Contributing sportswriter (and MSHS junior) Ben Evensen breaks down Mount Si Football’s big 3A state quarter-final game, which happens Saturday, November 17th, 7:30PM, at Wildcat Stadium. Tickets will NOT be available by pre-sale. Stadium gates open at 6PM. As it is a playoff game, all spectators must purchase tickets. No passes are accepted. For more info visit the Mount Si Football website.
Overview
Mount Si is fresh off their blowout win over Glacier Peak. The win puts them deeper in the playoffs, and sets up a game vs. #4 Kennedy High School.
Last week, Mount Si won their second playoff game versus Glacier Peak. As I had predicted, it was a blowout and Mount Si won 52-19. A win over Kennedy this Saturday and Mount Si will be one of the final four teams in the tournament and play in the Tacoma Dome versus the winner of the Peninsula-Bellevue game.
But what makes this game bigger is the fact that it is a rematch from opening week. In week one, Mount Si traveled to Burien to take on Kennedy. It was expected to be a close game, but the Wildcats blew the Lancers out 30-0. This time though, Mount Si hosts Kennedy and the Lancers are ready for revenge.
After Kennedy’s loss to Mount Si, they won seven straight to finish 7-1 and secured the #4 ranking in state. In the playoffs thus far, they beat Mountlake Terrace 35-29 and then Columbia River High School 20-14.
Prediction
Mount Si dominated Kennedy the first time these two schools met. Since then, almost a whole season has passed by. Both teams have worked out the kinks and gotten stronger. But how much does that really change in this match up? Not a whole lot.
Kennedy struggled versus two teams so far in the playoffs, while Mount Si has blown out their two opponents. Kennedy has yet to play a top-10 ranked team this post-season while Mount Si did versus Glacier Peak and blew them out. Last week, I made the point that Glacier Peak had an overachieving record because of a weaker conference. That is the case with Kennedy as well. Like Glacier Peak, Kennedy’s one loss was to a talented KingCo opponent and they were unable to score a single point.
When both teams take the field, this game will resemble the first time they played. Mount Si is a flat-out better team, and Kennedy won’t stand much of a chance this time either. We will see another blowout win for the Wildcats as they march on to the Tacoma Dome.
Prediction: Mount Si 42 Kennedy 7
