Football playoff games await Wahkiakum, Naselle

Football playoff games await Wahkiakum, Naselle

By Will Lohre

The playoff bracket is set for Washington 1B football, and both Wahkiakum and Naselle High School are two of the remaining 16 teams that still have a shot at the state championships.

The state has 55 1B football programs, and the Comets and the Mules earned their place among the final 16 by different means. The Comets secured their spot in the first round of the playoffs on the back of their excellent regular season. Wahkiakum needed to play a qualifying game to earn their place.

Let's look at how the teams have stacked up in their recent games and what their playoff matches might hold.

Wahkiakum High School

The Mules enter the playoff bracket with an 8-3 record, the eighth win coming by way of a stampeding 56-16 win against Darrington. Stampede is an accurate assessment of the Mules' performance, as they ran all over the Loggers. At the center of the success for the Mules was the performance of junior quarterback Jayden Stoddard.

Stoddard had an unbelievable game, as dangerous on the ground as he was with his throws. On only six carries in the game, Stoddard scampered for 171 yards and three touchdowns. A highlight of the game was a game-breaking 79-yard scramble from the junior. Passing the ball, Stoddard showed composure in front of the home crowd, completing 77.8% of his passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns.

Adding to the ground attack was junior running back Preston West, who rushed for 65 yards and ran in two touchdowns. His influential work on the ground earned him a new career-high in rushing yards. Senior running back Mason Waldek added one touchdown on the day to go with an impressive six tackles on defense. Wahkiakum finished the game with a dominant 287 rushing yards. The Mules have been a battering ram in the rushing game of late, as in their last five matches, they've averaged 194.4 yards per game.

The Mules have now won seven games straight, including four in a row on their home turf. Not only that, but Wahkiakum has been a juggernaut on offense during their winning streak; they've scored 50 or more points in each of the seven games on their run.

That scoring punch will be tested in the round of 16, as they will face off with Neah Bay, playing at Forks High School on Nov. 15. Neah Bay is a familiar opponent for the Mules, as they were responsible for beating Wahkiakum earlier this season.

The game was a blowout, with Neah Bay walking away with the victory 78-24. Neah Bay is 9-1 coming into the game, their lone defeat coming at the hands of Liberty Christian on Sept. 14. In the WIAA rankings, Neah Bay is the third-ranked team behind only Liberty Christian (1) and Wilbur-Creston-Keller (2).

Though the game promises to be tough, the Mules have grown a lot since their earlier defeat to the Devils, and they will hope to carry the momentum of their win streak into their matchup.

Naselle awaits first round

Unlike Wahkiakum, Naselle locked up its first-round playoff berth by winning the Coastal 1B league. The Comets enter the playoffs on a celestial streak, having won all nine games, each by margins of at least 34 points.

With the 9-0 record, Naselle is ranked fourth in WIAA's rankings. The Comets capped off their perfect regular season with a resounding 66-0 win against Oakville. The wet and rainy night on Nov. 1 was also homecoming for Naselle, and despite the weather, there was still strong support for the Comets.

The win against the Acorns highlighted how excellent the Comets have been this season, in particular with their strength in the rushing game. Star senior running back Jack Strange was exceptional, running for 122 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries. For the season, Strange has been unbelievable, averaging 101.9 rushing yards per game.

Also chipping in on the ground was Caiden Burke, who rushed for 40 yards but also found the paydirt on two rushing touchdowns. The tale of the rushing game is an apt metaphor for the contest overall. While Naselle ran rampant to the tune of 255 rushing yards, the Acorns could only move in reverse, finishing the game with -17 yards on the ground.

Dating back to last season, the Comets have now won 10 games in a row on their home turf. As the third seed, Naselle is slated to face off with Moses Lake Christian - Covenant Christian in the round of 16 on Nov. 16 at South Bend High School.

Moses Lake Christian - Covenant Christian enters the matchup as the 14 seed in the tournament and has a record of 5-4 on the season. They enter the matchup with the Comets coming off a tough 44-33 loss at the hands of Oroville on Nov. 7.

With the difference in the record between the two programs, the Comets should fancy their chances in the game, but ultimately, it will be up to the players on the field to earn their way to the next round.