One of two teams that have shown marked improvement this season will get a big boost this Friday night.
Lynnwood and Shorewood square off in a matchup of two programs that have struggled in recent years.
The Royals opened the season with a huge victory over district rival Mountlake Terrace but then stumbled against Kamiak last week. The Thunderbirds suffered a tough opening week loss to Mariner but played crosstown rival Shorecrest tough.
Lynnwood at Shorewood
Game time: 8 p.m. Friday at Shoreline Stadium.
Records: Lynnwood 1-1, Shorewood 0-2.
Last week: Kamiak 37, Lynnwood 14; Shorecrest 28, Shorewood 14.
Last year’s result: Shorewood 24, Lynnwood 0.
Players to watch: Lynnwood running back Geoff Meinken rushed for 60 yards on seven carries against a tough Kamiak defense. Senior quarterback Andrew Beatty completed only six of 20 passes for 52 yards. Shorewood will look to running back Dorian Lain, who ran for 84 yards on 13 carries against Shorecrest. Teammate Nathan Cook had 40 yards on 15 carries.
Breakdown: Lynnwood appears to have the edge in experience at quarterback with three-year starter Andrew Beatty. The Royals started out strong against Kamiak but then were done in by too many mistakes in the second quarter. Shorewood will need to improve on its pass defense, which allowed four touchdowns against Shorecrest. The T-birds offensive line needs to have a good game against a stout Lynnwood defense.
Enterprise pick: Lynnwood 21, Shorewood 14.
Mountlake Terrace at Kamiak
Game time: 7 p.m. Friday at Goddard Stadium
Records: Mountlake Terrace 0-2, Kamiak 2-0 .
Last week: Lake Stevens 26, Mountlake Terrace 20; Kamiak 37, Lynnwood 14.
Last year’s result: Kamiak 35, Mountlake Terrace 7.
Players to watch: The return of Billy Lechtenberg gave the Mountlake Terrace offense a boost in last week’s close loss to Lake Stevens. Lechtenberg ran for an 87-yard touchdown and finished the game with 94 yards on only three carries. Quarterback Tony Ellersick completed eight of 16 passes for 150 yards, including a 71-touchdown to Percy Anyimah, who played his first game of the season. Kamiak running back Justin Glenn caught five passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 91 yards on 10 carries and one score against Lynnwood. Quarterback Cub Jansen completed 10 of 18 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns.
Breakdown: Mountlake Terrace needs to get off to a strong start and keep the potent Kamiak offense off the field. The Knights run a new spread option offense designed to get the ball in the hands of their playmakers. The Hawks will have to play disciplined defense. The Mountlake Terrace line showed significant improvement from week one and faces a major challenge up front against an athletic Kamiak defense. The Hawks want to avoid getting into a shootout with the Knights.
Enterprise pick: Kamiak 27, Mountlake Terrace 20.
Shorecrest at Edmonds-Woodway
Game time: 5 p.m. Friday at Edmonds Stadium.
Records: Edmonds-Woodway 2-0, Shorecrest 1-1.
Last week: Edmonds-Woodway 54, Mariner 20; Shorecrest 28, Shorewood 14
Last year’s result: Edmonds-Woodway 28, Shorecrest 7.
Players to watch: Edmonds-Woodway running back Tony Heard was virtually unstoppable against Mariner. Heard rushed for 262 yards on 21 carries and scored four touchdowns. Senior quarterback Kyle McCartney threw for one touchdown and ran for another. The Edmonds-Woodway line dominated the line of scrimmage. Shorecrest was led by quarterback Lars Swenson, who made the most of his completions against Shorewood. Swenson was eight of 16 for 186 yards and four touchdowns.
Breakdown: Edmonds-Woodway must guard against a letdown after last week’s stunning 54-20 victory over Mariner. Coach John Gradwohl won’t let his players lose focus. The one-two punch of quarterback Kyle McCartney and running back Tony Heard is perhaps the toughest task in the league for defensive coordinators. Shorecrest quarterback Lars Swenson carried the load against Shorewood, but he’ll need help going up against a stellar Edmonds-Woodway defense. The Scots must contain the explosive Warrior offense early in order to have a chance at an upset.
Enterprise pick: Edmonds-Woodway 37, Shorecrest 14.
Mariner at Jackson
Game time: 5 p.m. Friday at Everett Stadium.
Records: Jackson 0-2, Mariner 1-1.
Last week: Meadowdale 42, Jackson 19; Edmonds-Woodway 54, Mariner 20.
Last year’s result: Mariner 42, Jackson 18.
Players to watch: Jackson junior running back Taylor Cox rushed for 174 yards on 18 carries and scored one touchdown in a loss to Meadowdale. Mariner is led by second-team, all-league quarterback Tyler Tuiasosopo. The Marauders have some of the fastest players in the league, including running backs Shaundell Burns and Matt Jones.
Breakdown: The Jackson defensive line struggled to contain Meadowdale’s ground game last week. It doesn’t get any easier with a Mariner squad that is loaded with talent at the skill positions. Wolfpack running back Taylor Cox ran well, but he needs his teammates to elevate their level of play. The Timberwolves need to have some early success to boost their confidence. Mariner will be looking to erase the memories of last week’s one-sided loss to Edmonds-Woodway.
Enterprise pick: Mariner 48, Jackson 20.
Oak Harbor at Meadowdale
Game time: 8 p.m. Friday at Edmonds Stadium.
Records: Meadowdale 1-1, Oak Harbor 2-0.
Last week: Meadowdale 42, Jackson 19; Oak Harbor 35, Arlington 0.
Last year’s result: Oak Harbor 49, Meadowdale 7.
Players to watch: Meadowdale dynamic backfield duo of Nick Montanari and Tonna Njoku scotched the Jackson defense, rushing for 211 and 146 yards, respectively. The two face a tall task against a more physical Oak Harbor defense. Quarterback Matt McDonagh likely will be more of a factor. Wildcat quarterback Johnny Encinas completed 17 of 26 passes for 195 yards and five touchdowns against Arlington. His favorite targets were Rodrick Rumble and Michael Bell.
Breakdown: Meadowdale Mark Stewart views the non-conference game as a good test for his offensive line, which dominated Jackson last week. The Mavericks need to be productive on offense to keep the Wildcats’ high-powered passing attack off the field. The Meadowdale defense defends the run well, so the pressure will be on the secondary.
Enterprise pick: Oak Harbor 30, Meadowdale 27
Sultan at King’s
Game time: 5 p.m. Friday at Shoreline Stadium
Records: King’s 0-2, Sultan 0-2.
Last week: Friday Harbor 21, King’s 14; Cascade (Leavenworth) 38, Sultan 12.
Last year’s result: Sultan 22, King’s 13.
Players to watch: King’s Zach Berg ran for a 1-yard touchdown and quarterback Kevin Tranter threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Paul Lutgen in last week’s loss to Friday Harbor. Sultan’s Cody Morgan connected on a pair of touchdowns to Robin Nguyen last week.
Breakdown: Both King’s and Sultan have struggled to get their offenses going. The team that scores first could gain a big psychological edge. The Knights had problems taking care of the ball against Friday Harbor. The Turks return only two starters on both sides of the ball. King’s has a handful more back but still has a largely untested team.
Enterprise pick: Sultan 34, King’s 21
Archbishop Murphy at Coupeville
Game time: 7 p.m. Friday at Coupeville
Records: Archbishop Murphy 2-0, Coupeville 2-0.
Last week: Archbishop Murphy 49, Black Hills 7; Coupeville 34, Concrete 0.
Last year’s result: Archbishop Murphy 41, Coupeville 9.
Players to watch: Archbishop Murphy’s Henry Woods ran for 165 yards on 16 carries and scored two touchdowns in the Wildcats’ victory over Black Hills. Coupeville running back Clay Hughes ran for two touchdowns and caught a pass for another score in the Wolves’ romp over Concrete.
Breakdown: Archbishop Murphy’s ground game appears to be in top form as the Wildcats ran for 430 yards in last week’s win over Black Hills. But expect a pass or two or three from Archbishop Murphy. The Wildcats’ defense will need to contain the Coupeville offense, which has scored 49 and 34 points in a pair of blowout victories over LaConner and Concrete.
Enterprise pick: Archbishop Murphy 41, Coupeville 21.
Enterprise sports staff picks
Last week: 7-0
Season: 13-1
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