4 Washington high school football playoff games you should not have missed (11/11/2023)

No. 14 seed Mount Si pulls off the stunner Saturday night with its 31-14 win over third-seeded Camas at Doc Harris Stadium

The month of October was not an enjoyable month for the Mount Si High School football team.

November is off to a much better start.

So good - the 14th-seeded Wildcats posted the biggest upset of the WIAA football playoffs with a convincing 31-14 first-round victory over 4A GSHL champion and No. 3 seed Camas at Doc Harris Stadium on Saturday night.

* WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD

And what Mount Si did to the Papermakers is exactly what the hosts had done to everybody else during their nine-game winning streak - dominate on both lines of scrimmage.

It was especially noticeable on defense where Mount Si forced three turnovers, including the opening Camas series on Brock Gates' interception that set up the Wildcats' first touchdown - Nate Donavn's 12-yard strike to Jack Taylor just 2:32 into the game.

And the Mount Si pressure just mounted - and carried over into special teams when it sniffed out a fake-punt attempt that turned into a touchdown on RJ Wilson's fumble recovery in the end zone.

"Our defense, I would put up against any in the state of Washington," Mount Si coach Steve Botulinski said.

Perhaps the nail-in-the-coffin series came at the end of the first half when Mount Si covered 52 yards, highlighted by Donavan's 28-yard pass to Jake Johnson that set up Jesiah Willis' fourth-and-goal touchdown from the half-inch line, giving the Wildcats a 28-0 lead with 2:25 remaining.

"We knew it would be a great test - that is an excellent football team in Camas. They've got all the pieces it takes to be a champion," Botulinski said.

"We were on everything today. Our kids were really, really well-prepared ... and anything they tried, our kids responded to."

After suffering back-to-back losses in October, suddenly the Wildcats get a state home quarterfinal game next week in Snoqualmie against Kamiakin.

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EASTLAKE PUTS AWAY SUMNER, 21-18

Photo by Todd Milles

All week, Eastlake football Scott Hare knew what Sumner was going to bring to the 4A first-round matchup Saturday in Sammamish - power football.

So, the Wolves responded with their secret weapon - receiver-turned-running back Grady Woodward.

Woodward carried a career-high 21 times for 132 yards and a touchdown, and converted the final fourth-and-5 play by inches on a second-effort push in the final minute of Eastlake's 21-18 win.

On the other side, Sumner unleashed its top tailback, too, in Matthew Spurbeck, who had 118 yards on 25 carries.

"Tonight, both teams just said, 'OK, you are coming at us, we are coming at you,'" Hare said.

Over the past month, Hare has slowly worked Woodward, a UW baseball commit, into the backfield rotation.

"The truth is, with Grady's body, I didn't want to bang it up all year," Hare said. "He is a valuable receiver and also plays safety.

"But I knew tonight was going to be that type of game. I thought maybe 10-12 carries. I didn't plan for 21 (carries) ... but he was electric."

After Sumner cut it 14-11 on Tristen Rebar's 38-yard touchdown strike to Kaden Malesis midway through the third quarter, the Wolves went on what Hare said was the team's signature drive all season.

The Wolves went 88 yards on 18 plays. Woodward had eight rushing attempts. And the 4A KingCo champions finished it off on Landon Renfroe's 4-yard score to Marcus Angiuli - their second touchdown connection of the game.

Rebar answered with his 10-yard touchdown run to slice it to 21-18 with six minutes remaining, but Woodward closed the door on Sumner in the final minute.

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GARFIELD TURNS AWAY HOST MOUNT SPOKANE

Photo by Vince Miller

There are easier roads to getting your first state playoff win since 2017 than traveling to windy, chilly Spokane.

But that is where Garfield was sent Saturday as the No. 10 seed in the Class 3A playoffs after a third-place showing in the 3A Metro League.

Now that the Bulldogs are healthy, coach Reggie Witherspoon II says watch out - especially after the team's 28-22 victory over seventh-seeded Mount Spokane at Union Stadium.

EJ Caminong led three long scoring drives of nearly 70 or more yards, throwing a pair of touchdown passes (43 and 13 yards), and rushing for another score on a 1-yard run. 

"That was the best we've played offensively all-around all year," Witherspoon said.

And Peter Sander gave the Bulldogs a 28-7 lead early in the fourth quarter on his 55-yard fumble return after Wildcats' quarterback TJ Haberman put the ball on the turf.

"The game plan was to keep our foot on the gas and never let up," Witherspoon said. "Unfortunately, we did in the fourth quarter ... and we were in a dogfight."

Matteo Saccomanno scored on two short touchdown runs in the final 41/2 minutes - the last on a 4-yarder at the 1:47 mark, to cut it to 28-22.

Ten seconds later, Caminong fumbled, giving Mount Spokane one final chance. The Wildcats got to the Bulldogs' 27, but on fourth and 10, they threw an incomplete pass.

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CLARKSTON PICKS UP FIRST WIAA PLAYOFF WIN IN 34 YEARS

Photo by Gary Bye/Clarkston athletics

Brycen Bye knew his Clarkston High School program was close to breaking its longstanding WIAA playoff skid.

The last time the Bantams won a state playoff game was 1989. Since then, they were 0-for-9, including a couple of close calls recently.

Well, the Bantams certainly enjoyed the 44-6 blowout win over Woodland in the Class 2A first round Saturday that ended the wait.

The 2A Greater Spokane League champions were buoyed by back-to-back interception returns for touchdowns in the second quarter in building a 23-0 halftime lead.

Quarterback Carter Steinwand passed for a touchdown in the first quarter, and rushed for two short scores in the second half in leading the offense.

"I am excited for our community," Bye said. "They support us very well. This has been a long time coming ... and we finally broke through."

Clarkston took a 7-0 lead on its opening drive on Steinwand's 49-yard touchdown strike to Ryken Craber with 8:38 to go in the first quarter.

After that, the Bantams' defense - which forced six turnovers overall - dominated.

Defensive lineman Sage Lone Bear recovered a fumble, and took Elijah Anderson's deflected pass and rumbled 44 yards for a touchdown to extended Clarkston's lead to 16-0 at the 3:45 mark of the second quarter.

"Big-man touchdown," Bye said. "Sage has been good for us all year, and that was kind of a reward for him. That will live in my memory bank for a while."

A minute later, defensive back Milo Kunnap stepped in front of a receiver for a pick, and took it back 21 yards for a touchdown - and 23-0 Bantams' lead.

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