Neah Bay has done everything a defending state champion should so far this season.
The Red Devils rolled through their schedule without a loss, scoring an average of 65.5 points per game and only allowing 19.25 points per game (not including the win over Muckleshoot Tribal by forfeit).
They survived their lone big test, beating their nemesis Lummi 48-28 on the Blackhawks’ fancy new field in Bellingham.
But the state title defense really begins now that the regular season has ended.
First up is another match-up with Lopez (3-2, 6-2), who the Red Devils beat 50-0 last month.
Except for the losses to traditional 1B powers Neah Bay and Lummi, the Lobos made it through their schedule unscathed.
Neah Bay (5-0, 9-0) coach Tony McCaulley said one of the biggest concerns going into the playoffs is the potential that his team is overconfident.
He said that in previous years, the Red Devils were hungry going into the playoffs because they had some losses to avenge.
But this year, things have been fairly, well, easy.
Many games, Neah Bay, ranked No. 2 in The Associated Press 1B poll, jumped out to such big leads early that the starters were pulled before the first quarter was over.
And the one time he left them in a little longer, the Red Devils put up 96 points on Crescent.
This year, Neah Bay is the team that the hungry teams are gunning for in the playoffs.
Lopez gets the first shot at an upset.
The game will be played Saturday at Oak Harbor High School.
Quilcene at Lummi
The Rangers bring a five-game winning streak into the postseason, but they have a tough road to the state playoffs, starting with a road tilt with 1B stalwart Lummi (4-1, 7-2).
The winner of this game earns the Tri-District’s No. 2 seed in the state playoffs, while the loser has to play a team from District 4 in a challenge game for District 4’s top state seed.
If Quilcene (4-0, 5-3) loses to Lummi, it would be the fourth seed and would play at Mary M. Knight next week.
The Owls beat the Rangers 66-6 in the season’s second week.
A Lummi loss to Quilcene would leave them hosting Taholah in a contest for the Tri-District’s third seed.
The Rangers play Lummi at a tough time.
The Blackhawks, No. 4 in the AP 1B poll, are coming off a game in which they put up 128 points against Tulalip Heritage.
Crescent
at Muckleshoot
The Loggers were in the wrong place at the wrong time this season.
This Northwest Football League crossover game against the South Division’s third-place team will conclude Crescent’s season.
However, the Loggers not only finished with a better record than the South’s top two squads, Quilcene and Evergreen Lutheran, but Crescent (2-3, 6-3) beat both of those teams this season.
But Crescent had that bad fortune of being in the same division as Neah Bay, Lummi and Lopez, who dealt the Loggers their three losses this season.
After starting the season with six straight losses, Muckleshoot Tribal (2-2, 2-6) comes into tonight’s game with a two-game win streak.
Coupeville
at Chimacum
With a win, the Cowboys (1-2, 4-5) will finish the 2012 season with a .500 percentage, and a strong senior class, that includes Daryl Settlemire, Mel Thornton, Seth Ham, Derek Ajax and Trevor Hare, will end their high school careers on a three-game win streak.
Coupeville (1-3, 2-7) holds the distinction of being the team against whom Port Townsend ended its 20-game winless skid earlier in the season.
The Redskins beat the Wolves 24-6 in Week 2.
Nooksack Valley
at Port Townsend
After going winless for two entire seasons, the up-and-coming Redskins ( 3-2, 4-5) are playing for their fifth win and a 5-5 record on the year.
The Pioneers (3-2, 6-3) have a dual-threat quarterback, sophomore Tanner Myhre, who has thrown for almost 1,500 yards and rushed for more than 500.
In Nooksack Valley’s 35-6 win over Forks early in the season, Myhre threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for two scores.
Rainier Christian
at Clallam Bay
After a ruthless schedule, the Bruins finally get some mercy against the Mustangs, whose only win this year was against winless Highland Christian.
As long as Clallam Bay (1-4, 3-5) doesn’t overlook Rainier Christian (1-3, 1-7), seniors Austin Ritter, Ryan Willis and Drew Goplen-Dean should go out on a positive note.