Bracket Breakdown: Washington high school (WIAA) 3A state football tournament first-round matchups, game picks

Reigning state champion Bellevue begins defense of its title with a Saturday opener against Stanwood

Fullback Max Jones led Bellevue with 1,100 rushing yards during run to 2023 WIAA championship. / Photo courtesy of Max Jones

The WIAA state football playoffs begin Friday, and 16 (or 12 in 1A) schools in each classification (4A-1B) are still alive for a Gridiron Classic championship, which will be held Dec. 6-7 at Husky Stadium in Seattle.

Here is a quick Class 3A primer for first-round action around the state of Washington:

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CLASS 3A FIRST ROUND (Bracket)

1-seed Bellevue (9-0) vs. No. 16 Stanwood (6-4), noon Saturday, Bellevue HS

2-seed O’Dea (9-0) vs. No. 15 Mercer Island (10-0), 5 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Seattle

3-seed Eastside Catholic (8-1) vs. No. 14 Monroe (9-1), 3 p.m. Saturday, Eastside Catholic HS, Sammamish

4-seed Lakes (9-1) vs. No. 13 Seattle Prep (6-3), 7:30 p.m. Friday, Harry E. Lang Stadium, Lakewood

5-seed Roosevelt (6-3) vs. No. 12 Federal Way (8-2), 2 p.m. Saturday, Memorial Stadium, Seattle

6-seed Lincoln of Tacoma (8-2) vs. No. 11 Central Valley (7-3), 1 p.m. Saturday, Lincoln Bowl

7-seed Decatur (10-0) vs. No. 10 Mount Tahoma (6-4), 7 p.m. Friday, Federal Way Memorial District Stadium

8-seed Kennewick (8-2) vs No. 9 Enumclaw (9-1), 3 p.m. Saturday, Lampson Stadium, Kennewick

Most intriguing matchup: No two programs prefer to knock skulls more than Kennewick and Enumclaw, who play Saturday in the "black and blue" matchup of beefy offensive lines and power run games.

Deep upset potential: Fourth-seeded Lakes is excellent, but has not faced a dual-threat quarterback as good as Seattle Prep's Beau Oaksmith, the co-3A Metro MVP. If he gets going, game could get interesting.

Moving on to WIAA quarterfinals: Bellevue, O'Dea, Eastside Catholic, Lakes, Roosevelt, Lincoln of Tacoma, Kennewick, Mount Tahoma.

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