Ten weeks are in the books and just one local football team remains standing.
The Sumner Spartans find themselves once again heading into the 16-team Class 4A football playoffs while three other regional teams put away the pads for the year.
SUMNER
The Spartans crushed the Hazen Highlanders 42-7 Friday night to lock up their sixth-straight berth in the Class 4A state tournament. The win came at Renton Memorial Stadium.
Sumner dives into the playoffs with a Friday kickoff against Union High. The 7 p.m. contest will be played at McKenzie Stadium in Camas. It is a loser-out game, with the winner advancing to the 4A’s Elite Eight the following weekend. Should Sumner, the Spartans would take on the winner of an opening-round game between Monroe and Puyallup.
The Union Titans compete in the Greater St. Helens League. They went 9-1 during the regular season, capping the year by defeating neighboring Camas High, the defending state 4A champion. The Titans, ranked No. 3 in the latest AP poll, began postseason play Nov. 3 with a 41-14 victory over the Tahoma Bears.
Sumner’s big victory over Hazen opened when Connor Filleau recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown. Ben Wilson’s TD reception from Luke Ross added to the score and Skyler Schindler recovered a Hazen fumble in the end zone, allowing Sumner to take a 21-7 lead into halftime. Ross added scoring passes in the second half to Jordan Johnston and Tre Weed and Weed had a 70-yard interception return for the Spartans’ final TD.
ENUMCLAW
Enumclaw High’s season came to a close the evening of Nov. 3 on the turf of a chilly Hornet Stadium at the Enumclaw Expo Center.
Enumclaw was trounced 42-7 by Skyline High in a winner-to-state pairing.
The perennially-tough Skyline squad wasted little time establishing a powerful aerial attack and jumped to a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. The advantage ballooned to 35-0 by halftime and 42-0 by the close of the third period.
Enumclaw’s lone score came late on an 8-yard run by Bear Kuro.
The Hornets finished the season 8-2, having captured a league championship for the first time in two decades.
WHITE RIVER
The Hornet hopes for a state playoff berth were dashed Friday night by the Hawks from River Ridge High.
In a loser-out game at South Sound Stadium in Lacey, White River made things interesting but fell short 35-27.
The Hornets cracked the scoreboard first when Luke Northam charged into the end zone from four yards out. He scored on another short TD run and Jacob Selander added a 70-yard kickoff return to keep White River close. The Hawks put up two touchdowns to seemingly take command in the final period but the Hornets cut the margin when quarterback TJ Stroschein connected with Michael Pedreira on a 34-yard scoring toss.
After forcing a punt, the Hornet offense had a final opportunity but couldn’t reach the end zone.
White River finished its season under coach Jeff Zenisek with an overall record of 5-5 but went 5-2 in league play.
BONNEY LAKE
The Panthers had failed to qualify for the playoffs but finished their season with a Week 10 game against Central Kitsap. In hard-fought fashion, Bonney Lake closed the book on the 2017 campaign with a 23-20 victory.
The win allowed Bonney Lake to finish the season with an overall record of 4-6.
