Each of the past two seasons, the Lake Stevens and Monroe football teams steamrolled the rest of Wesco 4A en route to a winner-take-all clash for conference supremacy in the regular-season finale.
Both times, the highly anticipated de facto Wesco 4A title game turned into a Vikings rout.
The league rivals meet again in Friday night’s Wesco 4A opener at Monroe, with fourth-ranked Lake Stevens riding a 31-game conference winning streak and looking to continue its mastery of the Bearcats.
The five-time defending Wesco 4A champions have won 11 of the teams’ past 12 meetings, including five consecutive blowout victories by an average margin of 36.8 points per game.
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“Lake Stevens pretty much is our rival game,” Monroe coach Michael Bumpus said. “We don’t play Snohomish anymore, so there’s always some added excitement when (we) play Lake Stevens.”
Compared to the past two seasons, there’s a slightly different dynamic to this year’s matchup — and not only because it’s taking place in Week 3 instead of Week 9.
Whereas Lake Stevens (2-0) is coming off dominant wins over Ferndale and Class 3A fifth-ranked Lincoln, the Bearcats (0-2) are winless after double-digit losses to Eastlake and 4A seventh-ranked Woodinville.
Monroe, which reached the state quarterfinals last year for the first time in program history, is battling through inexperience after graduating 10 of its 11 all-conference players from last season’s historic team.
“I know everyone’s going to say we’re 2-0 and they’re 0-2 and this and that,” Vikings coach Tom Tri said after last week’s win over Lincoln. “Throw the records out the window when you play Monroe. It’s a rivalry, it’s at their place (and) they’re going to be ready for us. We’ve got to match their intensity and be ready to play.”
No. 4 LAKE STEVENS at MONROE
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Monroe H.S.
Lake Stevens: 2-0; beat Lincoln 38-21 last week
Monroe: 0-2; lost to Woodinville 38-14 last week
Outlook: Lake Stevens takes a 31-game Wesco 4A winning streak into this rivalry clash, along with plenty of momentum from decisive non-league wins over Ferndale and Lincoln the past two weeks. The Vikings’ balanced spread offense is averaging 40 points per game, led by senior quarterback Tre Long and a rushing attack that’s churning out 6.2 yards per carry behind a big, talented offensive line. Lake Stevens’ defense has been similarly dominant, totaling seven sacks and holding opponents under 300 yards per game. Monroe’s offense, meanwhile, struggled against KingCo 4A competition in its first two games, managing just a combined 20 points and less than 200 yards per contest. Special teams have been a bright spot for the Bearcats, who have returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.
Herald pick: Lake Stevens
GLACIER PEAK at JACKSON
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Everett Memorial Stadium
Glacier Peak: 2-0; beat Snohomish 36-28 last week
Jackson: 2-0; beat Mount Rainier 47-13 last week
Outlook: Glacier Peak beat Jackson in thrilling fashion each of the past two seasons, rallying for a 37-31 win in 2016 and outlasting the Timberwolves in a 48-41 double-overtime classic last year that featured more than 1,100 combined yards of offense. Grizzlies dual-threat senior quarterback Ayden Ziomas — who totaled 563 yards and seven touchdowns against Jackson last season — has completed 81 percent of his passes for 643 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions through two games. His favorite target is 6-foot-5 senior standout Evan Mannes, who has 11 catches for 224 yards and four touchdowns. The Timberwolves held Stanwood and Mount Rainier to 13 points or less in their first two contests, but Glacier Peak’s high-scoring offense presents a much more difficult challenge.
Herald pick: Glacier Peak
STANWOOD at ARLINGTON
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Arlington H.S.
Radio: KRKO 1380 AM
Stanwood: 0-2 overall, 0-1 Wesco 3A North; lost to Marysville Getchell 16-0 last week
Arlington: 1-1 overall, 0-1 Wesco 3A North; lost to Squalicum 42-21 last week
Outlook: Arlington has won eight consecutive Stilly Cups over archrival Stanwood, including the past two meetings by a combined three points. Last year’s Stilly Cup featured a seesaw fourth quarter, with the Eagles taking the lead on a two-point conversion and then blocking a potential game-winning field goal as time expired for a 28-27 win. Arlington opened its season two weeks ago with a last-second win over Mariner before falling to Squalicum in last week’s Wesco 3A North opener. The Eagles are led by senior quarterback Anthony Whitis, who has completed 60 percent of his passes for 496 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. Stanwood has managed just 12 points combined in its first two games, including a shutout loss to Marysville Getchell last week that ended the Chargers’ 13-game conference losing streak.
Herald pick: Arlington
2A No. 5 ARCHBISHOP MURPHY at 3A No. 4 RAINIER BEACH
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Southeast Athletic Complex (Rainier Beach H.S.)
Archbishop Murphy: 1-1; lost to Hockinson 42-13 last week
Rainier Beach: 2-0; beat Battle Ground 61-7 last week
Outlook: After allowing just four yards of total offense in a season-opening win over Eatonville, Archbishop Murphy’s defense surrendered 575 total yards in last week’s blowout loss to 2A second-ranked Hockinson. The youth-laden Wildcats face another tough non-league test against Rainier Beach, which reached the 3A state title game last year. According to 247Sports, the ultra-talented Vikings feature six of the state’s top 90 senior recruits, including a pair of Pac-12 commits: 6-foot-6, 315-pound lineman Nathaniel Kalepo (University of Washington) and linebacker Orin Patu (University of California). This is the second of a three-game gauntlet for Archbishop Murphy, which opens Northwest 2A Sky Division play next week at third-ranked Lynden.
Herald pick: Rainier Beach
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