PORT ANGELES — A homecoming heavy slate of prep football is set tonight around the North Olympic Peninsula with Port Angeles, Sequim and Chimacum all hosting royalty in the form of kings and queens, princes and princesses, and of course, the court jester.
Entering tonight’s games, the Olympic League 2A Division is packed with playoff hopefuls as four teams are competing for two playoff spots.
North Kitsap (4-0, 6-0) is the presumptive league champion (again), only needing to beat cellar-dwelling rival Kingston to clinch the No. 1 seed to the district playoffs.
Port Angeles (2-1, 3-3) hosts Bremerton (2-1, 5-1) tonight in a duel for possession of second place. The Roughriders also host rival Sequim next week and close at Olympic on Thursday, Oct. 26.
Fourth-place Sequim (1-2, 3-3) and third-place Olympic (2-2, 3-3) also will tangle tonight in a game with postseason implications. A Wolves win is critical for Sequim’s chances of making it back to the district playoffs.
Don’t be surprised if a three-team playoff occurs for that third postseason berth later in the season.
Bremerton at Port Angeles
PORT ANGELES — The Knights possess the Riders’ Kryptonite, ample team speed. Port Angeles struggles to keep pace with the quicker teams and Bremerton’s offense includes some speedy running backs and receivers.
The Riders can pull off an upset if they control the ball, avoid turnovers and take advantage of all offensive opportunities in Bremerton territory.
Prediction: Bremerton 35, Port Angeles 14
Olympic at Sequim
SEQUIM — Two teams that appear evenly matched when looking at common opponents should provide a fun contest tonight. On the outside and looking in at the postseason right now, the Wolves have a little more to play for.
Prediction: Sequim 28, Olympic 27
Port Townsend at Klahowya
BREMERTON — The Redhawks will be the homecoming guests as the Eagles (1-2, 1-5) try and cling to playoff life.
Port Townsend (3-0, 3-3) has been a nemesis for Klahowya in recent seasons, winning five in a row dating back to 2014 (the teams played twice per season in 2014 and 2015), including a 27-19 Redhawk win last season that ultimately boosted Port Townsend to the postseason.
Prediction: Port Townsend 29, Klahowya 14
Vashon at Chimacum
PORT TOWNSEND — The Cowboys (0-3, 2-4) have an excellent shot at a happy homecoming with the winless Pirates (0-3, 0-6) coming to town. Vashon has allowed opponents to score 55 points or more in four of their six games and have scored just 21 total points this season.
Prediction: Chimacum 33, Vashon 7
North Mason at Forks
FORKS — Can the Spartans join Sequim and Port Angeles as the third North Olympic Peninsula team to kennel the Bulldogs and beat the boys from Belfair?
Prediction: Forks 34, North Mason 12
Crescent at Lummi
BELLINGHAM — The Loggers (0-1, 3-3) will face a Blackhawks (0-1, 5-2) team that played two games in three days last week. Lummi lost to Tulalip Heritage 26-14 last Thursday in a Northwest Football League matchup, but beat Class 2B Concrete two days later 20-18.
Prediction: Lummi 48, Crescent 32
Quilcene at Muckleshoot
AUBURN —The Rangers (2-0, 5-0) are on the cusp of a top-five ranking in the Associated Press high school football poll, coming in sixth in the voting this week after a blowout win over Tacoma Baptist last week.
Muckleshoot’s (2-0, 2-2) two SeaTac League wins have come against teams with a combined 0-8 record.
Prediction: Quilcene 56, Muckleshoot 20
Saturday’s Game Taholah at Neah Bay
NEAH BAY — The Red Devils (1-0, 2-4) should get well in a return to eight-man football with a win over the Chitwins (0-2). Taholah had trouble with turnout early in the season and almost didn’t field a team.
Prediction: Neah Bay 48, Taholah 6
Last Week: 7-1
Season to date: 32-7
