PORT TOWNSEND — Now the fun really begins.
The final third of the fall prep season has plenty of postseason intrigue for North Olympic Peninsula football teams.
Riding high atop the Olympic-Nisqually League after opening league play with three straight blowout wins, Port Townsend (3-0, 4-2) controls its own destiny on the path to a league title and state berth.
A showdown looms with No. 5 Cascade Christian (3-0, 6-0), a team that plundered the Vashon Pirates to the tune of an 82-6 victory last week.
But first for the Redhawks: a matchup with Klahowya (2-1, 4-2) tonight at Memorial Field.
Port Townsend has beaten the Eagles four times in the past two seasons, a quirk of the former Olympic League 1A Division schedule which featured home and away games for the four member teams.
Now in a bigger Olympic-Nisqually League, the feathered rivals are locked in a fight to finish in the top two and earn a state bid.
“They are a good program,” Redhawks coach Alex Heilig said.
“They have a lot of seniors this year and it should be a really good matchup. We know it has pretty big implications, we are kind of all-in for the rest of our league play to try and push and make it to the playoffs.”
Heilig said his varsity team, thin on numbers all year, is doing pretty well on the injury front.
“Our younger JV guys are pretty beat up,” Heilig said. “And Jacob Boucher has been out since week two, but so far so good [no injuries] in recent weeks.”
Prediction: Port Townsend 28, Klahowya 20
The playoff path for each team will be discussed in each game preview that follows.
Sequim at Olympic
BREMERTON — The winner of this game between the Wolves (2-1, 4-2) and Trojans (3-1, 4-2) takes the upper hand in the race for the Olympic League 2A Division’s second playoff berth.
Kingston (2-1, 2-4) also will have a say, but the Buccaneers were soundly beaten by Olympic 48-6 last week.
No. 7 North Kitsap (4-0, 6-0) already has beaten Sequim and Olympic and the Vikings appear well on their way to the league title.
Olympic has controlled the series with Sequim in recent seasons, winning the past five contests.
Wolves coach Erik Wiker expects the Trojans to again present a challenge.
“They have big linemen, they are strong and tough and they have quick athletes,” Wiker said.
“They are scary enough that they can break one [a big play] at any time. I expect their offense to be similar to Bremerton: a strong running attack, so we will have to stop the run and not let one squirt out.
“Their defense, last year you could see how well coached they are. I expect them to be well-coached.”
North Mason, a team the Wolves beat 47-12 last week, played Olympic close two weeks ago when the Trojans were without numerous injured players.
Those players are back, while Sequim is thin at its skill position spots.
Prediction: Olympic 34, Sequim 21
Port Angeles at Bremerton
BREMERTON — The Roughriders (0-3, 0-6) are simply seeking an upset at this point in the season. They can play spoiler in any of their remaining games starting tonight against the Knights (0-3, 2-4).
Prediction: Bremerton 28, Port Angeles 6
Forks at North Mason
BELFAIR — The 1A Spartans visit the 2A Bulldogs in a nonleague game. Both teams like to run the ball, Forks behind a power rushing attack, North Mason using the triple option. So expect this game to finish fast with little stoppage time for incomplete passes.
The Bulldogs have already lost to one 1A team (28-6 to Klahowya), so why not another?
Forks (1-1, 3-3) can clinch a playoff berth if they beat Elma (0-1, 1-5) on the road next week.
Prediction: Forks 22, North Mason 19
Chimacum at Vashon
VASHON — Something has to give in a matchup of the winless Pirates (0-3, o-6) and the winless in Nisqually-Olympic League play Cowboys (0-3, 1-5).
Chimacum topped Vashon around this time last year to stop a long losing streak. Can the Cowboys staunch their four-game skid with a win on the island?
Prediction: Chimacum 20, Vashon 14
Saturday Lummi at Crescent
JOYCE — The Loggers (0-2, 2-4) face the 1B No. 1 Blackhawks at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Lummi has too much speed and too many weapons for Crescent to keep up.
The Loggers are guaranteed a quad-district playoff game despite having yet to win a Northwest League game.
The reason? Four berths are awarded to the league which has only four teams competing this season.
Prediction: Lummi 56, Crescent 14
Quilcene at Evergreen Lutheran
TACOMA — The Rangers (1-1, 4-1) aren’t likely to win the Sea-Tac League title — a 58-8 loss to No. 5 Tacoma Baptist pretty much sealed off that option. But Quilcene can still make the playoffs — four league teams will receive berths to the quad-district playoffs.
To get the best seed, the Rangers will need to take care of business against the Eagles (1-1, 1-4) on Saturday at Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma.
Prediction: Quilcene 36, Evergreen Lutheran 34
Clallam Bay at Orcas Island-Canceled
ORCAS — Stormy weather has put an early end to the Bruins’ (1-3) season. Clallam Bay has no other 6-man games planned and head coach Cal Ritter said this one would not be rescheduled.
Ritter and his small band of Bruins should be commended for forging a season and keeping Clallam Bay football alive.
Last Week: 7-1 Year to Date: 36-5.
