Sunday, Sep. 27, 2009

Random thoughts on my day off ...

Did you feel a chill in the air?

The nip of Jack Frost as summer turns to fall usually is followed by the exposure of several teams that got off to strong starts, only to suffer a big fall when they finally meet a strong opponent.

Two such teams had that fate hit them this week: Southridge and River View.

The Suns were ranked fifth in the state, which I always thought way too high for them. I had thought at the beginning of the year that they were perhaps a 9 or 10 for preseason rankings, but with the memory of them being the last undefeated team from the CBBN last season, plus a 3-0 start this year, prompted my media brethren to push them to loftier heights.

But, as you know, I'd been voting only for Wenatchee among the CBBN's top teams on my ballot, and Friday's 27-6 victory gave me sweet validation (one of the few times that night, by the way, as my picks bear out).

It was nothing against Southridge, but more my being impressed with Wenatchee -- and my new favorite player, Jacob Sealby. If he is not playing somewhere next fall at the Division I level -- either FBS or FCS -- I will be stunned.

When two teams are, for the most part, equal -- as the Suns and Panthers are -- then I look for the team with the best player. The superstar. The game-changer.

And that player is Sealby, who ran for 168 yards and a touchdown, while at linebacker, he helped Wenatchee force five turnovers from the Suns.

Southridge is definitely the second-best team in the Columbia Division, maybe even the CBBN -- especially if Kamiakin wins at Eisenhower on Friday, although the Cadets are playing the best ball of all the Cascade teams.

If Ike wins, then that means Wenatchee and Ike would be the top seeds into the crossovers, with Southridge and either Kamiakin or Walla Walla the 2s.

Guess who that means the Suns, Braves and/or Blue Devils have looming in their future? Just maybe Ferris. Or Gonzaga Prep. Ouch!

But no more of an ouch than what Connell did in exposing River View in a 49-7 romp up in the Basin.

Yes, I'd figured on a Connell victory, but not in this dominating a fashion. The Eagles may be as well-rounded a team as there is in the small-school ranks -- and considering the 28-7 whoopin' they put on Othello in Week 1, that's including 2A on down.

That being said, River View is not that bad a team. It was able to make some plays against the Eagles -- just not enough in a row. It's got two real good playmakers in WR Brendan Hoch and RB Chance Watt, both of whom got dinged up and didn't finish the game.

Most teams the Panthers play won't have the DBs that Connell has to cover all their receivers in the spread. Most teams won't have Dyrel Whitby at middle linebacker, making plays from sideline to sideline.

So I don't think I overestimated River View. I think I underestimated Connell.

This week will definitely test that theory. River View takes on Columbia (Burbank), which is 2-0 in East play under first-year coach Rich Harris. Can the Panthers bounce back?

Til next time ...