Had Lake Stevens and Mariner squared off three weeks ago, most probably would have predicted a blowout in favor of the Vikings. Mariner started the season 0-3, while Lake Stevens was 2-1, with its lone loss coming to a strong Marysville Pilchuck squad.
Since then, things have changed.
As expected, the Vikings kept on winning and are 4-0 in league play and 5-1 overall. But it’s the Marauders’ three-game winning streak that has dramatically increased the stakes in Friday’s game.
“Our kids have just hung in there with some early-season losses and never quit,” Mariner coach John Ondriezek said. “They continued to work harder. One of our goals was continuous improvement every day and every week and our kids have done a good job rising to the occasion and working together as a team.”
A win over Lake Stevens would give Mariner (3-1 in conference) a shot at the Wesco 4A championship.
Now that more than half of the season has played out, Mariner’s first three losses don’t look that bad. The Marauders fell 14-13 to Mountlake Terrace in Week 1, lost 35-7 to O’Dea in Week 2 and dropped a 28-12 decision to Kamiak in Week 3. Terrace and Kamiak each have just one loss, while O’Dea is undefeated.
The three losses taught Ondriezek’s players what they needed to do in order to win.
“We learned that you can’t make mistakes and that you have to do everything almost perfectly,” Ondriezek said. “You have to carry out your assignment because it’s the little things that make a difference against good football teams.”
One of the biggest reasons for the Marauders’ success has been the play of senior running back Dyonte Law, who has rushed for more than 200 yards in all three victories. He’s averaging 227.3 yards per game in that span.
“You need that one (running) back that you can always count on,” Ondriezek said. “In our offense, he’s going to get the most carries and he’s stepped up. He’s a very tough and intelligent football player. He doesn’t have a lot of size (5-foot-6, 145 pounds), but he has a lot of heart. The kids rally around Dyonte.”
The fact that other players look up to Law has been every bit as important as his performance on the field, Ondriezek said.
“More than carrying the football, he’s just a tremendous senior leader,” Ondriezek said. “He’s accepted that responsibility and he’s led our team by an example of hard work.”
The Marauders haven’t won a game by less than 10 points during their streak, defeating Cascade 40-14 on Sept. 26, Jackson 42-24 on Oct. 3 and Mount Vernon 20-10 last Friday. Tonight’s game against the Vikings gives the Marauders a chance to prove they belong in the league’s upper echelon.
“We’re excited about it,” Ondriezek said. “That’s why you go out for a sport is to compete, and to compete against good competition in a game that’s meaningful. It’s exciting. We’re halfway through the season, and we know that every game counts. We have to take care of our own business each and every week.”
Here’s a look at Friday’s key games:
Mariner at Lake Stevens
Where: Lake Stevens High School
When: 7 p.m.
Key Players: Mariner—Dyonte Law, Sr., RB/DB; Greg Whitaker, Sr., RB/LB; Jeremiah Bell, Sr., OL/LB; Octayvien Sapp, Sr., TE/LB; Conner Griffin, Sr., OL/DL; DeRhaun Mallett, Jr., OL/DL. Lake Stevens—Tevin Gray, Sr., WR/S; Justin Brown, Sr., WR/DB; Riley Krenz, Jr., TE/S; Kolby Jones, Sr., OL/LB; Jacob Eason, Jr., QB; Andrew Cook, Sr., T/DE, Andrew Grimes, Jr., RB/LB; Hunter Eckstrom, So., WR/DB; Josh Rasmussen, Sr., WR/FS.
Records: Mariner 3-1 league, 3-3 overall. Lake Stevens 4-0, 5-1.
Twitter: @krueger_david
What you need to know: After losing its first three games, Mariner has won three straight and is in contention for the Wesco 4A championship. Lake Stevens, the coaches’ preseason pick to win the conference, comes into the game riding a four-game winning streak.
Herald Pick: Lake Stevens
Arlington at Marysville Pilchuck
Where: Marysville Pilchuck H.S. (Quil Ceda Stadium)
When: 7 p.m.
Key Players: Arlington—Gareth Henderson, Sr., OL/LB; Anthony Parra, Sr., WR/LB/K; Cam Scrimgeour, Sr., TE/LB; Connor Bovard, Sr., WR/DB; Noah Andal, Sr., WR/DB/QB; Beni Madrigal-Reis, Jr., OL/DL. Marysville Pilchuck—Austin Joyner, Sr., RB/DB; Nic Alonso, Sr., DB; Drew Hatch, Sr., LB; Killian Page, Sr., RB/LB; Corbin Ferry, Jr., OL; Bryce Vitcovich, Sr., DL; Hunter Trueax, Sr., RB; JJ Valencia, Sr., RB.
Records: Arlington 2-1 league, 4-2 overall. Marysville Pilchuck 3-0, 5-1.
Radio: KRKO 1380 AM
Twitter: @aaronlommers
What you need to know: Coming off shutout of Stanwood in the annual Stilly Cup, Arlington will have its hands full trying to hand Marysville Pilchuck its first league loss of the season. A victory for MP would set up a meeting with Oak Harbor next week for the Wesco 3A championship.
Herald Pick: Marysville Pilchuck
Snohomish at Kamiak
Where: Goddard Stadium
When: 7 p.m.
Key Players: Snohomish—Nathan Jacobson, Sr., OL/DL; Alex Fairhurst, Sr., OL/DL; Connor Browne, Sr., RB/LB; Boomer Vuori, Sr., RB/DB; Aidan Kutsch, Sr., WR/FS; Jonas Skalsky, Sr., LB; Kobe McDaniel, Jr., QB; Josh Johnston, So., WR/DB; Nick Nelson, Sr., OL/DL; Keegan Stich, Fr., RB/DB. Kamiak—Tyler Becker, Sr., QB/SS; Jared Pexton, Sr., WR/S; Jordan Mochmar, Sr., C/DE; Jo Binda, Sr., RB/DB; Nate Shubert, Jr., TE/DE; Brandon Beasley, Sr., RB/LB.
Records: Snohomish 2-2 league, 2-4 overall. Kamiak 4-0, 5-1.
Twitter: @heraldnetpreps
What you need to know: Kamiak is looking to stay undefeated in conference play heading into next week’s showdown with Lake Stevens. In order to do so, the Knights must get past Snohomish, which has won two straight and is suddenly in contention for a playoff spot. The Knights haven’t lost since Week 1 due in part to the stellar play of senior quarterback Tyler Becker. Becker has completed 60 percent of his passes (75-for-125) for 1,177 yards and nine touchdowns.
Herald Pick: Kamiak
Edmonds-Woodway at Shorewood
Where: Shoreline Stadium
When: 7 p.m.
Key Players: Edmonds-Woodway—Chantz Justice, Sr., RB/FS; Tanner Caraco, Sr., OL/DL; Nick Morales, Sr., QB; Will Siegall, Sr., OL/DL; Nick Venema, Sr., RB/LB; Brandon Hohengarten, Sr., TE/DE. Shorewood—Cameran Testerman Sr., WR/DE; Aaron Okamura Jr., QB/DB; Justus Blair Jr., OL/DL; Bostyn Vordahl, Sr., WR/DB; Ronnie Gary, Jr., WR/DB; Matthew Nagy, Jr., WR/S.
Records: Edmonds-Woodway 2-2 league, 3-3 overall. Shorewood 1-3, 2-4.
Twitter: @heraldnetpreps
What you need to know: Shorewood needs a win to keep its faint playoff hopes alive, while Edmonds-Woodway is tied with Glacier Peak for third place — the final playoff spot — in the Wesco 3A South. The Warriors and the Grizzlies meet next Friday in the final game of the regular season.
Herald Pick: Edmonds-Woodway
Also of note
Injuries have hit the Cascade Bruins hard in recent weeks. They lost eight of their 22 starters to injuries, including star running back Kejuan Coleman, who is out for the year with an undisclosed injury. Quarterback Malik Rackliff was injured two weeks ago in a loss to Lake Stevens and missed last week’s game against Snohomish. Cascade coach Eric Dinwiddie said he hopes to have Rackliff back Friday against Monroe, but likely will move him to running back to help make up for the loss of Coleman. … If Lynnwood is going upset Mountlake Terrace tonight, the Royals will need to jump start their stagnant offense. Lynnwood managed just 12 yards of total offense in last week’s loss to Meadowdale. …. With at least a share of the Wesco 3A South championship and the No. 1 seed going into the postseason already locked up, Meadowdale plays host to Renton on Friday in a non-conference game. Renton’s head coach, Tim Tramp, was an assistant coach at Meadowdale last season. … South Whidbey senior Deven Damerau last week became the second area running back to top 1,000 yards this season. Going into tonight’s game, Damerau has 1,007 yards on 112 carries, second only to Marysville Getchell’s Collin Montez (1,163). … Paulmer Gregory, Lakewood’s leading rusher and passer, missed last week’s 32-22 win over Cedar Park Christian-Bothell after injuring his calf the week before. Lakewood head coach Dan Teeter said Gregory is likely to return Friday against Sultan, but will see limited action. … Archbishop Murphy plays host to Cedar Park Christian-Bothell in a Cascade Conference game Friday. The Eagles are coached by Bill Marsh, the former head coach at Archbishop Murphy.
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