BREMERTON — Quick question: What do you get when you combine loggers and a herd of elk?
Answer: a wolfpack.
Neah Bay has never played the Twin Valley Wolfpack, but the Red Devils are familiar with the loggers and elk that the Wolfpack is made of.
Twin Valley is in its first year as a football program after the Wishkah Valley Loggers and Lake Quinault Elks decided to join forces during the offseason.
The combination of the two schools has worked well, as the Wolfpack (7-2) have advanced to the Class 1B state quarterfinals, where they face the top-ranked and defending champion Red Devils (10-0) at Silverdale Stadium on Saturday at 5 p.m.
This isn’t the first time the three Western Washington schools with histories of 8-man football success have met in the state playoffs.
Neah Bay has faced Wishkah Valley four times at the state level. Wishkah won 12-0 in 1983 and 44-6 in 2008, while the Red Devils won 48-12 in 1988 and 36-26 in 2005.
The Loggers were state champions in 1984 and runners-up in 2008.
Saturday also will be the fifth time Neah Bay has squared off against Lake Quinault at state.
The Red Devils have three wins: 34-28 in 1989, 54-0 in 1999 and 20-14 in 2009. The Elks won 28-6 in 1990.
That 1999 win happened as Neah Bay was making a run to its first state championship game appearance.
The Red Devils lost that title game, but they have appeared in the last three, winning two championships.
Neah Bay and the Twin Valley teams haven’t played much recently in the regular season.
The Red Devils beat Wishkah Valley 80-46 in a game that was set up only a few days before it was played back in 2012.
Neah Bay and Lake Quinault last met in the regular season in 2009. The Red Devils won 38-16 and then defeated the Elks again that season in the playoffs.
In the present day, Neah Bay is a hefty favorite to win Saturday’s game.
The Red Devils have established themselves as the best 8-man program in the western part of the state, if not the entire state, over the past four seasons.
They probably don’t need to play a perfect game to beat the Wolfpack, but they’ll need to play better than in their 78-30 win over Pateros last week if they want to avoid their head coach’s ire.
“Athletically, we overpowered them with our speed and stuff, but we missed some assignments, so overall, I’m not really pleased with the game; I’m really disappointed, to tell you the truth,” Neah Bay coach Tony McCaulley said after last Saturdays’ win.
“I have high standards. The score doesn’t dictate what we do or how we played. I want to see the team execute on every play.”
Sophomore Cole Svec is the Red Devils’ leading rusher this season with 1,141 yards on 100 carries.
Senior Chris Martinez is next after converting from receiver during the first month of the season, carrying the ball 74 times for 756 yards.
Cameron Buzzell has 356 yards and fullback Elisha Winck has rushed for 314 yards.
Twin Valley also is a run-oriented team, led by quarterback Kobe Kalama.
Kalama, a senior, rushed for 223 yards and five touchdowns in last week’s 62-34 win over Quilcene.
In fact, all nine of the Wolfpack’s touchdowns last week came on the ground.
1B state slate
The winner of Saturday’s game, which will be broadcast live on Forks 1490 AM and www.forks1490.com will advance to face the winner between Lummi and Lopez in the state semifinals at the Tacoma Dome next week.
Here is this week’s complete schedule for the Class 1B state playoffs:
■ Twin Valley vs. Neah Bay (at Silverdale Stadium), 5 p.m.
■ Lopez at Lummi, Friday at 5 p.m.
■ Cusick vs. Republic (at Gonzaga Prep), Friday at 6 p.m.
■ Garfield-Palouse vs. Liberty Christian (at Pasco), Saturday at 4 p.m.
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Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
