Arlington coach Tim Tramp is new to the Stilly Cup, but he knows he’d better not lose.
“I’ve heard that since the first day I got here,” Tramp said.
Tonight’s Arlington at Stanwood game will be his first exposure to the rivalry between the two towns up and down the Stillaguamish River. Tramp, who came to Arlington from Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, has been part of rivalry games before, “but never to this extent,” he said.
“It has certainly been brought to my attention how important the game is,” Tramp said. “There’s a different level of excitement and I’m trying to feed off of that.”
Tramp said he’s not having any trouble gearing up for the big game because there’s more than pride at stake. Even at 1-3 Arlington, a 3A school, is in contention for a postseason berth. Last week, the Eagles beat Everett, the other 3A school in the Wesco North, giving them an important tiebreaker.
The game is equally important for Stanwood. At 2-2 the Spartans are still in the chase for one of the top 4A berths in the division.
“It’ll be a defining game for both teams,” Tramp said.
Here’s a look at the big rivalry game and the rest of tonight’s schedule:
Arlington at Stanwood
Kickoff: 7 tonight at Stanwood Stadium.
Records: Arlington is 1-2 in the Wesco North, 1-3 overall. Stanwood is 2-2, 2-2.
Last year: Arlington quarterback Brett Smith completed 12 of 20 passes for 136 yards and two TDs, running back Jake Webb carried 22 times for 96 yards and wide receiver Tim Acker caught six passes for 75 yards and a touchdown to lead the Eagles to their second straight Stilly Cup victory, 20-7.
Last week: Arlington quarterback Trevor Milles completed 13 of 19 passes for 201 yards and four TDs in a 42-17 win over Everett.
Stanwood running back Vann Vetch carried 21 times for 153 yards and a touchdown in a 21-6 win over Marysville-Pilchuck.
Players to watch: Milles is completing 70 percent (62-for-88) of his passes for 755 yards and seven TDs. His top receivers include Brandon Gunter with four catches for 139 yards and two TDs, Abe Bourasaw with nine catches for 120 yards and Derek Johnson with nine catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. Travis Doggett leads the Eagles in rushing with 64 carries for 260 yards and three TDs.
Stanwood features a two-pronged running attack. Vann Vetch has 63 carries for 337 yards and two TDs. Ian Mai has 44 carries for 169 yards and four TDs.
Breaking down the game: A low-scoring game works in Stanwood’s favor.
“They have a lot more seniors and experience,” Tramp said. “They’re physical up front and play ball control on offense.”
But Arlington’s scoring has increased each week, culminating in last week’s 42-point effort.
“We’re starting to execute and eliminate the mental mistakes,” Tramp said.
The Eagles averaged five turnovers a game for their first two contests, but had just two against Snohomish two weeks ago and one against Everett last week. And Milles has not thrown an interception in two games.
Little-known fact: Arlington has won 26 of the 35 Stilly Cup games since the cup came into existence in 1971.
John McDonald’s pick: Arlington 21-14.
Mike Cane’s pick: Arlington 21-14.
Tom Lafferty’s pick: Arlington 17-13.
Mariner at Snohomish
Kickoff: 7 tonight at Snohomish Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Radio: KRKO (1380 AM)
Records: Both teams are 3-1 overall.
Last year: Did not play.
Last week: Mariner’s Matt Jones intercepted a pass and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown with five seconds to play in the Marauders’ 34-21 win over Meadowdale.
Snohomish running back Derek Jones carried 13 times for 83 yards in a 34-14 loss to Oak Harbor.
Players to watch: Mike Schmaus leads Mariner’s ground game with 380 yards on 45 carries and seven TDs. Matt Jones has 32 carries for 259 yards and five TDs. Jerrel Grant has 23 carries for 186 yards and two TDs. Quarterback Tyler Tuiasosopo is 34-for-60 for 529 yards and eight TDs. His top receiver is Joey Dillon with 10 catches for 133 yards and two TDs. He has two other receivers with more than 100 yards receiving: Jones (five catches, 114 yards) and Michael Johnson (six catches 110 yards).
Running back Derek Jones is the focus of the Snohomish offense. He has 92 carries for 629 yards and five TDs.
Breaking down the game: Mariner has a lot of offensive weapons, maybe not as many as Snohomish’s last opponent (Oak Harbor), but perhaps more than the Panthers can handle.
If the Mariner defense manages to contain Jones, Snohomish quarterback Mike Low is capable of putting the ball in the air, that’s just not the Panthers’ preference.
Little-known fact: The last time these two teams met in 2000, Snohomish won 40-6.
John McDonald’s pick: Mariner 27-20.
Mike Cane’s pick: Mariner 31-24.
Tom Lafferty’s pick: Snohomish 24-21.
Coupeville at Granite Falls
Kickoff: 7 tonight at Jewell Stadium.
Records: Coupeville is 1-1 in the Cascade Conference, 3-1 overall. Granite Falls is 2-0, 4-0.
Last year: Granite Falls quarterback Billy Villegas scored on a 2-yard run to tie the score in the fourth-quarter and a bad center snap on the PAT try led to a two-point conversion pass from holder John Pennington to Tyler Anderson, giving the Tigers a 15-13 victory. The win was later overturned and Granite Falls forfeited the game.
Last week: Coupeville defensive tackle Mike Pelzer stopped a two-point conversion try with 49 seconds to play to preserve a 21-20 win over Sultan.
Granite Falls running back Jullian Gamache carried 23 times for 287 yards and two TDs, including the game-winner on a 13-yard run with 57 seconds to play, in a 25-20 win over South Whidbey.
Players to watch: Coupeville’s Casey Larson is a double threat with 361 rushing yards and 146 receiving. Clay Hughes leads the Wolves in rushing with 87 carries for 429 yards. Quarterback James Smith is the leading passer in the Cascade Conference with 26 completions in 40 attempts for 373 yards and four TDs.
Granite Falls’ Villegas is right behind Smith with 25 completions in 44 attempts for 360 yards and six TDs. He has a pair of Seans as his favorite receivers. Sean Counley has nine catches for 158 yards. Sean Nelson has 10 for 146. Gamache, who is coming off a monster game, now has 57 carries for 458 yards and three TDs.
Breaking down the game: Class 1A Coupeville has held its own so far in a predominantly 2A conference, going 1-1 against the larger schools. The Wolves have some talented skill position players and can put points on the board. Trouble is they’re going to give them up, too, especially to the kind of high-powered offense Granite Falls will field.
Little-known fact: After winning just three games in two years, Coupeville advanced to the postseason last year, losing 26-0 to Kalama in a 1A state qualifying game.
After going 2-8 last season, Granite Falls is on the verge of starting the 2006 campaign 5-0.
John McDonald’s pick: Granite Falls 25-12.
Mike Cane’s pick: Granite Falls 26-20.
Tom Lafferty’s pick: Granite Falls 28-7.
Other games tonight
Wesco North: Cascade (2-2, 2-2) at Monroe (2-1, 2-2), Oak Harbor (3-0, 4-0) vs. Everett (1-3, 1-3) at Everett Memorial Stadium, Marysville-Pilchuck (1-3, 1-3) at Lake Stevens (1-2, 2-2), 7 p.m.
Wesco South: Jackson (1-2, 1-3) vs. Lynnwood (0-4, 0-4) at Edmonds District Stadium, 5 p.m.; Meadowdale (1-2, 1-3) vs. Shorecrest (1-3, 1-3) at Shoreline Stadium, Shorewood (1-3, 1-3) vs. Kamiak (3-0, 4-0) at Goddard Stadium, 7 p.m.; Edmonds-Woodway (4-0, 4-0) vs. Mountlake Terrace (2-1, 2-2) at Edmonds District Stadium, 8 p.m.
Cascade Conference: Archbishop Murphy (2-0, 4-0) at Lakewood (0-2, 0-4), Cedarcrest (0-2, 1-2-1) at Sultan (1-1, 3-1), South Whidbey (1-1, 2-2) at King’s (1-1, 2-2), 7 p.m.
Northwest 1A/2B: Darrington (0-1, 2-2) at La Conner (0-1, 1-3), 7 p.m.
KRKO radio broadcaster Tom Lafferty and Herald Writer Mike Cane were 3-0 on their picks last week and are 10-4 for the season. Prep Edition John McDonald was 2-1 and is 9-5 for the year.
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