4 games you should not have missed in Week 9 of Washington high school football

Arlington ends two-time defending 4A champion Lake Stevens' 63-game Wesco winning streak with 28-14 victory to grab share of league title

Leyton Martin and the Arlington Eagles ended Lake Stevens' Wesco winning streak at 63 games in Week 9. / Photo by Todd Milles

After a decade in the Class 3A ranks, Arlington High School rejoined 4A Wesco this fall.

And the Eagles weren't shy about who they were most excited facing on their schedule - two-time defending WIAA champion Lake Stevens, which had not lost in 4A Wesco since 2017.

It was worth the wait.

Led by Leyton Martin's three touchdown passes, the 10th-ranked Eagles shocked No. 5 Lake Stevens, 28-14, at John C. Larson Stadium in Arlington.

Martin broke a 14-14 tie with his 3-yard score to Mateo Molina late in the third quarter, and the Eagles added some cushion on linebacker Jace Graham's 29-yard interception return for at touchdown with 10:32 remaining.

"Ultra-focused," Arlington coach Greg Dailer said about his squad this week heading into the showdown. "We had great (preparation) and a lot of film work. Our defense was really ready to go."

It had to be facing reigning Gatorade state player of the year Kolton Matson, who seemed to have hit an extra gear at quarterback in recent weeks with his young pass-catching corps.

But the defense - and Graham, in particular - was ready when it most counted on the game-chaning turnover.

"Against their RPO, (Graham) has to be super-disciplined. When that (offensive) guard pulls ... he has to drop into coverage and find that receiver," Dailer said. "And he fooled Kolton there. It was such a huge play. It was the turning point."

Caleb Reed finished with a game-high 116 rushing yards on 20 carries. Martin passed for 195 yards and three touchdowns - with two scores going to Kaid Hunter.

Matson had 219 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions.

"We had this game circled in our locker room since Day 1," Dailer said.

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MONROE STOPS 2-POINT CONVERSION TO WIN 3A WESCO

Scott Darrow likes ending Monroe practices with one simulation - Kansas City tiebreakers.

And the No. 6 Bearcats were up to the real-life task Friday night with the 3A Wesco title at stake.

After Carson Lang scored on a 3-yard touchdown run for Oak Harbor to match Monroe's score in overtime, the Wildcats decided to go for the win on the road.

This time, the Monroe defense was ready for Lang's same sweep run to the right side, dropping him well behind the line of scrimmage to protect a 49-48 victory.

The Bearcats won their first league title since defeating Ferndale in 2021.

"It was just a battle," Darrow said. "We had the right call to (stop them). To be honest, we kind of got lucky."

Power running back Brennan Sheppard scored his fourth rushing touchdown of the game on a 12-yard run in overtime to give Monroe a 49-42 lead.

But Oak Harbor answered right back on Lang's handoff and sweep run from his wingback position, easily finding the corner on his 3-yard score.

It did not work out well the second time for the Wildcats.

"We hit on some big plays, but they kept coming back," Darrow said. "That is a heck of a team."

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MOUNT TAHOMA DOES NOT FOLD

Mount Tahoma has had its share of second-half meltdowns and overtime heartbreaks in losses to Yelm, Central Kitsap and Lincoln of Tacoma this fall - and appeared headed toward another one Friday against No. 4 Lakes.

Not so fast.

After Chris Cosio kicked a 38-yard field goal to give the Lancers their first lead of the game in overtime, the Thunderbirds responded with Elijah Durr's game-winning 14-yard touchdown catch from Mikkah Cordero in a 40-37 victory at Harry E. Lang Stadium.

At one point in the first half, Mount Tahoma led 27-6 before Lakes rallied.

"This was huge for us," Mount Tahoma coach Keith Terry. "More than anything, we showed we could persevere. We had some things that did not go our way in the second half, but we did not tap out."

Terry said he went back to a pass play they had misfield on earlier in the game - clearing out space to get Durr on a curl route. It worked.

"It opened up perfectly," Terry said.

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SETON CATHOLIC EMERGES FROM WILD 1A TRICO SHOWDOWN

The wind was blowing. Rain was falling sideways. And a sold-out crowd at La Center was howling

Seton Catholic was already trailing by two touchdowns, and its offense had not seen a snap yet?

Cause for concern? Nah.

Joe Callerame scored three touchdowns, and Kolton Gesser's 32-yard score to Ryker Ruelas right before halftime triggered the second-ranked Cougars' run of 29 consecutive points, and they captured their first league championship in school history wit a 29-21 victory over the No. 3 Wildcats.

"We've overcome adversity in the past," Seton Catholic coach Dan Chase said. "This was just a larger scale."

Houston Coyle opened the game with a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for La Center, which surprised the Cougars by attempting - and recovering - an onside kick on the ensuing sequence.

La Center went up 14-0 on Wyatt Eisland's 4-yard touchdown run at the 7:15 mark. But Callerame and the Seton Catholic offense responded on their first series - and the just kept going.

"When we got down by 14 ... the feeling was, 'Now we get our chance, let's go make something happen,'" Chase said.

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