4 games you should not have missed in Week 12 of Washington high school football

Sumner clears path to third WIAA semifinal appeaance since 2016 with a 41-0 win over Skyview in 4A quarterfinals Saturday

Junior Nate Donavan has really come into his own at quarterback in his first season as the Sumner starter. / Photo by Todd Milles

Keith Ross figured his best state-winning chances with Sumner High School football had already expired.

In 2016, his Spartans lost in the WIAA semifinals to a great Camas squad. A year later, with arguably his best squad, Ross and company lost a slobberknocker to Woodinville in the final four.

How many more chances would Sumner get to reach that juncture?

Well, it now has a third time.

The second-seeded Spartans played one of their most complete games in the Ross era Saturday night, dismantling 4A GSHL runner-up Skyview, 41-0, in the Class 4A quarterfinals at Sunset Chev Stadium.

Montana State-bound tight end Carter Cocke matched a career-high with three touchdowns, including a pair of short scoring receptions as the Sumner offense was crisp and efficient from the get-go.

And it benefited from a big early-game assist by the Storm.

Skyview went to its bag of trickery on its first series, opting for a fake punt by Toren Baker, who was tackled short of the first down at the Storm 24-yard line.

Cocke recovered his own fumble in the end zone on a fourth-and-goal run from the Skyview 1-yard line to give the Spartans a 7-0 lead at the 8:26 mark - and the hosts were off to the races.

"We were hot and cold against Kamiakin, (but) we had another great week … so I really felt our offense was going to come out and execute and stack good play together and not be so up and down," Ross said.

Cocke caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Nate Donovan early in the second quarter for a 14-0 lead. Six minutes later, Steele Isaacs dashed in from 6 yards out to extend the Sumner advantage to 21-0.

"We are moving in the right (direction), and just adding those wins, one by one," Cocke said.

And Ross feels this team has a couple more wins in it, starting with Chiawana on Saturday in the state semifinals.

"I thought (2017) was my last shot ... but look what we've got, maybe a better team and we're back in (the final four)," Ross said.

"And I told the kids, ‘Why not us?’ I know those other teams are great, but so are we."

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ARCHBISHOP MURPHY AVENGES EARLIER LOSS

After handing defending Class 2A champion Anacortes its only loss in October, Archbishop Murphy had to travel to Lynden the next week - and lost 7-3 to the Lions in a downpour, essentially costing the school more than one WIAA home playoff game.

Didn't matter - the Wildcats won the rematch Saturday, 10-9, at Ferndale High School.

And they needed a big defensive stop with 4:52 remaining after Lynden quarterback Brant Heppner connected with Brody Price for a 57-yard touchdown to cut it to 10-9.

The Lions decided to try and two-point conversion to take the lead, but Heppner's pass intended for Sam Arango was picked off by Jordan Rife.

Archbishop Murphy's offense chewed up the remaining time to stamp its semifinal spot against Tumwater.

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SETON CATHOLIC SURVIVES IN FINAL MINUTE

An undefeated season that had very few speed bumps hit a big snag Saturday for Seton Catholic, the No. 2 seed in the Class 1A playoffs.

The Cougars trailed Life Christian Academy by a touchdown with 21/2 minutes remaining at Doc Harris Stadium.

But after a long kickoff return by Joe Callerame to the Eagles' 28 - and a subsequent fourth-and-short conversion - Seton Catholic scoring the game-winning touchdown on Jacob Williams' 1-yard touchdown with 43 seconds remaining in a 42-41 Cougars' victory.

The Eagles drove to the Seton Catholic 34-yard line for one final play, but Jabez Boyd's pass in the end zone was knocked down.

Life Christian Academy had taken a 41-35 lead on A.T. Nuu's 26-yard touchdown run with 2:28 to go, but an unsportsmanlike penalty backed up the Eagles on the conversion try. They opted to keep the offense on the field, and Boyd's pass was intercepted.

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FREEMAN BLANKS ONALASKA

It only happens rarely - an out-of-district opponent coming to 2B Pacific country and posting a win in the WIAA playoffs.

But over the past three seasons - and in 2022 and 2023 in Class 1A - Freeman is used to being road warriors.

The Scotties registered perhaps their most impressive victory over that span with a 28-0 victory over Onalaska in the state quarterfinals Saturday.

Logan Schultz passed for 180 yards and two touchdowns, including a 30-yard score to Nash McLean late in the first quarter that proved to be all the points Freeman needed.

Nash McLean goes high for a 30-yard touchdown catch in Freeman's 28-0 win over Onalaska in Class 2B quarterfinals. / Photo by Lane Mathews

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