Week seven is in the books, Eastside Catholic and Peninsula wrapped up league titles, Bellevue won again and there are three teams left unbeaten. For an updated look at the standings from around the state, head on over to WaPrepZone.com .
This week I attended four games involving four 3A teams, including Eastside Catholic, O’Dea, Bishop Blanchet and Lakeside.
The Glasgow (Mont.) Scotties beat the Plentywood Wildcats 41-8 this week. The win moves Glasgow to 8-0 on the season, with Senior Night this Friday at Scottie Field against the Conrad Cowboys.
Game Recap
A key component to my Quest For 60 is Saturday afternoon games. If it seems like I have seen Lakeside and Bishop Blanchet a lot over the last couple years, it is because there isn’t a team in the state that plays more day games than these two, as neither have lights at their home field.
Lakeside returned to Seattle’s Metro League this year, and have been far more competitive than their last stint, while Blanchet came into the game on a two game losing streak after starting the season 5-0.
The Lions would begin by kicking off, and quickly forced a three-and-out, gaining early momentum. It wouldn’t last though, as Lakeside would go backwards before turning the ball over on downs.
Blanchet promptly marched down the field to take an early 7-0 lead, but that lead wouldn’t last, as Lakeside quickly went down the field and tied the game at 7 on a Cole Stephens touchdown run.
The two teams would exchange punts before the first quarter would come to an end tied at 7.
Following a fake punt conversion, Blanchet would take a 14-7 lead following a 15 yard touchdown pass from Alex Freeman to Keaton Zimbelman.
Lakeside would get the ball back, and drive into the red zone, before kicker Wyatt Paul missed a field goal wide right.
Blanchet needed just under three minutes to go 80 yards for a 21-7 lead, capped off by a 12 yard Kenon Morgan run.
Before the half, it looked like Blanchet was going to tack on another 7 points, but the Braves would fumble inside the 10 yard line.
With the Lions receiving the second half kick, you almost felt the momentum could be taking a turn towards Lakeside. Blanchet quickly extinguished those thoughts, as they stopped they forced Lakeside to punt.
The Braves would put together a nice drive, before settling for a 30 yard FG. Now it felt like Lakeside was going to need a bit of a miracle to get back into the game.
Unfortunately for the Lions, it wasn’t meant to be, as they were intercepted just a few plays into their next drive, and Blanchet would march down and widen the gap to 31-7.
The fourth quarter would see Blanchet punch it in again, before Lakeside finished the scoring with a 20 yard pass from Dawit Wondimagegn to Cole Stephens.
Final score, Bishop Blanchet Braves 38 – Lakeside Lions 13.
My Game Notes/Links
Bishop Blanchet is missing three key pieces to their puzzle. RB/S Oshea Trujillo, OL/DL Raemo Trevino and WR/DB Clinton Allen Jr, all missed the game and are expected to miss a few more.
I am a big fan of Blanchet LB Jack Sendelbach. There are few athletes in the state that hit with the power Sendelbach does. Following the game I caught up with the senior to talk about the game, his recruitment and what to watch for out of the Braves. That interview can be seen Right Here .
The Lakeside duo of Bennett Dondoyano (’17) and Mayan Chavez (’16) is fun to watch. Both are explosive and are just nice all-around playmakers. It will be fun to watch these two over the offseason and into next year.
This was the fourth straight week I have seen Blanchet. I can’t remember a time in which I saw the same team four straight weeks, and I doubt it will happen again. I try to avoid seeing one team too many times in a season, it just so happens the schedule worked out this way.
I want to thank Blanchet head coach Aaron Maul for his help following the game. He noticed I was having trouble finding Sendelbach, and was nice enough to call out for him to come talk to me. You’d be amazed at how rare that actually is.
Lakeside’s Hudl page has a page of stats, for that page Click Here .
Next Week: Blanchet (5-2) vs Seattle Prep (3-4), Lakeside (5-2) @ O’Dea (6-1).
Other 3A Notes/Links
I’ve been thinking about the state playoffs a lot recently, and decided to throw my thoughts out to anyone who wanted to listen. I did so on the 4A Week in Review, that can be found Right Here .
The playoff picture is becoming clearer by the day it seems. In the GSHL, there are some interesting scenarios in just about every level of play. Tim Martinez from The Columbian has the story Right Here .
This week’s podcast by the guys at the Everett Herald is up. To listen, follow This Link .
There were a ton of great games on Friday night, all over the state in different classifications. O’Dea vs Eastside Catholic was the marquee matchup, and I was lucky enough to work the broadcast on Root Sports. If you didn’t get a chance to watch the game, you can follow This Link , and enjoy the free on demand broadcast online.
Following the game, I grabbed Eastside Catholic OL Alex Neale to talk about their win. That interview can be seen Right Here. Saturday night I attended Charles Wright @ Cascade Christian, and without a 1A Week in Review, I am posting my interview with Cascade QB Jaelin Goldsmith Right Here .
The Lincoln Abes continued to roll this week, and moved up to #2 in our 3A Top Ten Rankings by taking it to Central Kitsap. You can read about that game Right Here .
Peninsula is the champion of the SPSL 3A following their win over previously unbeaten Auburn Mountainview. That game report is Right Here .
When I got home Friday, I was shocked to see Lynden had lost to Ferndale. This hasn’t been a great season for Ferndale, now 3-4 on the season, but they put it all together that night and stopped Lynden’s 33 game winning streak in it’s track. Andrew Lang of the Bellingham Herald has the game report and some stats Right Here .
This Week’s 3A Top Ten
1. Bellevue Wolverines (7-0)
2. Lincoln Abes (7-0)
3. Eastside Catholic Crusaders (6-1)
4. O’Dea Fighting Irish (6-1)
5. Marysville Pilchuck Tomahawks (6-1)
6. Peninsula Seahawks (6-1)
7. Meadowdale Mavericks (6-1)
8. Auburn Mountainview Lions (6-1)
9. Columbia River Chieftains (5-2)
10. Juanita Rebels (5-2)
