Oregon 6A TOP 10 By Jordan Johnson
#1 Jesuit @ McMinnville- ( Jes 56 Mcm 7) McMinnville is not a bad football team, but expect the Crusaders to score early and often and have this game put away by halftime. AJ Glass will most likely get it started right and go for 200+
#7 Southridge @ #2 Sheldon- ( Shel 42 Srdg 20) I am a big backer of both of these teams. Sheldon is loaded and brings back a ton of experience to go with 3 key transfers.. Expect the Irish to bring a lot of pressure and make talented Jr QB AJ Woodin make quick decisions.
#5 WA Skyview @ # 3 Central Catholic- ( CC 31 Skyview 25) Before the departure of Reiley Henderson I thought this game could have gone either way, but I will give the edge to the Rams who are loaded everywhere but the O line where they do have the state’s top junior DE in Connor Humphreys.
Thurston @ #4 Aloha – (Aloha 57 Thurston 7) I think Aloha will absolutely crush the Colts and Tyner will have 3 Tds by half.. The Warriors are very good and will have this in the bag early as Brayden Kearsley and Mike Kluge are going to make a mess of the opponents line.
#5 Lake Oswego @ Olympia WA- ( LO 28 Olympia WA 17) LO will be really good, but I think it will take awhile to get going with some new faces on offense. Expect the Lakers to play tough D all night with a (10-2) Olympia team battling against Oregon’s returning 6a state champs
#6 Tigard @ #10 Canby ( Tig 34 Canby 26) Maybe the toughest call of the night as I think Canby is a very good football team, but still young. I see the Tigers using their team speed to get the victory. This will be one of the best games in either state, as Canby QB Sam Stelk made the transfer from Tigard a season ago.
#8 S.Medford @ West Salem ( S Med 28 West Salem 17) Shawn Stanley always has his Titans ready to play, but they return very few starters and the kids from down South have some legit athletes back. The Panthers are always the biggest challenger to Sheldon, with question marks coming at QB after the departure of Jack Singler. Two of the best head coaches in the NW go head to head here ( B.Singler/S.Stanley)
Lincoln @ #9 Century ( Century 41 Lincoln 31) Century better be careful with a very dangerous Cardinal team that has a veteran QB in John Williams and the Aisea brothers who are nasty. Century will put up points, but how the defense plays will be interesting.
OTHERS:
# 7 WA Camas @ Oregon City (Camas 38 OC 7)
Clackamas @ Grants Pass (Clack 35 GP 14)
Crater @ Tualatin (Tual 29 Crater 20)
Glencoe @ Liberty ( Glencoe 42 Liberty 14)
Grant @ Centennial ( Grant 26 Cent 25)
Gresham @ Wilson ( Gresh 34 Wilson 14)
McNary @ North Medford ( Mcnary 42 N Med 20)
North Salem @ Newberg ( New 28 N Sal 21)
Reynolds @ Hillsboro ( Reynolds 37 Hillsboro 17)
South Albany @ McKay ( Mck 24 S. Albany 22)
South Eugene @ Churchill ( Church 51 S.Eugene 6)
South Salem @ Roseburg ( Roseb 28 S. Salem 18)
West Linn @ Couerdalene , ID ( Couerdal, ID 48 West Linn 15)
Westview @ Barlow ( Westv 31 Barlow 16)
#2 5A Wilsonvile @ Sprague ( Wilsonv 21 Sprag 20)
Beaverton @ Forest Grove ( Beav 30 FG 14)
Sunset @ David Douglas ( Sunset 34 DD 14)
Eastlake WA @ Lakeridge ( Lakeridge 31 Eastlake 27)
Oregon 5A Top 10 By Jordan Johnson
Radford (HI) @ #1 Crescent Valley ( CV 35 Radf 17)- The team from Hawaii is off to a (2-0) start, but they were (1-6-1) last year and the Raiders have some pent up aggression after last years injury plagued season. Look for T Sanders to go off and CV to start the year off right.
#2 Wilsonvile @ Sprague -6A ( Wilsonv 21 Sprag 20)- This may be the toughest game to call in the entire state, Wilsonville is loaded on the perimeter but is thin on the line with regular starting QB Nick Highberger hurt for the first part of the season. Sprague brings back everybody with a bunch of all league kids, so this contest is a toss up especially being played down in Salem.
# 3 Marist @ #8 Bend ( Mar 28 Bend 27)- Another very tough game to call. The Lava Bears are lead by QB Jonah Koski and RB Duke Degaetano, and Marist is also much more thin up front then in years past. Expect Baird to be double teamed all night as Bend will make someone else beat them other then K.Smith/Baird.
#4 Mt View @ Lebanon ( Mt View 30 Leban 17)- Lebanon is one of those teams that is never bad and should give the Cougars a game at home. The Warriors do lose a couple big time players so the defending State champs shouldn’t have to many problems.
Milwaukie @ #5 Sherwood ( Sherw 42 Milwaukie 7)- The Bowmen reload as well as anybody, but I don’t see this being a typical #1/2 ranked team. That possibility is always there.. It will be interesting to see how all everything back Cristian Morris looks after missing 2011 with injury. Richard Ramsey will have his debut at Milwaukie after transferring from Jeff
#6 West Albany @ Pendleton ( WA 44 Pendleton 19)- The Bulldogs will go LaCoste left and right all night as the Bucs are just getting settled with a new coach. Coach Nyquist always has his guys ready, this will be Pendleton’s returning conference POY Jack Ezell’s time to shine and stop the state’s top junior back.
South Eugene @ Churchill #7 ( Church 51 S.Eugene 6)- I think Churchill could be really good. Tyler Reid will be one of the top 5a players in the state, and the Lancers return a host of starters including QB Mitch Reese. South Eugene is headed in the right direction but still has a long way to go.
Hermiston @ #9 Putnam ( Put 42 Her 20)- Head Coach Brad Lewman has his guys ready to go, and Deshawn Stephens might break the state’s all time TD record. Hermiston returns some good kids and should stay in the game, but what Lewman has done at this school is remarkable.
#10 Sandy @ Hood River ( Sandy 45 Hood River 21)- The Greg Barton era begins at Sandy with the state’s top ranked QB Justin Adams leading the way. I think the Pioneers will have their best season in school history and break multiple school total point/yardage records. Hood River isn’t bad and runs some misdirection so the D will need to be prepared.
OTHERS:
Ashland @ Klamath Union ( Ash 34 KU 19)
Benson @ Dallas (Dallas 47 Bens 7)
Cleveland @ St Helens (St Hel 40 Clev 8)
Corvallis @ Willamette ( Corv 48 Will 9)
Eagle Point @ Mazama ( E Pt 44 Maz 7)
Madison @ The Dalles ( TDalles 27 Mad 25)
Marshfield @ Siuslaw ( Marsh 31 Siusl 24)
North Eugene @ Summit ( Summ 38 N.Eug 0)
Parkrose @ Franklin ( Frank 31 Park 13)
Silverton @ Springfield ( Silver 27 Spring 21)
Sweet Home @ Redmond ( Red 35 Sweet Home 16)
Woodburn @ Jefferson ( Wood 28 Jeff 27)
Washington 4A/3A Predictions Analysis By Scott Eklund
Trinity (Euless, Tx.) vs. Bellevue (Thursday) – This is the biggest matchup of the weekend, at least when you consider that both of these teams are ranked in the top 25 in the country. Trinity is loaded with D-1 talent and averages 310 pounds across the offensive line, but Bellevue always seems to bring their A-game when they face teams people think they could lose to. No Texas prep team has ever left the state of Texas and lost, but this is the year that that happens. Bellevue 30 – Trinity 24
Kentridge at South Kitsap – Kentridge has a lot of talent back, but South Kitsap has some playmakers at their disposal and a huge offensive line. This one should be a close one, but the Wolves win in the end. South Kitsap 28 – Kentridge 24
Bothell at Skyline – These two top 10 programs should put on a show to start the season. Skyline’s Max Browne and Bothell’s Ross Bowers are two of the top signal-callers in the region so this could end up being a shootout. Skyline pulls away late to get the win. Skyline 31 – Bothell 20
Liberty at Eastside Catholic – Both of these schools should be pretty good this year, but EC is ready to explode with a veteran team that has big-time players at almost every position. Eastside Catholic 33 – Liberty 17
Mount Si at Kennedy – Two more top 10 schools facing off this year, at least in my rankings, and both have promising quarterbacks to lead their attacks. I see Kennedy with the edge, but wouldn’t be surprised to see Mount Si come out on top either. Kennedy in a squeaker. Kennedy 27 – Mount Si 24
Bremerton at Foster – Bremerton drops down to 2A and faces a tough Foster program on the road. Foster has one of the most underrated players in the state on their roster in Micah Breland and I think the two-way star is the difference in the game. Foster 22 – Bremerton 17
Wenatchee at Eisenhower – Ike plays host to the team I believe is poised for a breakout this season. The Cadets feature one of the top passers in the state in Kolney Cassel while the Panthers have speed (Isaiah Brandt-Sims) and size (Cody O’Connell) on their side. I see Wenatchee winning this one, but it should be a thriller. Wenatchee 28 – Eisenhower 27
Central Valley at Ferris – The Saxons have been one of the power teams on the east side of the state, but this year they are young and not expected to do much. That’s when you need to fear them most though. CV is talented, but Ferris will win this one going away. Ferris 35 – Central Valley 20
Kamiak at Meadowdale – Kamiak has been down the past couple years, but veteran head coach Dan Mack thinks he has the players to get them into the playoffs this season. His young team gets a tough early test when they take on Mark Stewarts Meadowdale squad who I believe has a chance to really make some noise this season. Meadowdale 33 – Kamiak 17
Shorewood at Cascade – Cascade was once a state power and second-year Joe Cronin has them pointed in the right direction. They start the season with a very winnable game against a Shorewood team that went 3-7 last year. Cascade 20 – Shorewood 14
Washington 4A/3A Predictions Analysis By Ryland Spencer
Trinity @ BELLEVUE
Most people will think this is me picking the hometown team, but frankly I am picking Bellevue for more than that. The Wolverines have played in the spotlight many times before and rarely get outperformed. Speed is the name of the game for Bellevue and I am sure Trinity sees plenty of speed while playing in Texas. I expect this to be a close game, but the Wolverines come out on top, 31-21 for the boys in blue.
Bothell @ SKYLINE
This is what I consider to be the “Game Of The Week”. Two teams that could potentially meet three times this season(Week 1, KingCo Championship and State Championship). Bothell is coming off a rare down year while Skyline was busy raising another championship banner. This game has D1 talent all over the field and I do see potential for Bothell to come away with the win, but can’t bring myself to go against Max Browne. It’s a party on the plateau, Spartans win 35-31.
Woodinville @ LAKES
I feel like this years Lakes Lancers might be one of their best teams yet. They have two of the best WR’s in the state with Sammie Long and Marquin Russell, they also have two very good running backs in Dre Milton and Kevin Thompson. Getting the ball to those four will be the job of Puyallup transfer Rhys Gervais(2nd Team SPSL South in 2011). The Woodinville Falcons come off a very successful 2011 season where they made it all the way to the state semi-final, but were hit hard by graduation. They do return some quality players in Caleb Hamilton and Colter Clinch, but frankly do not have the playmakers to match Lakes. Lancers in a route, 41-10.
KENTWOOD @ Auburn
Two traditional powers in the SPSL North meet up in week one when Kentwood travels to Auburn Memorial Stadium. The Conks have a punishing defense anchored by Senior LB’s Chance Kalua-Fuimaono and Ryan Dozier. They also have experience at the QB position with Dane Hernandez-Maino, who has started since his Sophomore season. Last year was a bit of a down season for Auburn. They were young and struggled to move the ball. This season they will win games with their defense. Demontra McNealy and Kevin Shelton are two of the biggest LB’s in the state. That being said, I don’t see the Trojans being able to put enough up on the board to match the Conks. Kentwood wins 24-10.
MOUNT SI @ Kennedy Catholic
The Mount Si Wildcats feature possibly the best secondary in the state. Tyler Button and Jimbo Davis are potential lockdown corners, while Hunter Malberg and Trent Riley are two big time playmaking safties. Kennedy Catholic is going to want to throw the ball as their best offensive player is TE Cole Madison. The Lancers have a quality QB in Senior Connor Richardson, but he is relatively inexperienced. If the Mount Si DL can get pressure on Richardson, it could be a long day in Lancerville. The boys from Snoqualmie roll in this one, 34-14.
CENTRAL VALLEY @ Ferris
CV runningback Grayson Sykes split carries a lot of carries last season and only amassed 441 yards, but did run with over a 5 yard per carry average. Since Jim Sharkey took the reigns at Ferris in 2006, the Saxons have been arguebly the most successful team in the Greater Spokane League. The best player on the field in this game will probably be Cole Karstetter WR/DB for Ferris. This game will be won at the line as CV really likes to run the ball and control the clock. This game is being played at Eastern Washington University as part of the moved Emerald City Kickoff. Sykes runs wild on the red turf, CV wins 35-24.
Mountain View @ UNION
In just a few short years the Union Titans have had more success than anyone could’ve imagined. Cale Piland is one of the better coaches in the state of Washington and always fields tough teams. The Titans were hit hard by graduation, but have a great foundation in place going forward. This will be the first start for Union’s “Super Sophomore” QB Nolan Henry. Mountain View is a team that is going to wear you down with their size up front. Bennett Mausau is one of the more underrated OL in the state and will be asked to anchor the line that will be doing a lot of run blocking. Low scoring game, but the best band in the state will be playing “Rocky Top” when all is said and done. Union wins 14-10.
Kamiak @ MEADOWDALE
The Giavani Shepard Show will be on display in this Wesco matchup as the 5’8″ sparkplug from Meadowdale is primed and ready for a big senior season. The Mavericks were already one of the better teams in Wesco before picking up Archbishop Murphy transfer, DB/RB Morgan Masanda. I really like Kamiak QB Brett Ludeman and the receivers are above average. What I don’t see is a team that has the ability to be balanced. Mavericks begin big season with a 31-24 win.
O’DEA @ Gig Harbor
The Fighting Irish of O’Dea were a team hit fairly hard by graduation, but do return the fastest player in the state, RB/WR/DB/KR Tatum Taylor. If there is one thing I have learned about the Fighting Irish it is that legendary head coach Monte Kohler doesn’t rebuild, he reloads. Gig Harbor will need to be physical if they want to win the game and frankly I just don’t see them matching up well against the Irish. Kohler’s boys win “running” away, 34-14 Irish.
CHIAWANA @ Hanford
The Chiawana Riverhawks will be a good team. I know this because Steve Graff is one of the best coaches our state has ever seen. The Riverhawks are very young with only 3 seniors, but that doesn’t mean they will be pushed around. JR LB Alex Weber is a name we will be talking about over the next two years. The sky is the limit with him. Hanford has a good defense, anchored by SR DB jake Oram, but I don’t think they have enough to beat the Riverhawks. Chiawana wins 21-7.
