4 games you should not have missed in Week 6 of Washington high school football

Fourth-ranked Archbishop Murphy sends shockwaves around the state with its 34-28 victory over No. 1 Anacortes, ending the Seaahwks' 18-game winning streak

Archbishop Murphy's Jack Sievers leads Wildcats' pressure-oriented defensive line coming off edge. / Photo courtesy of Jack Sievers

It's hard to believe a three-time WIAA football champion could obscure in anybody's shadow ... but that is how much Archbishop Murphy football had fallen off pace in the past few seasons.

Folks, the Wildcats are back.

Fourth-ranked Archbishop Murphy scored twice on defense, and held off a furious Anacortes rally to stop the defending Class 2A champi and top-ranked Seahawks, 34-28, on Friday night at Terry Ennis Stadium in Mill Creek.

Both Sievers brothers - senior Jack (17-yard reception and ninth grader Cole (90-yard interception) - for the Wildcats, who ended Anacortes' 18-game winning streak.

"The kids were ready to go," Archbishop Murphy coach Joe Cronin said.

The Seahawks had won both previous meetings, including last year's 45-0 victory on their way to their first Class 2A championship.

Cronin said facing Anacortes and all of its skill-position talent, led by Brady and Brock Beaner, and Rylin Lang, reminded him of taking on Eastside Catholic when the school boasted Ohio State-bound J.T. Tuimoloau and Gee Scott Jr., and UW-bound Sam Adams Jr. while he was on the defensive staff at O'Dea.

"We just tried our best to keep hands on guys, and keep the ball in front of us," Cronin said.

They certainly did on the game's biggest sequence late in the first half.

Trailing 17-7, Anacortes was on the move toward the end zone when one of Ryan Harrington's passes sailed high, and into the waiting arms of safety Cole Sievers.

Sievers took off down the right sideline with a 90-yard return for a touchdown - and 24-7 Wildcats' lead with 2:32 remaining before halftime.

"Enormous play," Cronin said.

Anacortes closed it to 34-28 buy scoring two touchdowns in a minutes late in the fourth quarter, but the Wildcats held on after they converted a third-and-2 play on Justice Williams' inside run with less than two minutes remaining.

"That is how these big games usually go, A swing here, a swing there,'" Cronin said. "You have to make big plays."

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SPANAWAY LAKE ENDS OLYMPIA'S UNBEATEN RUN

Undefeated Olympia was having thoughts about being in the driver's seat of the 4A SPSL South. Spanaway Lake just wanted to stay in the hun for a playoff bid.

Short-handed, the Sentinels rallied late for a 34-29 victory Friday at Art Crate Field.

Filling a lead-receiver role in place of injured starter D'Aryhian Clemons (oblique) and unavailable De'Arius Hawkins, sophomore Malik Burns had a career day - 10 receptions for 122 yards and three of Chase Best's five touchdown passes.

Burns hauled in the game-winning 5-yarder with 2:34 remaining to cap the Sentinels' 61-yard march.

"He will be our next big-time name coming through Spanaway Lake," Sentinels coach Cameron Robak said.

Clemons worked out during pre-game drills before the coaching staff decided it was best to delay the UW commit's return another week, opening the door for Burns' emergence.

He is a kid that has special talents," Robak said. "And he does not lack in confidence. He knows he can win his one-on-one matchups."

The Bears reached the Spanaway Lake 37-yard line with less than a minute remaining, but Cameron Downing's pass near the end zone was picked off by Xavier Martin.

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LAKES SURVIVES 3A PSL RIVAL

If this was five seasons ago, or two years ago - or even 2023, Lakes would have likely had a difficult time overcoming this rash of adversity.

But not Friday.

With starting quarterback Willie Nash (head) sidelined, and Exavier McChristian moving over from his wide receiver spot to be under-center again, the No. 7 Lancers got off to a rough start at Peninsula by giving up a safety on the first play from scrimmage - and producing four red-zone turnovers.

But McChristian came up with the final say, completing a long pass to set up the Lancers' game-winning touchdown in their 21-15 victory at Roy Anderson Field in Purdy.

On third down, McChristian launched a pass down the right sideline that Jalen Boone caught up to for a 53-yard gain at the Seahawks' 8, and two plays later, Ian Owens ran it in from 4 yards out with three minutes to go.'

"(McChristian) was frustrated, and I said, 'Hey, all this comes down to is for you to find a way to help your team win,'" Lakes coach Dave Miller said. "He made enough plays for us to win."

Peninsula drove to the Lancers' 21 in the final seconds, but its final pass into the end zone fell incomplete.

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MOUNT SPOKANE STILL IN PLAYOFF HUNT

Terry Cloer understands the occasional lull good programs have - but winless after four games?

Possibly staying home from the Class 3A playoffs?

That is the kind of fall it's been for perennial Greater Spokane League title contender Mount Spokane.

"I have been asking, 'Why?' a lot," Cloer said.

Well, the Wildcats aren't dead just yet after eking out a 31-30 win Friday over Lewis & Ckark at Union Stadium.

The Tigers made it interesting by driving 80 yards in just more than a minute to get a touchdown on new starting quarterback Ben Conklin's 5-yard run with 27 seconds remaining.

And they went for the lead with a two-point conversion try, but the Wildcats were able to get enough pressure to force an incompletion.

With Central Valley the clear No. 1 from the 3A GSL, the Wildcats could find themselves in a three-way tie with Ridgeline and Shadle Park in the final week for the final two playoff berths.

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