Two teams desperate for a victory face off at Edmonds Stadium tonight.
The winless Hawks of Mountlake Terrace host the winless Thunderbirds of Shorewood at 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 21 in a battle of teams fighting to stay out of the Western Conference South Division cellar.
Both teams have shown flashes of being better than their records indicate. One of those teams should take a step forward after tonight’s game.
Shorewood at Mountlake Terrace
Game time: 5 p.m. Friday at Edmonds Stadium.
Records: Shorewood 0-3, Mountlake Terrace 0-3.
Last week: Lynnwood 39, Shorewood 20; Kamiak 35, Mountlake Terrace 19.
Last year’s result: Mountlake Terrace 17, Shorewood 7.
Players to watch: Shorewood running back Dorian Lair rushed for 74 yards on 12 carries against Lynnwood. Mountlake Terrace running back Billy Lechtenberg ran for 92 yards on 12 carries against Kamiak. Hawks quarterback Tony Ellersick, a three-year starter, completed six of 13 passes for 94 yards.
Breakdown: The Thunderbirds struggled early against Lynnwood but executed better in the second half. Shorewood coach Andrew Hershey wants to see some fire from his players early in the game. The offensive line struggled against the Royals and needs to have a better performance this week. The Hawks are coming off back-to-back losses to Lake Stevens and Kamiak, though they played both of those teams tough in the first half. To prevail Mountlake Terrace must put together a full four-quarter effort. The Hawks’ offensive line should have a size advantage against Shorewood.
Enterprise pick: Mountlake Terrace 30, Shorewood 21.
Jackson
at Shorecrest
Game time: 7 p.m. Friday at Shoreline Stadium.
Records: Jackson 0-3, Shorecrest 1-2.
Last week: Mariner 28, Jackson 7; Edmonds-Woodway 63, Shorecrest 27.
Last year’s result: Jackson 21, Shorecrest 17.
Players to watch: Jackson running back Taylor Cox ran for 81 yards on 23 carries and one touchdown against Mariner. Shorecrest quarterback Lars Swenson ran for three touchdowns in a lopsided loss to Edmonds-Woodway.
Breakdown: Special team breakdowns contributed to losses by both teams last week. A missed field goal and a blocked punt helped sink Jackson, while Shorecrest allowed a pair of touchdowns on kickoffs. Jackson must contain the multi-talented Shorecrest quarterback Lars Swenson, who can throw and run the ball. The Scots need to control Jackson running back Taylor Cox.
Enterprise pick: Shorecrest 28, Jackson 24.
Cedarcrest at Archbishop Murphy
Game time: 7 p.m. Friday at Terry Ennis Stadium.
Records: Cedarcrest 3-0, Archbishop Murphy 3-0.
Last week: Cedarcrest 37, Granite Falls 7; Archbishop Murphy 60, Coupeville 22.
Last year’s result: Archbishop Murphy 28, Cedarcrest 12.
Players to watch: Cedarcrest has three of the most talented players in the league in quarterback Ernie Child and running backs Brady Paxman and Darren Collinwood. Paxman scored three touchdowns in the Red Wolves’ win over Granite Falls. Archbishop Murphy running back Henry Woods ran for 115 yards on 14 carries and scored one touchdown against Coupeville. Quarterback Patrick Kelly connected on a pair of touchdowns to wide receiver J.D. Melton.
Breakdown: The emotional rollercoaster continues for the Wildcats who will be playing their first home game without head coach Terry Ennis, who passed away on Sept. 12. The game also will be the first of the year at the newly renamed Terry Ennis Stadium. The Wildcats handled themselves well in Friday’s game at Coupeville and should be able to take care of a tough Cedarcrest team looking for an upset. Should the Red Wolves keep the game close, they might surprise. But Archbishop Murphy should be too focused to let that happen.
Enterprise pick: Archbishop Murphy 28, Cedarcrest 21
Edmonds-Woodway
at Lynnwood
Game time: 8 p.m. Friday at Edmonds Stadium.
Records: Edmonds-Woodway 3-0, Lynnwood 2-1.
Last week: Edmonds-Woodway 63, Shorecrest 27; Lynnwood 39, Shorewood 20.
Last year’s result: Edmonds-Woodway 52, Lynnwood 7.
Players to watch: Each week it’s a different player that shines for Edmonds-Woodway. Quarterback Kyle McCartney, running back Tony Heard and wide receiver Antoinne Wafer (two kickoff return touchdowns and one reception for a score last week against Shorecrest) have each occupied the spotlight in the Warriors’ first three games. Lynnwood quarterback Andrew Beatty completed 12 of 20 passes for 260 yards, while running back Geoff Meinken ran for 130 yards on 25 carries and scored one touchdown in last week’s win over Shorewood.
Breakdown: No team has been able to shut down the prolific Edmonds-Woodway offense this season. Lynnwood’s defense, especially its large line, has been effective against the run this season. If the Warriors have trouble with their ground game, they’ll rely on quarterback Kyle McCartney’s arm and wide receiver Antoinne Wafer’s hands. The Royals have the ability to mix the run and pass with quarterback Andrew Beatty and running back Geoff Meinken, both of whom are coming off a great game against Shorewood.
Enterprise pick: Edmonds-Woodway 47, Lynnwood 20.
Meadowdale
at Mariner
Game time: 7 p.m. Friday at Goddard Stadium.
Records: Meadowdale 1-2, Mariner 2-1.
Last week: Oak Harbor 14, Meadowdale 9; Mariner 28, Jackson 7.
Last year’s result: Mariner 34, Meadowdale 21.
Players to watch: Meadowdale running backs Nick Montanari (21 carries, 63 yards) and Tonna Njoku (eight carries, 28 yards) struggled against a tough Oak Harbor defense. Mariner lost starting running back Matt Jones to an injury in the first quarter against Jackson but still managed to run for 213 yards on the ground with running backs Adrien Black, Chhaylee Khatt and Shaundell Burns making equal contributions.
Breakdown: The game likely will be one of stark contrasts with a tough Meadowdale defense trying to control a Mariner offense that has some of the league’s top skill players. The Maverick offense needs to have more consistency and take advantage when it drives deep in the opponent’s territory. Mariner needs to shut down the Meadowdale ground attack. Mariner quarterback Tyler Tuiasosopo is a veteran presence in the backfield and could be the difference.
Enterprise pick: Mariner 14, Meadowdale 7.
Kings
at Lakewood
Game time: 7 p.m. Friday at Lakewood High School
Records: King’s 0-3, Lakewood 0-3.
Last week: Sultan 47, King’s 19; South Whidbey 34, Lakewood 8.
Last year’s result: King’s 33, Lakewood 19.
Players to watch: King’s junior running back Josh Fuller scored on a 2-yard run and returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score against Sultan. Fuller finished with 225 all-purpose yards. Lakewood runs a spread offense with quarterback Justin Lane throwing to multiple receivers. One of his favorite targets is Marcus Harkins.
Breakdown: Both teams’ offenses have sputtered this season, though the Knights appear to have made a little more progress. King’s pass defense didn’t fare well against Sultan last week and will be tested by the Cougars’ spread offense. King’s running back Josh Fuller appears to be emerging as the go-to guy in the backfield.
Enterprise pick: King’s 30, Lakewood 15
Enterprise sports staff picks
Last week: 7-0
Season: 20-1
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