BELFAIR — Nobody in the Olympic League rules October quite like Sequim football head coach Erik Wiker.
And few know that better than North Mason, the Wolves’ opponent tonight in Belfair at 7 p.m.
Sequim (2-0 in league, 3-1 overall) has faced the Bulldogs (2-0, 3-1) each of the past four Octobers, winning all four by a combined score of 109-46.
It’s all part of an undefeated October run (27-0 in six seasons) by the Wolves under Wiker that has translated in five league titles and six postseason berths.
Now the Bulldogs — who have lost seven straight to Sequim dating back to 2003, — are champing at the bit to be an October spoiler.
“We’re just ready for it,” first-year Bulldogs head coach Jeff Bevers told the Kitsap Sun after last week’s 48-22 win over the Olympic Trojans.
“It’s the one game that’s held us back from winning league.”
That was certainly the case last year, when both teams entered the game unbeaten in league.
Of course, the Wolves did what they had to do to win, claiming a fumble-filled muddy mess of a game 28-13 on their way to a Nisqually/Olympic League crown.
With Sequim and North Mason once again unbeaten in league coming into tonight’s contest, the stakes appear to be just as high for Wiker and company.
“I think this is the league championship game,” Wiker said. “They want to beat us bad.
“They’ve been second to us all the time, and that’s got to get old. If I were them, I would want to beat us bad, too.”
North Mason is as straight forward on offense as Sequim used to be during its ground-and-pound days from 2004-08.
The Bulldogs rely heavily on the run game with feature running back Tommy Renne.
The 5-foot-7, 180-pound runner has rushed for 409 yards and three touchdowns on 50 carries this season.
That included a 232-yard game against Olympic last week.
North Mason quarterback Charlie Becker has attempted just 23 passes, in four starts this season, completing nine.
“I think that it’s a lot like it is every year,” Wiker said. “They are going to be a hard-hitting, well-coached team.
“They run it, run it, run it, but what they do, they do really, really well.”
Of course, Sequim’s shotgun pistol offense is much more diverse.
They’ve got a steady run game led by fullback Isaac Yamamoto (41 carries, 316 yards) and a potent passing attack with three-year starter Drew Rickerson under center.
The senior signal caller’s talents were on full display in last week’s 48-14 pasting of Bremerton.
Rickerson completed 24-of-32 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns, spreading the ball around to eight different receivers.
That included 100-yard games from pass catchers Tyler Forshaw and Joey Hall.
Just two games removed from the program’s worst loss in five years — a 54-16 rout at the hands of Class 1A No. 3 Meridian — the Wolves appear to have fully rebounded.
“I think we had some chinks in the armor and [Meridian] exploited it,” Wiker said. “I think we got better from that.”
Here’s a rundown of the weekend’s other prep football games:
Life Christian at Chimacum
CHIMACUM — The Cowboys are running out of mulligans.
After falling to traditional Nisqually League powers Cascade Christian and Orting in their first two league games, Chimacum finds itself behind the eight ball.
With just four league playoff spots up for grabs, the Cowboys (0-2 in league, 1-3 overall) can’t afford to fall back much further in the standings.
That makes tonight’s 7 p.m. game against last place Life Christian (0-2, 1-3) at Memorial Field a virtual must-win.
Olympic at Port Angeles
PORT ANGELES — The undefeated Roughriders will look to maintain their best start in 18 years when the Trojans visit Civic Field tonight at 7 p.m. for an Olympic League tilt.
Port Angeles has ridden a bend-but-don’t-break defense to its first 4-0 record since the 1992 team began its season 6-0.
The Riders (2-0, 4-0) have surrendered just 16 points in four games, with the defense scoring a touchdown in each contest.
Olympic (0-2, 0-4) is still looking for its first win of the season.
Port Townsend vs. C. Park Christian
REDMOND — The Redskins (0-2, 0-4) head to Lake Washington High School tonight in search of their first win.
They will face a Cedar Park Christian team (1-1, 3-1) that’s coming off a 60-34 drubbing of Life Christian.
Quarterback Justin Girgus has thrown for more than 200 yards in each of the Eagles’ first four games.
Onalaska at Forks
FORKS — The Spartans (0-2, 0-4) face a stiff challenge with the Loggers (1-1, 3-1) coming to town tonight for a SWL-Evergreen Division matchup.
The perennial playoff contenders have beaten the Spartans three out of the past four years, with each Forks loss coming by nine points or less.
Clallam Bay at Lummi
BELLINGHAM — The Bruins (0-2) are in for another tough Northwest Football League game tonight against the third-ranked 1B Blackhawks (1-0, 2-1).
Clallam Bay lost 76-0 to undefeated Quilcene last weekend.
Quilcene at Neah Bay
NEAH BAY — A pair of old North Olympic League rivals will get reacquainted when the Rangers face the Red Devils in a critical early test for both teams tonight at 7 p.m.
The Rangers (3-0 in league and overall) have yet to surrender a single score this season, but have yet to face a team quite like Neah Bay (3-0, 3-1).
The winner of this game all but locks up a 1B preliminary state playoff berth.
Highland Christian at Crescent
JOYCE — The Loggers get back on the field Saturday at 1 p.m. following two weeks off.
Crescent (1-1 in league and overall) missed its last two games against Neah Bay and Lummi, forfeiting the first and postponing the second due to low numbers.