Sunday, Oct. 04, 2009

Thinking prep football on a Sunday

It's hard to believe we're already at the halfway point of the football season.

Heck, for the CBBN teams, Week 5 is actually the first game of the second half of the regular season -- since Week 9 is reserved for the division crossovers and Week 10 for regional play.

At this point, we should have learned quite a bit about the teams in each league.

Wenatchee in the Columbia and Eisenhower in the Cascade have proven themselves to be the cream of the CBBN crop. Southridge looks to have second place in the Columbia wrapped up, while Friday's Walla Walla-Kamiakin matchup at Lampson should decide the Cascade runner-up.

On the flip side, Richland and Chiawana meet Friday, with the loser probably missing the playoffs. And Davis looks -- again -- to be the odd team out in the Columbia, even with Pasco's shocking loss to Sunnyside, because the Bulldogs' OT win in Week 2 would be the tiebreaker should the Pirates beat Sunnyside.

How about the CWAC? It would appear that four teams are battling for three playoff spots -- Ellensburg, Othello, Prosser and Selah. The Mustangs get their shot at No. 1 Ellensburg on Friday at Fiker.

In the SCAC East, Connell and Royal again are the top dogs, and River View drew first blood among the three seeming contenders for the final regional berth by beating Columbia (Burbank) on Friday. Wahluke looks like it'll be the third team in the mix.

How about some midseason award winners?

MVPs

CBBN Cascade Joe Fuerst, RB, Eisenhower. The West Valley transfer has made a huge impact on the Cadets. He's No. 2 in the league with 699 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Runner-up Tim White, WR/DB, Kamiakin.

CBBN Columbia Jacob Sealby, RB/LB, Wenatchee. Also the overall league MVP. The league's top runner (822 yards, 6 TDs) and perhaps its best defensive player as well. Runner-up Dylan Signorelli, Moses Lake.

CWAC Ethan Sterkel, QB, Ellensburg. Directs a Bulldogs offense that is putting up Madden 09-like numbers. Runner-up Kramer Ferrell, WR, Ellensburg.

SCAC East Matt Hadley, RB, Connell. Only a sophomore, but the best athlete in the league. Makes plays on both sides of the ball, as his game-changing fumble return for a TD in Friday's win over Moscow, ID, attest. Runner-up Marc Albertson, QB, Royal.

Coach of the year

CBBN Cascade Dan Eyman, Eisenhower. A year ago, Ike was the most disappointing team in the league. This year, the Cadets have exceeded expectations and will likely be the No. 1 regional seed (the Cascade gets the top seed this year). Runner-up Scott Biglin, Kamiakin.

CBBN Columbia Rick Clark, Davis. Even in Thursday's 28-0 loss to Southridge, the Pirates were competitive until midway through the second half. They've been in every other game this season -- which for Davis, is a big step forward. Runner-up Scott Devereaux, Wenatchee.

CWAC Roger Hoell, Othello. He led his team into Art Fiker and ended Prosser's lengthy regular-season win streak. That's quite a feat. Runner-up Randy Affholter, Ellensburg.

SCAC East Rich Harris, Columbia (Burbank). He's given the Coyotes stability and direction. Watch out for them in two years. Runner-up Brett Jay, River View.

Best player on a second-tier team

CBBN Cascade Jake McKinney, RB, Richland. It's been a disappointing year for the Bombers, but one bright spot has been the emergence of McKinney as one of the league's top running backs, fulfilling the potential that coach Mike Neidhold saw in him. Runner-up Jordan Downing, RB/LB, Chiawana.

CBBN Columbia Mitchell Vinsent, RB/LB, Davis. He and junior Roberto Rodriguez give the Pirates a puncher's chance in every game. Runner-up Drew Loftus, WR/DB, Kennewick.

CWAC Cody Nickoloff, RB, Wapato. He pretty much is the Wolves offense. Runner-up Breck Webley, RB, Quincy.

SCAC East Arturo Reyes, QB, Warden. The Cougars are throwing the ball all over the field, relying on the strong right arm of Reyes. Runner-up Nathan Brown, WR, Warden.

CBBN playoff predictions

Winners in bold

Pasco (Columbia 5) vs. Eisenhower (Cascade 1)

Richland (Cascade 5) vs. Wenatchee (Columbia 1)

Kennewick (Columbia 4) vs. Kamiakin (Cascade 2)

Eastmont (Cascade 4) vs. Southridge (Columbia 2)

Moses Lake (Columbia 3) vs. Walla Walla (Cascade 3)

OK, that's enough for my day off.

Til next time ...