Down to two.
A few weeks ago, there was a chance that five North Olympic Peninsula would have five football teams make the postseason.
Now only two teams remain: Neah Bay and Quilcene, which have reached the Class 1B state playoffs.
The top-ranked Red Devils will “host” Pateros at North Kitsap’s field in Poulsbo on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Quilcene, coming off a 86-28 thumping of Taholah, will travel to Aberdeen to play Twin Valley, which is a combination of Wishkah Valley and Lake Quinault in its first season of existence.
Port Angeles and Sequim were both eliminated from the postseason last Tuesday, and Port Townsend was upset at districts on Friday.
Here are three things learned last week in prep football.
■ Tough way to go out.
The bruising nature of football doesn’t allow for great overtime or tiebreaker scenarios.
Therefore, a three-team playoff like the one between Port Angeles, Sequim and Kingston last week might be as good of a way as any to break a multiple-team tie.
But it’s a tough, nerve-wracking way to play with your season on the line because only playing two 8-minute quarters magnifies everything.
Every turnover is more deadly and every touchdown is more important.
And think twice before punting, because you don’t know what condition the game will be in when — if — you get the ball back.
Once a team falls behind, they have to go into scramble mode to try to even the score.
Port Angeles’ ball-control run game was good enough to earn a 6-0 win over Sequim — although that blocked extra point could have been devastating if the Wolves managed to reach the end zone — but the Roughriders’ plodding style became a detriment when Kingston took a 7-0 lead with 44 second left in the second mini-game.
■ Snappers are important.
The trend toward shotgun and pistol or pistol-wing offensive formations has made its way to the majority of North Olympic Peninsula football teams.
This movement can be beneficial, since these setups can make defenses more likely to respect the dual threat of a run or pass.
For those teams who choose to take the snap a few yards away from center, an issue arises, and it’s a big one: making sure the center can effectively snap the ball to a spot that allows the quarterback to get a clean handle on the football and efficiently start the play.
If the snap is slow and low, the quarterback must dip down to seize the ball before bringing it back up for a handoff, a keeper or a throw to a receiver.
The low snap throws off a play’s timing and hampers execution.
Running backs may have to hesitate before receiving the handoff. Timing routes for receivers are off, leading to passes that should have arrived in open space, but instead find areas crowded with defenders.
And then there are the fumbles that these bad snaps can cause.
This issue came to light in a negative way for Port Townsend during its shocking 24-14 upset loss to Charles Wright.
Quarterback Jeff Seton was hindered by shoestring snaps throughout the game.
Four of them turned into fumbles, with the Redhawks recovering two in the first half but losing two to the Tarriers after halftime.
Another fumble on a handoff to a running back also started with Seton picking the ball off the ground.
There were other issues that sunk Port Townsend — injuries to key players and coverage issues on defense — but the low snaps stood out.
Quilcene’s defense saw the other end of the spectrum in its 86-28 win over Taholah.
The Rangers took advantage of low snaps by the Taholah center that allowed them to rush the quarterback, which helped them intercept five passes.
■ Jefferson County lovefest.
Port Townsend, Chimacum and Quilcene players stepped up to support each other as all three teams hosted home games last week.
The Cowboys’ tough season finished with a 16-14 defeat to Vashon in Chimacum’s last chance at a victory this season.
But the Cowboys were supported in that game by a vocal group of Port Townsend players who showed up to cheer on their counterparts Thursday night at Memorial Field.
The support was welcomed by Chimacum parents. Melody Pennington, the mom of Cowboys senior Travis Pennington, expressed her gratitude in a note that was posted on the Redhawks’ Facebook page.
Chimacum players also wore their jerseys to Port Townsend’s playoff loss to Charles Wright on Friday night and were in attendance Saturday for Quilcene’s state-clinching win against Taholah.
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“Three things learned in high school football last week” appears each week in the PDN.
Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
Sports reporter Michael Carman played center in high school. He can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 5250 or at mcarman@peninsualdailynews.com.
