If you haven’t been able to make any sense of the 2002 prep football season, you’re not alone.
This is my eighth year of covering the Western Conference and I can’t recall a more unpredictable and entertaining year of football.
And we’ve still got a couple of regular season games to go.
One of the reasons 2002 is a season to remember is the level of talent.
Back in early September, Jackson coach Joel Vincent mentioned that he couldn’t recall a time when there were so many Division I prospects in the league.
Vincent wasn’t just talking about his senior wide receiver Craig Chambers, who had verbally committed to the University of Washington, or his senior quarterback Jason Morris, who has yet to throw an interception this season. Edmonds-Woodway senior running back Kyle Trew and Shorewood junior running back Seth Setterberg were two of the other players Vincent mentioned.
Last week, Setterberg rushed for a season-high 200 yards as the Thunderbirds stayed in the playoff hunt with a victory over Everett.
This year has probably been just as memorable for Trew but for an unfortunate reason. The Warrior standout has missed a good portion of his senior season due to a strained hamstring.
Some of Trew’s runs nevertheless have been amazing. At times, Trew appeared to be playing against a junior varsity team, considering the way he shook off tacklers or ran right threw them.
In Edmonds-Woodway’s season opener against Meadowdale, Trew was not scheduled to play but somehow he convinced coach John Gradwohl to send him in for one play.
The result? A 50-yard touchdown run.
You wonder what kind of a season Trew and Edmonds-Woodway would have had if he was 100 percent healthy.
What else stands out is the unpredictability from week to week. The cliché that on any given Friday any team can knock off another team has never been more true.
Consider last week. I was thinking that the 4A playoff picture would become a little more clear. Instead, it’s as muddled as ever.
Making predictions is a dangerous and decidedly non-logical endeavor.
Let’s take a look at last week’s Edmonds-Woodway/Mariner clash: Shorecrest defeated Mariner in Week 1. Edmonds-Woodway beat Shorecrest in Week 4. Therefore, Edmonds-Woodway should prevail over Mariner.
Wrong. The Marauders walked out with a 17-7 victory.
Several intriguing games are on tap this week. The marquee matchup is defending league champion Kamiak vs. Mariner. A victory by the Marauders could result in a four-way tie for first place with a week to go.
Another great game pits Shorewood against Meadowdale, a team that just clinched a 3A playoff berth. The Thunderbirds need a victory to keep pace with Edmonds-Woodway and Mariner, the other two 4A teams currently tied for second place. The Mavericks have won four games in a row want to keep the momentum going.
Let’s analyze this matchup: Shorewood lost to Mariner and Meadowdale beat Mariner. So therefore ….
On second thought, just sit back and enjoy the game.
David Pan is sports editor for The Enterprise Newspapers. Questions and comments may be sent via e-mail to entsports@heraldnet.com, by fax to 425-774-8622 or by mail to: Sports editor, The Enterprise, 4303 198th St. SW., Lynnwood, WA 98036.
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