Wesco’s abbreviated five-week high school football season wraps up Thursday night, highlighted by a showdown between Wesco 4A unbeatens Lake Stevens and Glacier Peak.
Here’s a preview of the top games and a complete schedule of every local contest, along with staff picks. Click on the matchup to access the game’s streaming link:
GAMES OF THE WEEK
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Veterans Memorial Stadium
Lake Stevens (4-0): beat Archbishop Murphy 26-7; beat Monroe 40-0; beat Snohomish 41-24; beat Marysville Pilchuck 43-36
Glacier Peak (4-0): beat Marysville Pilchuck 35-7; beat Snohomish 35-10; beat Archbishop Murphy 40-6; beat Monroe 63-21
The skinny: No league champions will be crowned during this abbreviated Wesco football season, but this season-finale showdown of unbeatens has the feeling of an unofficial Wesco 4A title game. Both teams enter at 4-0, with victories over many of the other top teams in the area. Lake Stevens is 39-1 against Snohomish County teams over the last six seasons and has won all four matchups against Glacier Peak since the Grizzlies moved up to Wesco 4A in 2016. Three of those four victories were blowouts, including the Vikings’ 41-3 rout of Glacier Peak last season. But the Grizzlies gave Lake Stevens a rare conference test in 2018, when the Vikings prevailed for a 24-21 win.
About the Vikings: After winning each of its first three games by at least 17 points, perennial powerhouse Lake Stevens got a challenge last week from defending Wesco 3A champion Marysville Pilchuck. The game was tied early in the fourth quarter, but Trayce Hanks scored on a kickoff return and Jayden Limar added a 52-yard touchdown run to help the seven-time defending Wesco 4A champions pull away. The Vikings average 37.5 points per game behind a balanced offensive attack that’s piled up 470 yards per contest. Limar, a sophomore running back who has offers from Utah and Oregon State, averages 13.5 yards per carry and has totaled 482 yards from scrimmage and five TDs — including 186 yards from scrimmage and three TDs in last week’s win over Marysville Pilchuck. Lake Stevens’ receiving corps is led by senior Gabe Ramsey and junior Drew Carter, who have combined for 600 receiving yards and three TD catches. Ramsey also has four interceptions on defense.
About the Grizzlies: Glacier Peak has been as dominant as any local team this season, having outscored Marysville Pilchuck, Snohomish, Archbishop Murphy and Monroe by a combined 173-44 margin. The Grizzlies average 43.3 points and 458 yards per game, while allowing just 11 points and 244 yards per contest with their stingy defense. Senior quarterback Tyson Lang, a University of Washington preferred walk-on, has completed 67.4% of his passes for 920 yards, 12 TDs and no interceptions. Two-way senior standout Ryan Black has been a dynamic big-play threat at running back, having totaled 646 yards from scrimmage and 10 TDs — including five scores from more than 50 yards out. Last week, Black ran for 235 yards on just 11 carries and scored five total TDs in Glacier Peak’s rout of Monroe. Senior wideout Matt Torgeson has 268 yards receiving on 12 catches this season.
Herald pick: Lake Stevens
When: 5 p.m. Thursday
Where: Quil Ceda Stadium
Union (5-1): beat Camas 17-9; beat Mountain View 60-13; lost to Skyview 23-20; beat Heritage 57-21; beat Battle Ground 45-6; beat Evergreen 48-6
Marysville Pilchuck (2-2): lost to Glacier Peak 35-7; beat Marysville Getchell 49-21; beat Arlington 42-19; lost to Lake Stevens 43-36
The skinny: Marysville Pilchuck was originally slated to play Stanwood in its season finale, but the Spartans canceled their final two games of the season because of COVID-19 exposures in their program. The defending Wesco 3A champion Tomahawks filled the opening with Class 4A state power Union of Vancouver, which sets up an intriguing matchup between programs that reached their respective state playoffs last season.
About the Titans: Union beat Lake Stevens in the 2018 4A state championship game and has made nine state-playoff appearances since its school opened in 2007. The Titans are coached by Snohomish High School alum Rory Rosenbach, who was Glacier Peak’s head coach for eight seasons from 2008 through 2015. Union is highlighted by four-star junior receiver Tobias Merriweather, who is ranked nationally by 247Sports as the No. 10 wide receiver and the No. 79 overall recruit in the 2022 class. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound wideout has offers from every Pac-12 school, as well as programs such as Notre Dame and Nebraska. The Titans beat defending 4A state champion Camas in their season opener and have outscored opponents by an average of 28.2 points per game. Their only loss was a three-point defeat to Skyview, which also reached the 4A state playoffs last season.
About the Tomahawks: Marysville Pilchuck’s two losses this season were to Wesco 4A unbeatens Glacier Peak and Lake Stevens. The Tomahawks gave perennial powerhouse Lake Stevens a rare Wesco challenge last week, when they rallied to tie the game early in the fourth quarter and lost by just seven points. Marysville Pilchuck’s deceptive Slot-T ground attack has piled up 312 rushing yards per game, led by 777 yards and 12 TDs from Dylan Carson. The junior running back averages nearly 10 yards per carry and has five TD runs of more than 45 yards.
Herald pick: Union
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Monroe H.S.
Snohomish (2-2): beat Mariner 41-0; lost to Glacier Peak 35-10; lost to Lake Stevens 41-24; beat Arlington 44-14
Monroe (2-2): beat Arlington 14-0; lost to Lake Stevens 40-0; beat Mariner 49-20; lost to Glacier Peak 63-21
The skinny: This is the first matchup between these former Wesco 4A rivals since 2015. Monroe has won each of the last six meetings. Snohomish’s last win in the series was in 2009.
About the Panthers: Snohomish’s two losses were to Wesco 4A unbeatens Glacier Peak and Lake Stevens. In the Panthers’ other two games, they rolled to blowout victories over Mariner and Arlington. Sophomore running back Kyle Larson ran for a team-high 137 yards on 19 carries last week, as Snohomish rattled off 44 unanswered points to erase an early 14-0 deficit and cruise past Arlington. Sophomore receiver Trey Leckner has a team-high four TD catches this season and senior receiver Makai Williams has three.
About the Bearcats: Monroe’s two losses also were to Wesco 4A unbeatens Lake Stevens and Glacier Peak. And like Snohomish, the Bearcats’ two wins came against Arlington and Mariner. Senior wideout Trey Lane has 233 yards receiving and three TD catches. Senior Riley Rudolfo has added a pair of TD receptions this season and intercepted three passes on defense in Monroe’s season-opening shutout of Arlington.
Herald pick: Snohomish
Meadowdale vs. Edmonds-Woodway
When: 5 p.m. Thursday
Where: Edmonds Stadium
Meadowdale (2-1): beat Shorewood 28-0; lost to Archbishop Murphy 35-6; beat Lynnwood 13-7
Edmonds-Woodway (4-0): beat Mountlake Terrace 44-0; beat Shorecrest 23-13; beat Shorewood 47-0; beat Lynnwood 56-7
The skinny: Edmonds-Woodway looks to complete a 5-0 season by beating archrival Meadowdale. The Mavericks have won six of the last nine matchups between these Edmonds School District rivals, but the Warriors won 27-13 in last season’s meeting.
About the Mavericks: After last week’s game against Shorecrest was canceled, Meadowdale returns to action this week for its season finale. The Mavericks have struggled offensively, managing a total of 33 points on that side of the ball in their three games. But in their two wins, they made up for it with strong defense. In their season opener, the Mavericks shut out Shorewood and scored on a long fumble return. And in their most recent game, the Mavericks held Lynnwood to seven points and scored on a go-ahead fourth-quarter interception return for a touchdown by senior linebacker Ian Newsom.
About the Warriors: Edmonds-Woodway has outscored Mountlake Terrace, Shorecrest, Shorewood and Lynnwood by a combined 170-20 margin. Senior running back Steele Swinton has totaled 359 yards from scrimmage and 11 TDs, including 268 yards rushing and eight scoring runs. Junior running back Ryan Fahey has added 314 yards rushing and three TD runs, while averaging 13.1 yards per carry. The Warriors’ stingy defense allows just 5.0 points per game and has posted a pair of shutouts.
Herald pick: Edmonds-Woodway
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Goddard Stadium
Cascade (4-0): beat Cedarcrest 42-0; beat Jackson 47-7; beat Everett 46-20; beat Marysville Getchell 16-13
Kamiak (3-0): beat Everett 38-14; beat Mariner 35-18; beat Jackson 57-14
The skinny: These two programs have spent recent years in the bottom half of the Wesco 4A standings. But this spring, both have had success while playing competitively balanced schedules. The winner of this matchup will finish the season undefeated. Cascade won 39-14 in last season’s meeting.
About the Bruins: After outscoring Cedarcrest, Jackson and Everett by a combined 135-27 margin in its first three games, Cascade leaned on its defense last week in a three-point win over Marysville Getchell. Led by senior running back Michael Purl, the Bruins’ rushing attack averages 320 yards per game. Purl has rushed for 592 yards and eight TDs — including the deciding score in the fourth quarter of last week’s victory — and averages 9.0 yards per carry.
About the Knights: Kamiak returns to action this week after last week’s game against Stanwood was canceled due to COVID-19 exposures in the Spartans’ program. After one-win seasons each of the last three years, the Knights have already matched their win total from the previous three seasons combined. Kamiak has averaged 43.3 points per game this season and has won all three of its contests by at least 17 points. Junior all-purpose standout Wesley Garrett has totaled 359 yards from scrimmage and six total TDs, including a punt-return score.
Herald pick: Cascade
OTHER LOCAL GAMES
6 p.m. Thursday at Everett Memorial Stadium
Herald pick: Everett
6 p.m. Thursday at Shoreline Stadium
Herald pick: Shorecrest
7 p.m. Thursday at Cedarcrest H.S.
Herald pick: Lakewood
Marysville Getchell at Archbishop Murphy
7 p.m. Thursday at Archbishop Murphy H.S.
Herald pick: Archbishop Murphy
7 p.m. Thursday at Arlington H.S.
Herald pick: Arlington
Lynnwood vs. Mountlake Terrace
8 p.m. Thursday at Edmonds Stadium
Herald pick: Lynnwood
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