Prep football notebook: Week 8 analysis and top players

Week 8 of the local prep football season featured the crowning of several league champions and lots of postseason implications.

Here’s a look back at Friday night’s action and what it means going forward.

VIKINGS CLAIM 6TH STRAIGHT WESCO 4A CROWN

Lake Stevens solidified its reign atop Wesco 4A in emphatic fashion.

The third-ranked Vikings scored 49 first-half points and secured their sixth consecutive conference title with a 70-0 rout of Jackson on Friday night, extending their Wesco 4A winning streak to 37 games. Lake Stevens hasn’t lost a league contest since October 2013.

Lake Stevens (8-0 overall, 6-0 Wesco 4A) intercepted Jackson five times and returned a school-record three interceptions for touchdowns. Standout junior cornerback Kasen Kinchen intercepted three passes and returned one for a 65-yard score, bringing his season total to seven interceptions.

With one conference game remaining, the Vikings hold a one-game lead and the head-to-head tiebreaker over both Glacier Peak and Mount Vernon, who are tied for second place in Wesco 4A.

Glacier Peak routed Monroe 42-10 on Friday night and Mount Vernon rolled past Kamiak 57-7, setting up a de facto Wesco 4A second-place game next week. The winner of next Friday night’s regular-season finale between Glacier Peak (7-1, 5-1) and Mount Vernon (7-1, 5-1) receives the league’s No. 2 seed and home-field advantage in the Week 10 playoffs.

Monroe fell to fourth place in Wesco 4A with the loss to Glacier Peak. The Bearcats (3-5, 3-3) are locked into the conference’s fourth and final postseason spot, due to the fact they hold a one-game lead and the head-to-head tiebreaker over fifth-place Mariner.

SQUALICUM TOPS OAK HARBOR FOR WESCO 3A NORTH TITLE

Squalicum prevailed in a back-and-forth thriller to claim the Wesco 3A North crown with a 43-40 victory over seventh-ranked Oak Harbor in Friday night’s de facto league title game.

It was the Storm’s second Wesco 3A North title in three years since moving from the Northwest Conference and joining Wesco as a football-only member.

The seesaw contest featured eight lead changes, including an action-packed sequence in the closing minutes.

Oak Harbor pulled in front for a 40-35 lead on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Fitzgerald to Kevin Schuldt with 2:20 remaining. But on the ensuing play from scrimmage, Squalicum quarterback Spencer Lloyd rushed for a 62-yard score that gave the Storm a 43-40 lead and proved to be the game-winner.

WESCO 3A POSTSEASON PICTURE

With the Wesco 3A regular season complete, the seeding and matchups are finalized heading into next week’s crossover games between the top four teams from the South and the top four teams from the North.

Entering Friday night, Snohomish had already clinched the Wesco 3A South title and Shorewood was locked into the No. 2 seed. Shorecrest earned the Wesco 3A South’s No. 3 seed with a 48-15 win over Lynnwood, securing the program’s first Week 10 playoff berth at the Class 3A level since 2010.

Meadowdale finished tied with Edmonds-Woodway for fourth place in the Wesco 3A South. The Mavericks will be the league’s No. 4 seed by virtue of their win over Edmonds-Woodway earlier this season.

Squalicum won the Wesco 3A North by beating Oak Harbor, and Arlington claimed the league’s No. 2 seed with a 17-10 win over Marysville Pilchuck. Arlington and Oak Harbor finished tied for second in the league standings, but the Eagles earned the No. 2 seed by virtue of their overtime win over the Wildcats two weeks ago. Oak Harbor dropped to the No. 3 seed.

Marysville Pilchuck’s loss and Ferndale’s 56-26 win over Stanwood on Friday night dropped the Tomahawks out of postseason contention. Ferndale and Marysville Pilchuck finished tied for fourth in the Wesco 3A North, but the Golden Eagles claimed the league’s fourth and final postseason spot by virtue of last week’s victory over the Tomahawks.

Here are next week’s Wesco 3A crossover matchups, with all games hosted by the South teams:

– South champion Snohomish hosts North champion Squalicum, with the winner claiming Wesco 3A’s overall top seed heading into the Week 10 playoffs. The loser will be the No. 2 seed.

– South No. 2 seed Shorewood hosts North No. 2 seed Arlington. The winner claims Wesco’s overall No. 3 seed and the loser will be the No. 4 seed.

– South No. 3 seed Shorecrest hosts North No. 3 seed Oak Harbor. The winner claims Wesco’s overall No. 5 seed and the loser will be the No. 6 seed.

– South No. 4 seed Meadowdale hosts North No. 4 seed Ferndale in a loser-out contest. The winner advances to the Week 10 playoffs as Wesco’s overall No. 7 seed.

NORTHWEST 2A POSTSEASON PICTURE

Archbishop Murphy beat Sedro-Woolley 42-21 on Friday night to finish second in the Northwest 2A Sky Division and earn the No. 2 overall seed in the 2A Northwest/Sea-King bi-district playoffs. As one of the top four seeds in the Sky Division, the ninth-ranked Wildcats receive a bye to the Week 10 playoffs.

Lakewood fell to Burlington-Edison 39-33 on Friday night and finished fifth out of five teams in the talent-laden Sky Division. The fifth-seeded Cougars host winless 12th-seeded Anacortes in a bi-district loser-out game next week, with the winner advancing to the Week 10 playoffs.

Mountlake Terrace made program history Friday night, earning a share of the Northwest 2A Lake Division title with both a 12-7 comeback victory over Cedarcrest and Bellingham’s loss to Sehome.

It’s the Hawks’ first division or league title in football since the school opened in 1960.

Terrace quarterback Jesse James Martineau threw a go-ahead 23-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Sims with 17 seconds remaining, completing what proved to be a game-winning 12-play, 99-yard drive.

Terrace, Bellingham and Sehome finished in a three-way tie atop the Lake Division with 4-1 league records. Playoff seeding for Lake Division teams is determined by a Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) formula.

Seventh-seeded Terrace hosts 10th-seeded Blaine in a bi-district loser-out game next week, with the winner advancing to the Week 10 playoffs. The Hawks routed Blaine 40-0 two weeks ago.

No. 11-seeded Cedarcrest travels to face sixth-seeded Liberty in another bi-district loser-out contest next week, with the winner advancing to the Week 10 playoffs.

CPC CLINCHES NORTH SOUND TITLE

For the first time in the program’s 14-year history, Cedar Park Christian is a league champion.

The Eagles clinched at least a share of the inaugural North Sound Conference title and secured the league’s No. 1 seed with a 42-0 rout of Coupeville on Friday night.

With one conference game remaining, Cedar Park Christian (6-1 overall, 4-0 North Sound) holds a one-game lead and the head-to-head tiebreaker over both King’s and South Whidbey, who are tied for second place with 3-1 league records.

King’s and South Whidbey both clinched Week 10 playoff berths with victories Friday night. The Falcons, just two years removed from back-to-back winless seasons in conference play, will be making their first Week 10 playoff appearance since 2009.

Granite Falls and Sultan both fell to 1-3 in league play, and Coupeville dropped to 0-4. The three teams are battling for the conference’s fourth and final postseason spot heading into next week’s regular-season finales.

Whichever team emerges as the No. 4 seed will face the Northwest Conference 1A’s No. 3 seed in a play-in game to advance to the Week 10 playoffs.

WEEK 8 STARS

Kasen Kinchen, jr., Lake Stevens

Kinchen intercepted three passes — returning one for a 65-yard touchdown — and opened the scoring with a 72-yard touchdown reception in the Vikings’ 70-0 rout of Jackson. Kinchen, a three-star cornerback who has an offer from the University of Oregon, has seven interceptions this season.

Tre Long, sr., Lake Stevens

Long accounted for five first-half touchdowns — three passing and two rushing — in the Vikings’ rout of Jackson. He finished 11-of-15 passing for 211 yards.

Ayden Ziomas, sr., Glacier Peak

Ziomas completed 24 of 32 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing score in the Grizzlies’ 42-10 rout of Monroe. The dual-threat quarterback has accounted for 34 total touchdowns this season.

Tyler Massena, sr., Snohomish

Massena totaled 325 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in the Panthers’ 44-38 win over Meadowdale. He rushed for 230 yards and three scores on 16 carries and also caught three passes for 95 yards. Massena has 24 rushing touchdowns this season.

Tyler Larson, jr., Snohomish

Larson ran for 178 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries in the Panthers’ win over Meadowdale.

Capassio Cherry, sr., Edmonds-Woodway

Cherry rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries in the Warriors’ 48-0 rout of Everett. It was the fourth time in the last five games that Cherry topped 200 yards rushing.

Marcus Dilworth, sr., Edmonds-Woodway

Dilworth caught three passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns — including a 98-yard scoring reception — in the Warriors’ rout of Everett.

Edmonds-Woodway defense

The Warriors posted a shutout and held Everett to just 150 yards of total offense.

Dorian Hardin, sr., Oak Harbor

Hardin totaled 215 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 43-40 loss to Squalicum. He caught nine passes for 129 yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 86 yards and a score.

Lukas Sepulveda, sr., Stanwood

Sepulveda totaled 231 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in the Spartans’ 56-26 loss to Ferndale. He caught six passes for 153 yards and rushed for 78 yards and three scores.

Markus Selzler, jr., Shorecrest

Selzler rushed for 121 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries in the Scots’ 48-15 rout of Lynnwood.

Hunter Moen, jr., Meadowdale

Moen threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns on 20-of-33 passing in the Mavericks’ loss to Snohomish.

Tyler Gibson, sr., Meadowdale

Gibson caught four passes for 130 yards and a touchdown in the Mavericks’ loss to Snohomish.

Mason Vaughn, jr., Meadowdale

Vaughn had seven catches for 105 yards and a touchdown in the Mavericks’ loss to Snohomish.

Jared Taylor, jr., Lakewood

Taylor completed 29 of 43 passes for 311 yards and four touchdowns in the Cougars’ 39-33 loss to Burlington-Edison.

Michai Harris, sr., Lakewood

Harris posted his third consecutive 100-yard receiving game, catching eight passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns in the Cougars’ loss to Burlington-Edison.

Casey Needham, jr., King’s

Needham completed 20 of 34 passes for 332 yards and five touchdowns in the Knights’ 52-13 win over Sultan.

NEXT WEEK’S BIG GAMES

Glacier Peak at Mount Vernon, 7 p.m. Friday: The winner claims the No. 2 seed in Wesco 4A and home-field advantage for the Week 10 playoffs.

Squalicum at Snohomish, 7 p.m. Friday at Veterans Memorial Stadium (Snohomish H.S.): North champion Squalicum faces South champion Snohomish for the top overall seed in Wesco 3A heading into the Week 10 playoffs.

Ferndale vs. Meadowdale, 8 p.m. Friday at Edmonds Stadium: The Golden Eagles and Mavericks square off in a loser-out contest, with the winner advancing to the Week 10 playoffs as Wesco 3A’s No. 7 seed.