The Vikings, who are fourth in the Seattle Times’ rankings for Class 3A, are playing the No. 1 Crusaders (2-1) on Thursday at Eastside after a canceled game the previous week.
Rainier Beach is experiencing the wrong kind of déjà vu headed into a big Metro League game against Eastside Catholic.
The Vikings, who are fourth in The Seattle Times’ rankings for Class 3A, are playing the No. 1 Crusaders (2-1) on Thursday at Eastside after a canceled game the previous week.
Last year it was Franklin that forfeited against Beach. Last week, Archbishop Murphy canceled its Week 3 nonleague game against Beach (2-0) due to a possible threat.
“For us, it was going to be a signature game to let people know Rainier Beach is for real,” Vikings coach Corey Sampson said of AMHS, which advanced to the 2017 Class 2A state tournament semifinals while Beach was the state runner-up in Class 3A.
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“We even tried to play Saturday (Sept. 15), but they couldn’t do it,” Sampson said. “When we missed Week 3 last year, we weren’t on all cylinders against Eastside. (This year), we haven’t been battle tested yet as far as adversity. We’re still young and still bonding with each other.”
Warmup or not, Beach has never beaten Eastside in the history of the programs. But it’s always a showcase of talent, this time getting a regional airing on ROOT Sports at 7 p.m.
Washington-bound lineman Nathaniel Kalepo and Cal-commit Orin Patu, a two-way player, will suit up for Beach. Eastside features a five-star sophomore linebacker in JT Tuimoloau and four-star junior receiver Gee Scott Jr., who will make a second unofficial visit to Oregon this weekend.
“The private schools have had a tight grip on the conference,” Sampson said of Eastside and O’Dea. “But we just want to win. We want to go out and prove that we can play with anybody.”
HELLO, NEW FOE
Archbishop Murphy (1-1) has experience with cancelations after 2016’s string of forfeits from Cascade Conference opponents that grabbed national attention. One result was the league disbanding last winter. The Wildcats are preparing for a debut in the newly formed Northwest Conference 2A Sky division Friday.
AMHS, which is sixth in the Seattle Times’ Class 2A rankings, will make the approximate 88-mile drive north to play No. 3 Lynden. The undefeated Lions (3-0) advanced to the playoffs last season and have a senior-laden offensive line protecting senior quarterback James Marsh.
“It’s a big challenge,” said AMHS coach Jerry Jensen, whose program is 3-3 against Lynden all-time. The last meeting was Archbishop Murphy’s 52-14 win in the 2016 Class 2A state tournament semifinals. The Wildcats went on to clinch the state championship.
School officials shut down all afterschool activities through the weekend due to last week’s possible threat. In addition to the game against Beach, the AMHS football team missed a scheduled Saturday practice.
The team reconvened Monday.
“We lost reps and learning experience, but we might be a little bit healthier coming out of that missed game,” Jensen said. “We’re expecting a typical Lynden team. They’re going to try to spread us out and run the ball. They’re big up front and play really good football.”
OFFENSE, MEET DEFENSE
A highlight in KingCo 4A play is a divisional crossover game between undefeated Mount Si (3-0) and Woodinville (3-0).
The Wildcats, who are second in the Seattle Times’ rankings for Class 4A, are powered by Oregon-commit quarterback Cale Millen. The senior has completed 62 of 80 passes for 1,008 yards with 17 touchdowns and one interception.
But how will that fare against No. 6 Woodinville’s famed defense? The Falcons have combined for five sacks, four interceptions and three fumble recoveries to open the season. And there’s the 38-7 win it posted against a Millen-led Mount Si last year.
WINNING CHANGE
For the first time since anyone can remember, the matchup between city rivals Shorecrest and Shorewood is between two winning teams. The undefeated Scots (3-0, 2-0 WesCo 2A/3A South) will play host to the Thunderbirds (2-1, 1-1) on Friday at Shoreline Stadium.
Shorecrest has retained momentum from last year’s 5-5 overall finish, its best in modern-day history. In fact, the Scots’ 2-4 conference record was the most league games it had won the previous three years combined.
Shorewood’s 38-7 win against Meadowdale this season in Week 2 was its first league win since 2014.
NOTE: The North Puget Sound League debuts its three-tier divisions with undefeated Enumclaw (3-0) hosting Auburn Riverside (3-0) on Friday. The Hornets, who are seventh in the Seattle Times’ rankings for Class 4A, won the NPSL Olympic division last year. It was Enumclaw’s first league title in 21 years.