Week 2 Washington high school football preview: 3 storylines, game picks and matchups to follow around the state

Four of the six 2023 WIAA champions will play one another Friday - 3A Bellevue at 4A Lake Stevens and 2B Okanogan at 1B-now-2B Liberty Bell

Bellevue's Willi Wascher, left, and Demetri Manning, work together for Bellevue High School at the Thurston County Team Camp in Tumwater. / Photo by Todd Milles

There might not be a bigger blockbuster regular-season matchup around the state than what will happen Friday night - Class 4A champion Lake Stevens hosting Class 3A champion Bellevue (for a third consecutive season).

The Vikings were preseason No. 1 in Class 4A, but were upended in their opener - 31-28 by Sumner in overtime. They are now No. 3.

• WASHINGTON HS FOOTBALL SCHEDULES: FIND YOUR TEAM

Bellevue remains in the top spot in Class 3A, and is coming off a 35-7 win at Bethel.

Here is a quick recap of last week’s highlights, and a look forward to Week 2 storylines and games to follow:

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Heading into 2024 season, O'Dea football coach Monte Kohler has 381 career wins. / Photo by Vince Miller

REWIND SBLIVE’S WEEK 1 COVERAGE

Thu: (4A) Yelm 42, (3A) Mount Tahoma 34

OBSERVATIONS

Fri: (3A) O'Dea 35, (4A) Graham-Kapowsin 28

OBSERVATIONS

Fri: (4A) Sumner 31, (4A) Lake Stevens 28 (OT)

OBSERVATIONS

Fri: (3A) Eastside Catholic 40, (4A) Eastlake 14

OBSERVATIONS

Weekendi: 4 games you should not have missed

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Lake Washington drove 85 yards in final two minutes to upend Newport of Bellevue, 27-26, to open 2024 season. / Photo courtesy of Lake Washington athletics

'COMEBACK CITY' STORY IN WEEK 1

Talk about perseverance, both sides of the Lake Washington football showed it in the final minutes of the Kangaroos' 27-26 home victory over Newport of Bellevue.

The defense notched a fourth-down hold deep in Lake Washington territory with 2:30 to go, and the offense drove 85 yards in two minutes to set up Oliver Chan's 27-yard game-winning field goals in the final seconds.

"We installed a new offense to ore no-huddle, but we had not practiced any two-minute drill," Lake Washington coach Andy Arena said.

Shoutout to backup quarterback Jackson Tarrach, who engineered the final drive. His 40-yard scramble-play completion to wide receiver Brady Carlson highlighted the march.

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Two-time Class 1B champion Liberty Bell, led by state player of year Lucien Paz, moves back up to Class 2B in 2024. / Photo by Alisha McMillan

TOP STORYLINES TO FOLLOW IN WEEK 2

Champions collide in powerhouse tilt

All the early-season opportunity for great non-league matchups brings us to this apex - defending Class 3A champion Bellevue travels to two-time defending Class 4A champion Lake Stevens. Offense should not be an issue for either the Wolverines' Wing-T (326 rushing yards vs. Bethel) or the balanced Vikings (503 total yards vs. Sumner), so it could come down to which defense gets just enough stops to help get a win. Lake Stevens has won both meeting in 2022 and 2023.

Can Kamiakin, Chiawana settle things in regulation?

The two smashmouth 4A Mid-Columbia Conference rivals go at it Thursday as fifth-ranked Kamiakin hosts Chiawana. And the two programs have split overtime verdicts over the past two seasons - with the Braves winning 20-13 last season on Trent Woodhouse's touchdown pass to Kyler Rutz on their extra-session series. But Woodhouse also had five interceptions in that game - something linebacker Cooper MacPherson and the Riverhawks defensive crew will surely remember.

Two more reigning WIAA champions face off

In an interesting twist, two reigning state champions - Okanogan (2B) and Liberty Bell (1B) will play each other Friday. That is because Liberty Bell is now a Class 2B program. And Bulldogs' coach Erick Judd knows contrasting styles - Okanogan's inside-the-hashes power vesus Liberty Bell's perimeter speed - will be on display. "We've played against the Paz brothers (Lucien and Remington) in other sports, so we know how great of athletes they are," Judd said.

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Lake Stevens captured the Class 4A football championship in the WIAA's first year holding Gridiron Classic at Husky Stadium. / Photo by Vince Miller

TOP THREE WEEK 2 GAMES ON TAP

Chiawana Riverhawks (0-1) at No. 5 Kamiakin Braves (1-0)

7 p.m. Thursday at Lampson Stadium, Kennewick

Skinny: Expect physical defense and very little scoring between these two MCC rivals.

Live streaming link: NFHS Network

SBLive Washington’s pick: Kamiakin, 16-14.

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3A No. 1 Bellevue Wolverines (1-0) at 4A No. 3 Lake Stevens Vikings (0-1)

7 p.m. Friday at Lake Stevens High School

Skinny: Viks won both past meetings (2022, 2023), but unseasoned run defense will be put to test.

Live streaming link: NFHS Network

SBLive Washington’s pick: Bellevue, 38-34.

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No. 7 Graham-Kapowsin (1-0) at Skyview (1-0)

Skinny: Big key to outcome is which of these first-year starting quarterbacks shines brightest?

Live streaming link: None

SBLive Washington’s pick: Skyview, 29-27.

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