PORT TOWNSEND — Chimacum football coach Mike Dowling raised a valid point when discussing recent performances against Forks.
The two squads play at Memorial Field in Port Townsend at 7 p.m. tonight.
“They are always tough,” Dowling said.
“I think it’s been at least 10 years since we beat them,” Dowling said.
It’s likely a longer streak, but archived records only date back to 2004.
The two teams have faced off five times since 2008, and the Spartans have won all five contests by an average score of 33-10, including last season’s 33-28 triumph, the lone Forks win of the season.
The Cowboys’ defense led the team to a 21-6 win against South Whidbey last week.
“It took us awhile for our offense to get on track,” Dowling said.
“The defense really kept us in it.”
The Spartans, meanwhile, led 22-13 at halftime but fell 42-28 to King’s Way Christian at home last week.
Pass defense was a problem for Forks as the team allowed 375 passing yards in the game.
Chimacum doesn’t have that type of passing attack, so look for the Spartans’ streak to continue.
Prediction: Forks 41, Chimacum 14.
No. 10 North Kitsap at Port Angeles
PORT ANGELES — With a youth-dominated roster, this is the type of season where progress will be registered in small increments for the Roughriders.
The team acheived a measure of progress in the second-half of last week’s 35-0 loss to Port Townsend.
Port Angeles’ defense stiffened to deny the Redhawks any second-half points and the team forced two turnovers on downs. The Riders also put together a clock-chewing drive inside the Port Townsend 5-yard line but were unable to score their first points of the season.
Getting some points on the board against the vaunted Vikings would be a positive step for Port Angeles.
Prediction: North Kitsap 52, Port Angeles 6
Sequim at Centralia
CENTRALIA — The Wolves have suffered a couple of tough losses to the Tigers in the past decade.
The teams last met in 2014, a 35-28 overtime victory for the Tigers.
Last year’s game at Centralia was canceled due to a bomb threat.
But the real classic was a 2008 state playoff contest which the Tigers won 21-14 on a 26-yard touchdown pass with 0.4 seconds remaining.
That was during Sequim’s run of excruciating playoff losses, which saw the team lose four times in the final minute in five seasons.
This year, the Wolves will have to stop Centralia’s third-year starter at quarterback Joey Aliff and the Tigers’ pair of 6-foot-3 receivers in Jordan Thomas and Cale Shute.
Centralia also has one of the best helmet logos in all of the state. The Tigers use the Cincinnati Bengals tiger-stripe design to perfection.
Prediction: Centralia 34, Sequim 28
Port Townsend at No. 3 Mount Baker
DEMING — The Redhawks face a Mountaineers team that has put together a 42-9 record over the past four-plus seasons and showcases senior running back Jed Schleimer.
All Schleimer did last season was run for 2,511 yards, good for third all-time at the Class 1A level.
Second option Carson Engholm is no slouch, having totaled 883 yards rushing for Mount Baker last season.
The Mountaineers are off to a 2-0 start this season and will make it 3-0 with a big win tonight.
Prediction: Mount Baker 42, Port Townsend 7
No. 3 Neah Bay at Seattle Lutheran
SEATTLE — The Red Devils travel to one of the most historic and beaucolic settings for a high school football game: West Seattle Stadium. For traveling Neah Bay fans looking to avoid traffic I suggest avoiding the downtown Seattle ferry in favor of taking the Southworth-Fauntleroy route.
The Red Devils rolled to a 62-12 state quarterfinal win against Seattle Lutheran last season.
The Saints lost 68-22 to Lummi in their only game so far this season, so I’d expect Neah Bay to win this easily.
Prediction: Neah Bay 58, Seattle Lutheran 12
Last Week: 6-2. Season to date: 12-2.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com
