The playoff field has been set for the Western Conference 4A South Division, but a logjam appears at the top of the new Wesco 3A League and Friday’s games will help to clarify the situation.
Four teams are tied for first place with 2-1 league records – Everett, Glacier Peak, Meadowdale and Shorecrest.
Only the top two teams earn quad-district berths, while the third place team will advance to a play-in contest.
Everett, fresh off a 40-13 trouncing of Shorecrest takes on Meadowdale, which snapped a two-game skid with a 42-0 rout over crosstown rival Lynnwood. The Scots will attempt to rebound against the Grizzlies, who pounded 4A Shorewood 55-7.
The three Wesco South playoff berths were determined last week as Jackson claimed the top seed and the league title with a victory over Mountlake Terrace. Four-time defending league champion Edmonds-Woodway will have to be content with the division’s No. 2 berth after belting Cascade and Mariner clinched the third and final berth with a 20-0 victory over Kamiak.
How will these three teams approach their regular season finales? One thought would be for the teams to rest their starters but the more likely scenario is to take a page out of the Super Bowl champion New York Giants and play hard until the end, even in a game that doesn’t have any playoff implications.
Everett at Meadowdale
Game time: 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 31 at Edmonds Stadium.
Records: Everett (2-1 in the league, 5-3 overall), Meadowdale (2-1, 4-3).
Last year’s result: Did not play.
Last week’s results: Everett 40, Shorecrest 13; Meadowdale 42, Lynnwood 0.
Players to watch: Everett’s Jake Frauenholtz scored on a 67-yard run and then caught three passes for touchdowns against the Scots. He also picked off two Shorecrest passes. Meadowdale junior running back Naji Moore-Taylor ran for a pair of touchdowns, while senior quarterback Matt McDonagh ran for a score and also threw for a touchdown against the Royals. Tight end Connor Hamlett caught four passes for 35 yards and one touchdown.
Breakdown: The question is which Everett and Meadowdale teams will show up for Friday’s game. Neither team has been particularily consistent this season, though both were impressive in routs last week. Meadowdale will look to contain Everett’s Frauenholtz, who had made big plays on offense and defense. The Mavericks looked to be back in fine form with a dominating performance over the Royals. Four different players scored on offense, which is a key for Meadowdale. If the Mavericks can spread the ball around, they should clinch a playoff berth.
Enterprise pick: Meadowdale 35, Everett 28.
Shorewood at Edmonds-Woodway
Game time: 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 31 at Edmonds Stadium.
Records: Shorewood (0-5 in the league, 0-8 overall); Edmonds-Woodway (4-1, 6-2 overall).
Last year’s result: Edmonds-Woodway 35, Shorewood 0.
Last week’s results: Glacier Peak 55, Shorewood 7; Edmonds-Woodway 48, Cascade 20.
Players to watch: Edmonds-Woodway quarterback Andy Willcock has continually improved since the start of the season. He’ll look to wide receiver Din Kuses, who caught three passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns.
Breakdown: Edmonds-Woodway looks to keep its momentum going and the Warriors appears to have the perfect opponent to do that with, winless Shorewood. Look for Jimmy Spears to lead the rushing attack and quarterback Andy Willcock will look to find Kuses, who is having a solid season.
Enterprise pick: Edmonds-Woodway 50, Shorewood 14.
Mountlake Terrace at Kamiak
Game time: 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 31 at Goddard Stadium.
Records: Mountlake Terrace (1-4 in the league, 3-5 overall); Kamiak (1-4, 1-7).
Last year’s result: Kamiak 35, Mountlake Terrace 18
Last week’s results: Jackson 17, Mountlake Terrace 0; Mariner 20, Kamiak 0.
Players to watch: Both teams’ offenses struggled last week and were shut out. The Hawks are led by junior quarterback Brandyn Eckhart and junior running back Casey Ellersick. Kamiak will look to quarterback Sam Ruppel.
Breakdown: Mountlake Terrace coach Tony Umayam urged his players after a solid but still losing effort against Jackson to refocus and attempt to produce the school’s first-ever victory over Kamiak. The Hawks played league champion Jackson tough last week but struggled in converting on key third- and fourth-down plays. The offensive line must be able to push forward on short yardage situations. Mountlake Terrace’s defense limited Jackson’s potent offense to only 17 points and two of the scores were helped by turnovers, which Mountlake Terrace must eliminate.
Enterprise pick: Mountlake Terrace 21, Kamiak 17.
Lynnwood at
Sedro Woolley
Game time: 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 31 at Sedro Woolley High School.
Records: Lynnwood (0-4 in the league, 0-8 overall), Sedro Woolley ().
Last year’s result: Did not play.
Players to watch: Lynnwood’s Geoff Meinken will definitely see time at quarterback. Senior wide receiver Dylan Burnett is the team’s top wide receiver.
Breakdown: Lynnwood is still looking for its first victory of the season. Perhaps a faraway away game will enable the Royals to focus and cut down on mistakes. Meinken, a WSU recruit, makes plays both on offense and defense but he can’t carry the entire load. He needs his teammates to step up.
Enterprise pick: Sedro Woolley 35, Lynnwood 30.
Glacier Peak at Shorecrest
Game time: 7 p.m.., Friday, Oct. 31 at Shoreline Stadium.
Records: Glacier Peak (2-1 league, 4-4 overall); Shorecrest (2-1, 4-4)
Last year’s result: Did not play.
Last week’s results: Glacier Peak 55, Shorewood 7; Everett 40, Shorecrest 13.
Players to watch: Glacier Peak’s offense is led by quarterback Zach Richter who completed 6-of-10 passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns to Luke Westberg against Shorewood. Running back Alex Stepanchenko racked up 145 yards rushing and two touchdowns on five carries. Shorecrest’s offense is led by backs Michael Harris and Jordan Brown who each had touchdowns last week. Quarterback Sam Heck looks to get back on track after a four-interception game last week.
Breakdown: Glacier Peak runs a version of the spread offense and mixes up the run and pass effectively in its attack. Richter the quarterback leads the offense which has put up 42 and 55 points the last two weeks. Shorecrest’s defense will try to slow down the Grizzlies a week after Everett put together several big plays against it. The Scots have prove they can play tough defense when they held Snohomish and Meadowdale in check earlier in the year. Both Jordan Brown and Michael Harris need to perform well on offense while the passing game needs to be effective enough to keep the defense honest.
Enterprise pick: Shorecrest 34, Glacier Peak 28.
Cascade at Jackson
Game time: 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 31 at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Records: Cascade (3-2 in the league, 4-4 overall), Jackson (5-0, 7-0).
Last year’s result: Did not play.
Last week’s results: Edmonds-Woodway 48, Cascade 20; Jackson 17, Mountlake Terrace 0.
Players to watch: Cascade’s Aaron Frye ran for 76 yards on 16 carries. He ran for a 32-yard touchdown and also threw for a 47-yard score. Jackson’s Taylor Cox ran for a pair of touchdowns against Mountlake Terrace.
Breakdown: Even though the Timberwolves defeated the Hawks to clinch the league title, it was far from the team’s best performance of the season. Jackson coach Joel Vincent will want to get his team ready for the postseason and Cascade with running back Frye should give the Wolfpack a good test. The Jackson offense with Cox, running back Riley Carr and quarterback Andy Gay wants to get in a good rhythm heading into the playoffs. They should be able to get the job done against the Bruins. Many of the players from the two schools know each other well, so expect some hard hitting action.
Enterprise pick: Jackson 35, Cascade 21.
King’s at Archbishop Murphy
Game time: 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 30 at Terry Ennis Stadium.
Records: Archbishop Murphy (6-0 in the league, 8-0 overall), King’s (2-4, 4-4).
Last year’s result: Archbishop Murphy 46, King’s 0.
Last week’s results: Archbishop Murphy 42, South Whidbey 8; Granite Falls 42, King’s 13.
Players to watch: Archbishop Murphy senior JD Melton caught touchdown passes of 18 and 3 yards. Senior Kelso Wilkins stripped the ball from a Falcon and returned it 28 yards for a score and also had a 13-yard touchdown run. King’s quarterback is the key to the Knights’ offense.
Breakdown: Archbishop Murphy looks to be in a prime position to wrap up a perfect league record against a King’s team that has shown glimpses of potential but hasn’t developed consistency. The Wildcats will look to fine-tune their passing attack to go along with their traditional running game. Archbishop Murphy has started strong in almost every game, so if the King’s is going to pull an upset, it must sustain a drive or two in the first quarter.
Enterprise pick: Archbishop Murphy 42, King’s 13.
Enterprise last week: 6-1.
Season to date: 43-13.
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