Bracket Breakdown: WIAA 1A state football tournament semifinal previews, stat leaders, game picks
Fans of the Royal High School football program are familiar with winning streaks. The Knights once held the nation’s longest at 53 games overall.
From 2015-17, Royal won three consecutive WIAA titles, a feat the Knights matched last fall when they beat Mount Baker in the championship game. But that current streak may not be done.
These Knights have yet to give up a single point in the postseason as they prepare to host yet another Class 1A semifinal, this one against high-flying Seton Catholic. The Cougars may be the No. 12 seed but they’ve scored 149 points in three postseason games (including Week 10).
* CLASS 1A WASHINGTON TOURNAMENT BRACKET
"They may have gone a little unnoticed, but they’ve been noticed now," longtime Royal coach Wiley Allred said. "Seeding doesn’t matter at this point."
Going unnoticed has not been a problem for the Knights. The current streak of 14 consecutive state playoff wins increases to 18 postseason victories when you include the Week 10 district round since Royal's last loss - in the 2018 state semifinals.
Maybe more impressively, while scoring 35 points or more in all but one of those 18 victories, the Knights have allowed more than nine points just four times.
"At some point, you meet your match a little," Allred said. "In the (semifinals) is where it seems to happen to us."
Two of those four 10-plus scoring games allowed have come in the past two semifinal rounds, yes. But Royal won those games, 57-21, and, 35-14, in relative routs.
"One of the guys nobody else has is our defensive coordinator - Jeremy Scroggins," Allred said. "That is a key. He puts the kids in positions to physically hold up against a lot of really good teams."
The other key to this success may lie in Allred’s own outlook.
"I may not give us enough credit," Allred said. "We respect everybody we play so much. It keeps us humble and hungry. We can always reach for a little more."
It may also be even simpler than that.
"We’ve got some good players," Allred said. "A lot of multi-sport athletes. Guys who keep believing and trusting in what we’re doing."
Editor’s note: Here’s a game-by-game breakdown, including top individual performers, outlook and score predictions of this weekend’s 2023 WIAA Class 1A football semifinal matchups.
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NO. 6 NOOKSACK VALLEY PIONEERS (9-2) vs. NO. 2 LAKESIDE OF NINE MILE FALLS EAGLES (12-0)
Photo by Mike Hughes
1 p.m. Saturday at Union Stadium, Spokane
Statistical leaders: For Nooksack Valley – QB Joey Brown (76-110, 1,330 yards, 16 TDs; 61 carries, 417 yards, eight TDs), RB Colton Lentz (137 carries, 1,272 yards, 24 TDs), RB Skyler Whittern (102 carries, 1,171 yards, 16 TDs), WR Cory Olney (26 catches, 483 yards, five TDs) and WR Jackson Bennett (20 catches, 477 yards, five TDs). For Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls – QB Calvin Mikkelsen (76-136, 1,328 yards, 17 TDs; 86 carries, 361 yards, seven TDs), RB Hiro Patterson (69 carries, 506 yards, three TDs; 41 catches, 878 yards, eight TDs), WR Luke Pedersen (24 catches, 409 yards, seven TDs) and DB Hiro Patterson (59 tackles, three TFL, sack, five INTs).
What to watch for: The Pioneers look to improve from what they accomplished a year ago with their second consecutive trip to the state semifinals after a 13-year absence. Lentz and Whittern need to continue to carry the ground game against an even-stouter defense while Brown and Olney produce through the air. On the other side, it’s all about Mikkelsen, who accounted for 238 yards and three touchdowns (two throwing, one running) in the Eagles' quarterfinal victory over Freeman in which they needed to score the final 10 points to win, prompting coach Devin Bauer to say, "Calvin is Calvin – he’s a beast."
Pick: Nooksack Valley, 27-24.
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NO. 12 SETON CATHOLIC COUGARS (11-1) vs. NO. 1 ROYAL KNIGHTS (11-0)
Photo courtesy of Seton Catholic athletics
4 p.m. Saturday at Royal High School, Royal City
Statistical leaders: For Seton Catholic – QB Kolten Gesser (143-234, 2,153, 31 TDs), RB Jacob Williams (202 carries, 1,278 yards, 17 TDs) and ATH Joe Callerame (36 catches, 585 yards, six TDs; 40 carries, 584 yards, seven TDs). For Royal – QB Lance Allred (143-213, 2,635 yards, 31 TDs; 97 carries, 600 yards, 14 TDs), RB Jared Lee (66 carries, 379 yards, 12 TDs), WR Case Christensen (46 catches, 1,027 yards, 16 TDs), WR Jackson Larsen (37 catches, 619 yards, six TDs) and LB Jared Lee (96 tackles, INT).
What to watch for: Considering how many points these two squads have put up during the postseason, a track meet’s worth of points might be expected Saturday as well. But while the Cougars have outscored opponents, 149-90, the past three weeks, Royal has been more impressive - 141-0. Seton Catholic, obviously, must find a way to break the seal that is the Knights' defense with Gesser through the air and Callerame - the 1A Trico player of the year - at wide receiver and direct-snap quarterback. If not, this could just be another Royal flushing of an opponent.
Pick: Royal, 41-20.
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