Bracket Breakdown: WIAA 1A state football tournament first-round previews, stat leaders, game picks

Fifth-seeded King's comes into the tournament well-rested after late-season forfeit, bye week allow team to hold mini-training camp

In essence, the past two weeks around the King’s Schools football program have provided the Knights with a second training-camp opportunity.

Two weeks ago, their "senior night" game turned into a forfeit when their final 1A Emerald League opponent didn’t have enough players to field a team.

"We turned it into a 'Fall Senior Night' party,' King's coach Jim Shapiro said. "We came out, played some cornhole, played some other games, had barbecue. The only thing missing was a football game."

* CLASS 1A WASHINGTON TOURNAMENT BRACKET

Coupled with a Week 10 bye, it gave fifth-seeded King’s the same two weeks the team gets to practice before its first game last August.

"We told the kids, 'You’ve got to learn how to pivot,'" Shapiro said. "We took them back to August, that mindset. It was about getting healthy."

Since a difficult streak early in the season when the Knights beat fellow 1A playoff bracket teams from Nooksack Valley and Cascade Christian over a three-week span, King’s had been beat up. The Knights played without three or more starters over the final half of the year.

So the two-week break allowed King’s to practice and get healthy again heading into the post-season. And others stepped up to get them to the end of the regular season with an unblemished record at 9-0.

"It’s been kind of a focus for this team," Shapiro said. "To be very mentally tough. At the 1A level, it’s very fortunate to have enough guys to play in when you’re dinged up."

Editor’s note: Here’s a game-by-game breakdown, including top individual performers, outlook and score predictions of this weekend’s 2023 WIAA Class 1A football first-round matchups.

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NO. 11 CASCADE CHRISTIAN COUGARS (9-1) vs. NO. 6 NOOKSACK VALLEY PIONEERS (7-2)

Photo by Vince Miller

5 p.m. Saturday at Civic Stadium, Bellingham

Statistical leaders: For Cascade Christian – QB Grant Johnson (56-87, 790 yards, five TDs), QB Jackson Almond (35-48, 716 yards, nine TDs), RB Jack Tangen (90 carries, 711 yards, 12 TDs), WR Almond (33 catches, 486 yards, five TDs), and LB Byson Vasquez (115 tackles, 16.5 TFL, 18 sacks, 12 fumbles caused). For Nooksack Valley – QB Joey Brown (63-91, 1,062 yards, 12 TDs; 53 carries, 391 yards, eight TDs), RB Colton Lentz (110 carries, 1,101 yards, 18 TDs), RB Skyler Whittern (76 carries, 928 yards, 13 TDs), WR Cory Olney (21 catches, 401 yards, five TDs) and WR Jackson Bennett (18 catches, 401 yards, four TDs).

What to watch for: Always the intriguing matchup when an air attack meets a run-heavy offense. The Cougars come at you with a two-headed quarterback monster in Johnson and Almond. Both can throw it around the yard. The Cascade Christian defense faces an imposing running game from the Pioneers and their own two-headed monster of running backs with 1,000 yards (Whittern is just short but he and Lentz have combined for over 2,000 yards on the ground so far this fall).

Pick: Nooksack Valley, 34-13.

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NO. 14 CONNELL EAGLES (5-5) vs. NO. 3 LYNDEN CHRISTIAN LYNCS (7-2)

Photo courtesy of Lynden Christian athletics

4 p.m. Friday at Blaine High School

Statistical leaders: For Connell – QB Carson Lloyd (140-229, 1,781 yards, 28 TDs), RB Jackson Forsyth (153 carries, 1,023 yards, 15 TDs), WR Kellen Riner (58 catches, 921 yards, 15 TDs) and DB Max Andersen (57 tackles, four TFL, sack, INT). For Lynden Christian – QB Jeremiah Wright (93-171, 1,096 yards, nine TDs), RB Hollis Owen (123 carries, 571 yards, eight TDs), WR Dawson Bouma (29 catches, 485 yards, five TDs), WR Kayden Stuit (30 catches, 475 yards, six TDs), and DL Stuit (84.5 tackles), LB Trey Bosman (76.5 tackles, four INTs).

What to watch for: The Eagles may be 0-4 this season against other teams in the 1A bracket, but they managed to oust an eight-win La Salle team in Week 10 to earn a spot in the bracket. Lloyd will throw the ball at will but needs to be careful with Bosman (who already has four interceptions this season) lurking at his linebacker position. The Lyncs understood they had the chops to be a contender when they held the Nooksack Valley running game in check during a 21-20 come-from-behind upset victory. Expect to see Stuit all over the field on both sides of the ball for a Lynden Christian team riding a five-game winning streak into the playoffs.

Pick: Lynden Christian, 47-13.

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NO. 10 FREEMAN SCOTTIES (7-3) vs. NO. 7 MONTESANO BULLDOGS (10-0)

Photo courtesy of Freeman athletics

7 p.m. Friday at Montesano High School

Statistical leaders: For Freeman – QB Luke Whitaker (122-201, 1,896 yards, 25 TDs), RB Kanoa Rogan (119 carries, 615 yards, six TDs), WR Sage Gilbert (24 catches, 548 yards, eight TDs), Rogan (35 catches, 476 yards, seven TDs) and LB Cody Cayce (111 tackles, INT, six TFL). For Montesano – QB Tyson Perry (47-86, 641 yards, eight TDs) QB Jaxsen Wilson (23-44, 466 yards, four TDs), RB Gabe Bodwell (136 carries 1,162 yards, 18 TDs), WR Mason Rasmussen (24 catches, 485 yards, five TDs), WR Bode Poler (24 catches, 343 yards, five TDs) and LB Gabe Pyhala (107 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two INTs).

What to watch for: The Bulldogs have allowed only 27 points all season long on defense - and none since Castle Rock’s single touchdown in mid-September, recording six consecutive shutouts and outscoring those six opponents, 310-0 (51.6 points a game). Whitaker will need to take care of the football while still being aggressive in getting it out to Gilbert on the outside and Rogan coming out of the backfield. Look for Montesano, on the other hand, to be opportunistic defensively and create short fields for its offense.

Pick: Montesano 45-17.

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NO. 15 LIFE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY EAGLES (7-2) vs. NO. 2 LAKESIDE OF NINE MILE FALLS EAGLES (9-0)

Photo by Vince Miller

3 p.m. Friday at Union Stadium, Mead

Statistical leaders: For Life Christian – QB Jabez Boyd (134-215, 2,032 yards, 22 TDs; 68 carries, 704 yards, 11 TDs), WR Julian Roso (46 catches, 671 yards, eight TDs), WR Champ Seumalo (25 catches, 427 yards, four TDs) and DL Julius Hernandez (72 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 26.5 TFL). For Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls – QB Calvin Mikkelsen (67-120, 1,246 yards, 16 TDs; 77 carries, 339 yards, six TDs), RB Hiro Patterson (57 carries, 429 yards, three TDs; 34 catches, 757 yards, seven TDs), WR Luke Pedersen (19 catches, 331 yards, six TDs) and Patterson (44 tackles, three TFL, sack, four INTs).

What to watch for: Boyd and his cadre of receivers want to put the ball in the air for Life Christian while Lakeside tends toward a more balanced attack between the passing game - led by Mikkelsen and a running attack that the quarterback and running back Patterson anchor. Patterson is Mikkelson’s primary receiving target, as well, accounting for 60.7 percent of the passing yards Mikkelsen has thrown for. The cornerback also is a stopper on defense with four interceptions this season.

Pick: Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls, 38-20.

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NO. 12 SETON CATHOLIC COUGARS (9-1) vs. NO. 5 KING’S KNIGHTS (9-0)

Photo by Todd Milles

6 p.m. Saturday at King’s Schools, Seattle

Statistical leaders: For Seton Catholic – QB Kolten Gesser (116-196, 1,617, 25 TDs), RB Jacob Williams (161 carries, 1,130 yards, 15 TDs) and WR Joe Callerame (28 catches, 467 yards, five TDs; 25 carries, 362 yards, seven TDs). For King’s – QB Noah Clark (76-122, 1,094 yards, 18 TDs; 58 carries, 540 yards, six TDs), RB Braeden Caulk (100 carries, 649 yards, 14 TDs) and WR Jack Fuller (21 catches, 420 yards, six TDs).

What to watch for: Expect the ball to flying with both Gesser and Clark able and willing to throw the ball all over the yard. Clark’s numbers encompass just the eight games that King’s has gotten to play this season, which has included a forfeit win on Senior Night and a Week 10 bye before the state bracket begins. At 5-foot-9 and just 160 pounds, the Knights senior signal caller isn’t of prototype build. He wears No. 22 in honor of a similarly undersized guy who had a lot of success in former Boston College and pro quarterback Doug Flutie. Clark’s collegiate avenue lies in a slightly different direction, though – he’ll play rugby at Texas A&M beginning next Fall.

Pick: King’s, 32-25.

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NO. 13 TOPPENISH WILDCATS (5-5) vs. NO. 4 CASHMERE BULLDOGS (10-0)

Photo by Sean Carter

6 p.m. Friday at Cashmere High School

Statistical leaders: For Toppenish – QB Jason Sanchez (45-90, 699 yards, 11 TDs), RB Kiyanno Zuniga (99 carries, 515 yards, six TDs), RB Justyce Zuniga (79 carries, 369 yards, three TDs), WR Leo Betancourt (23 catches, 297 yards, four TDs), and LB Kaiden Kintner (75 tackles, 8.5 TFL). For Cashmere – QB Rylan Hatmaker (112-167, 1,638 yards, 23 TDs), RB Tyler Peterson (103 carries, 797 yards, 11 TDs), RB Ajay Lawson (69 carries, 358 yards, four TDs), WR Dalan Smart (33 catches, 450 yards, three TDs), WR Logan Spies (34 catches, 441 yards, six TDs) and DL Josh Meros (53 tackles, 14 TFL, three sacks).

What to watch for: The Wildcats began a tough preseason with four consecutive losses, including a 20-0 defeat to these same Bulldogs in Week 4. Toppenish then rolled off five of six victories to right the season and get into the state bracket – only to see Cashmere once again in the opening rouind. The Bulldogs can score seemingly at will behind Hatmaker, but also have held six of their 10 opponents to one score or less (three shutouts) defensively. They also boast one of the best offensive fronts in the classification.

Pick: Cashmere, 34-16.

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NO. 9 OMAK PIONEERS (6-4) vs. NO. 8 LA CENTER WILDCATS (10-0)

Photo courtesy of Omak athletics

6 p.m. Friday at La Center High School

Statistical leaders: For Omak – QB Beau Sackman (162-257, 2,476 yards, 30 TDs; 94 carries, 567 yards, 10 TDs), WR Teagan Mullin (67 catches, 1,043 yards, 17 TDs), WR Kaiden Devereaux (45 catches, 717 yards, 10 TDs) and RB Eli Allen (60 carries, 351 yards, four TDs). For La Center – QB Houston Coyle (92-145, 1,122 yards, 12 TDs; 71 carries, 490 yards, nine TDs), RB Jalen Ward (129 carries, 870 yards, 10 TDs), WR Parker McKinney (40 catches, 569 yards, seven TDs) and LB Wyatt Eiesland (48 tackles, 11 TFL, three sacks, three INTs).

What to watch for: Don’t be fooled by the Pioneers' record: This is a dangerous 6-4 squad that has lost only to unbeaten Cashmere in a game they led 14-0 after Sackman has returned from an early season injury. The coach’s son helps the Pioneers average nearly 400 yards of total offense every game. La Center also has a versatile signal caller in Coyle, who throws it around but will take off and use his legs when necessary.

Pick: La Center, 48-42.

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NO. 16 EATONVILLE CRUISERS (6-4) vs. NO. 1 ROYAL KNIGHTS (9-0)

Photo by Sean Carter

4 p.m. Friday at Royal High School

Statistical leaders: For Eatonville – QB Hunter Klumpar (103-179, 1,588 yards, 17 TDs), RB Dylan Norman (52 carries, 296 yards, two TDs), RB Payton Hanly (51 catches, 282 yards), WR Ky Nation (24 catches, 639 yards, 10 TDs) and LB Hanly (74 tackles, 8.5 TFL). For Royal – QB Lance Allred (114-177, 2,157 yards, 25 TDs; 79 carries, 500 yards, 12 TDs), RB Jared Lee (58 carries, 332 yards, eight TDs), WR Case Christensen (37 catches, 851 yards, 14 TDs), WR Jackson Larsen (29 catches, 527 yards, five TDs) and LB Lee (78 tackles, INT).

What to watch for: Rematch of 2021 1A title game is a first-round game this weekend after the Cruisers snuck into the bracket with a 15-14 Week 10 win over Castle Rock. That Cruisers' team two years ago was undefeated (as were the Knights). Royal completely shut down the Eatonville offense that cold December afternoon, winning the title 41-0. Allred was a ninth grader on that championship team and now leads a high-powered passing game that has the Knights rolling again. Eatonville has won three games in a row to get here.

Pick: Royal, 36-6.

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