Moore is 257-for-344 with 3,826 yards passing and 61 touchdowns. In those 344 attempts he’s managed to throw just five interceptions.
“Their quarterback has been exceptionally accurate. He’s thrown minimal interceptions. The kid’s been in his dad’s program for four years and really understands the passing game,” Ennis said. “He’s a veteran, seasoned quarterback with a very sophisticated offense.”
Moore already holds state single-season records for yards (4,600 in 2005), completions (317 in ‘05), and touchdowns (66 in ‘05) and holds the record for most TDs in a career (167). He’s just 22 completions away from breaking the state’s career completion record of 779 and is challenging the national high school record for touchdowns (185 by Chris Leak) and single-season completion percentage set in 1994 by Tim Couch. Moore’s percentage is 74.7, Couch’s record is 75.1.
Bruns’ resume isn’t too shabby either. The wide receiver recently became the state’s career touchdown record-holder with his 50th trip to the end zone, and his record-breaking catch was his 25th of the season, which set a single-season state mark. This season he’s caught 97 balls for another single-season state mark of 1,697 yards.
“It’s not just one receiver, they have several talented receivers,” Ennis said, “That’s when teams are dangerous, when they can spread the ball around.”
Moore’s other receivers include little brother Kirby Moore, who has 53 catches for 710 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, after missing four games due to injury and Serg Torres (44 catches, 635 yards, seven TDs).
The Wildcats hope they can put a stop to the remarkable numbers, as only one team will get to continue their season.
“It’s the first time we’ve made an overnight trip. We’re going to go over there and give it our best effort,” Ennis said.
A 3A school a year ago, Prosser finished second losing to eventual state champion Ferndale. The Mustangs have won three 3A championships.
Archbishop Murphy’s pedigree isn’t too shabby either. The Wildcats, who lost to Pullman in the 2005 2A championship game, won back-to-back titles as a 1A school in 2002 and 2003.
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