From the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association.

Class 4A
Boys
1. Jackson
2. Eisenhower
3. Mead
4. Gig Harbor
5. Kamiakin
6. Southridge
7. Issaquah
8. Ferris
9. Tahoma
10. Skyline
Others: Auburn Riverside, Bothell, Richland, Lake Stevens, Redmond

Girls
1. Gig Harbor
2. Eastlake
3. Richland
4. Davis
5. Mead
6. Jackson
7. Redmond
8. Newport
9. Snohomish
10. Olympia
Others: Central Valley, Tahomna, Kamiakin, Eisenhower

Class 3A
Boys
1. North Central
2. Seattle Prep
3. Lindbergh
4. Mercer Island
5. Bellevue
6. Mount Spokane
7. Peninsula
8. Glacier Peak
9. Capital
10. Bishop Blanchet
Others: Columbia River, Nathan Hale, North Kitsap

Girls
1. Lakeside
2. Seattle Prep
3. Shadle Park
4. Glacier Peak
5. Mount Spokane
6. Mercer Island
7. North Kitsap
8. Hanford
9. Bellevue
10. Capital
Others: Issaquah, Enumclaw, Columbia River

Class 2A
Boys
1. Sehome
2. Burlington-Edison
3. Squalicum
4. Cheney
5. Selah
6. Lakewood
7. Colville
8. Ellensburg
9. Tumwater
10. Riverside
Others: Bellingham, Centralia, Elma

Girls
1. Sehome
2. Cedarcrest
3. Deer Park
4. Squalicum
5. Sequim
6. Kingston
7. Lakewood
8. Bellingham
9. South Whidbey
10. West Valley (Spokane)
Others: Riverside, Cheney, Ellensburg

Class 1A
Boys
1. Port Townsend
2. Charles Wright
3. Lynden Christian
4. King's
5. Lakeside (9 Mile Falls)
6. Nooksack Valley
7. LaCenter
8. Bellevue Christian
9. Freeman
10. Newport
Others: Chewelah, Zillah

Girls
1. King's
2. LaCenter
3. Nooksack Valley
4. Meridian
5. Chelan
6. Lynden Christian
7. Onalaska
8. Omak
9. Lakeside (9 Mile Falls)
10. Freeman

Class 2B/1B
Boys
1. Northwest Christian (Lacey)
2. Valley Christian
3. Mount Rainier Lutheran
4. Bear Creek
5. Northwest Christian (Colbert)
Others: Reardan, St. George's, Republic

Girls
1. St. George's
2. Northwest Christian (Lacey)
3. White Pass
4. Reardan
5. Asotin
Others: Northwest Christian (Colbert), Bellevue Christian

Area Top 10
1. Olympia
2. Auburn
3. Lakes
4. Graham-Kapowsin
5. Gig Harbor
6. Tahoma
7. Federal Way
8. Puyallup
9. Curtis
10. Rogers

Class 4A
1. Skyline
2. Ferris
3. Issaquah
4. Olympia
5. Auburn
6. Woodinville
7. Central Valley
8. Graham-Kapowsin
9. Lake Stevens
10. Southridge

Class 3A
1. Bellevue
2. Ferndale
3. Lakes
4. Union
5. Kennedy
6. West Seattle
7. Eastside Catholic
8. O’Dea
9. Peninsula
10. Liberty

Class 2A
1. Prosser
2. Archbishop Murphy
3. Tumwater
4. Burlington-Edison
5. W.F. West
6. Steilaco
7. Othello
8. Pullman
9. Selah
10. Lynden

Class 1A
1. Royal
2. Cashmere
3. Forks
4. Montesano
5. Orting
6. Cascade Christian
7. Chelan
8. Kalama
9. Connell
10. Nooksack Valley

Class 2B
1. LaSalle
2. Willapa Valley
3. Asotin
4. Colfax
5. Life Christian

Class 1B
1. Tri-Cities Prep
2. Almira/Coulee-Hartline
3. Cusick
4. Touchet
5. Lummi

Rankings provided by the Washington State Volleyball Coaches Associations.

Class 4A
1. Mead
2. Kentwood
3. Lewis & Clark
4. Monroe
5. Kamiak
6. Rogers (Puyallup)
7. Kamiakin
8. Skyview
9. Stanwood
10. Bethel

Class 3A
1. East Valley (Spokane)
2. Prairie
3. Sumner
4. Kennedy
5. Auburn Mountainview
6. Shorecrest
7. Mercer Island
8. Mount Si
9. Shadle Park
10. Bonney Lake

Class 2A
1. Grandview
2. Selah
3. Lynden
4. Black Hills
5. Burlington Edison
6. West Valley Spokane
7. Mark Morris
8. Fife
9. North Mason
10. Pullman

Class 1A
1. Connell
2. Goldendale
3. Kings
4. Cedar Park Christian
5. Chewelah
6. Lakeside (9 Mile Falls)
7. Nooksack Valley
8. Lynden Christian
9. Cascade Christian
10. Kiona Benton

Class 2B
1. LaConner
2. Colfax
3. Tekoa-Oakesdale
4. Riverside Christian
5. Davenport
6. Darrington
7. NW Christain (Colbert)
8. Toutle Lake
9. Adna
10. King's West

Class 1B
1. Lacrosse/Washtucna
2. Moses Lake Christian
3. Klickitat
4. Odessa
5. St John Endicott
6. Wilbur-Creston
7. Northport
8. Cusick
9. Almire Coulee Hartline
10. Lopez Isand

Here's how the top 10 teams in our polls fared in Week 4.

Class 4A
1. Skyline (4-0) d. Newport 49-0
Friday: at Garfield
2. Ferris (4-0) d. No. 8 Mount Spokane (3A) 30-22
Friday: at Eastmont
3. Issaquah (4-0) d. Garfield 55-14
Friday: at Eastlake
4. Olympia (4-0) d. Bellarmine Prep 31-0
Thursday: vs. Lincoln
5. Auburn (4-0) d. Jefferson 66-28
Thursday: vs. Kentridge
6. Woodinville (4-0) at Roosevelt 42-13
Friday: at Inglemoor
7. Central Valley (4-0) d. Shadle Park 43-7
Friday: at North Central
8. Kamiakin (3-1) lost to Eastmont 27-6
Friday: vs. Eisenhower
9. Graham-Kapowsin (4-0) d. Spanaway Lake 40-7
Friday: vs. Emerald Ridge
10. Lewis and Clark (2-2) lost 23-3 to East Valley (Spokane)
Friday: vs. Shadle Park

Class 3A
1. Bellevue (4-0) d. Mount Si 20-7
Friday: at Mercer Island
2. Ferndale (4-0) d. No. 4 Lynden (2A) 41-6
Friday: vs. Squalicum
3. Lakes (4-0) d. Enumclaw 14-7
Friday: vs. Sumner
4. Union (4-0) d. Heritage 49-28
Friday: at Columbia River
5. Kennedy (3-1) d. Highline 61-0
Saturday: vs. Foster
6. West Seattle (4-0) d. Nathan Hale 32-15
Friday: at Ingraham
7. Eastside Catholic (3-1) d. Lakeside (Seattle) 55-7
Friday: vs. Bainbridge
8. Mount Spokane (2-2) lost 30-22 to No. 2 Ferris (4A)
Thursday: vs. University
9. O’Dea (3-1) d. Bishop Blanchet 35-6
Friday: vs. Seattle Prep
10. Peninsula (3-1) d. Clover Park 35-26
Friday: vs. Gig Harbor

Class 2A
1. Prosser (3-0) d. East Valley (Yakima) 68-0
Friday: vs. Toppenish
2. Archbishop Murphy (4-0) d. Sultan 49-19
Friday: at Coupeville
3. Tumwater (4-0) d. Aberdeen 56-15
Friday: at No. 10 W.F. West
4. Lynden (2-2) lost 41-6 to No. 2 Ferndale (3A)
Friday: vs. Blaine
5. Burlington-Edison (4-0) d. Bellingham 39-8
Friday: vs. Anacortes
6. Pullman (2-2) lost 21-20 to Colville
Friday: at Cheney
7. West Valley (Spokane) (3-1) lost 21-15 to Clarkston
Friday: vs. Lakeland (Idaho)
8. Steilacoom (4-0) d. Sequim 35-21
Friday: at Fife
9. Othello (3-1) d. Toppenish 36-13
Friday: vs. Grandview
10. W.F. West (3-1) d. Hoquiam 49-26
Friday: vs. No. 3 Tumwater

Class 1A
1. Royal (4-0) d. Zillah 35-13
2. Cashmere (3-0) d. Okanogan 41-0
3. Forks (4-0) d. Onalaska 35-16
4. Montesano (4-0) d. Rochester 48-8
5. Orting (4-0) d. Life Christian 68-27
6. Cascade Christian (3-1) d. Cedar Park Christian 49-7
7. Kalama (3-1) lost 20-12 to Rainier (Ore.)
8. Chelan (3-0) d. Lake Roosevelt 55-15
9. Connell (2-2) d. River View 33-6
10. Nooksack Valley (3-1) d. Friday Harbor 28-14

Class 2B
1. LaSalle (4-0) d. Kittitas 44-6
2. Life Christian (3-1) lost 68-27 to No. 5 Orting (1A)
3. Adna (3-1) lost to Castle Rock 40-8
4. Asotin (3-1) d. Pomeroy 46-24
5. Willapa Valley (4-0) d. Ocosta 42-7

Class 1B
1. Tri-Cities Prep (4-0) d. Lyle Klickitat Wishram 58-12
2. Touchet (3-1) lost 36-16 to Durfur (Ore.)
3. Almira/Coulee-Hartline (4-0) d. Wellpinit 48-0
4. Cusick (4-0) d. Pateros 56-12
5. Lummi (3-1) d. Neah Bay 60-36

SPSL
Auburn 66, Jefferson 28
Graham-Kapowsin 40, Spanaway Lake 7
Rogers 35, Emerald Ridge 0
Puyallup 50, Todd Beamer 0
Tahoma 48, Kent-Meridian 13
Federal Way 48, Kentlake 6

NARROWS
Olympia 31, Bellarmine Prep 0
Gig Harbor 23, South Kitsap 13
Mount Tahoma 23, Wilson 22
Central Kitsap 38, Lincoln 7

SPSL 3A
Lakes 14, Enumclaw 7
Sumner 34, Franklin Pierce 28
Peninsula 35, Clover Park 26
Auburn Mountainview 15, White River 14

OLYMPIC WESTERN LEAGUE
Capital 56, Olympic 14
Timberline 35, Bremerton 12
North Kitsap 45, Yelm 7
North Thurston 49, Port Angeles 7

EVERGREEN CONFERENCE
Centralia 33, River Ridge 13
W.F. West 49, Hoquiam 26
Tumwater 56, Aberdeen 15

NISQUALLY
North Mason 32, Klahowya 14
Fife 28, Washington 3
Charles Wright 28, Chimacum 14
Eatonville 29, Kingston 7
Vashon 26, Port Townsend 25
Steilacoom 35, Sequim 21

NON-LEAGUE
South Bend 12, Tacoma Baptist 7

A football coach will tell you that every game matters. And they're right. But let's face it. As fans, we like to see big games involving teams that are league title contenders. Sure a league win over a 1-2 team counts just as much as a victory against a 3-0 team, but which would you rather see?

This week, there's a lot of the former.

Federal Way's visit to undefeated Kentlake might be the most anticipated game of the night, at least for me. We'll get a chance to see if the Falcons are for real or if the Eagles have regained the form the carried them last fall to the SPSL North championship.

On the undercard, we've got Bellarmine Prep, which is better than its 1-2 record indicates, traveling to fourth-ranked Olympia. A pair of 2-1 teams will square off when Wilson plays at Mount Tahoma -- that's where I'll be tonight.

In the SPSL 3A, surprising Sumner hosts a battered Franklin Pierce team. A win tonight will give the Spartans plenty of momentum heading into next week's showdown at No. 3 Lakes.

It's tough to say what's in store in the Nisqually Olympic and Nisqually 1A/2B leagues, as those teams begin their league schedules tonight.

For the last three weeks, we've been sending out scores throughout Friday evening. If you want scores texted to your cell phone, sign up at Twitter -- it's free -- and search for "tntsports."

With tonight's primer out of the way, here's what we have in today's newspaper, for your reading pleasure:

Here's a feature I wrote on Yelm. The Tornados have had three straight losing season, but first-year coach Randy Swilley has the team at 2-1.

Foss beat Stadium 35-21 on Thursday night, getting 144 rushing yards from Julian Cruell.

Here's a link to an earlier blog post, highlighting in capsule form the top games tonight.

In case you missed it earlier this week, here are the TNT's prep football rankings.

The housecleaning out of the way, let's move on to the picks!

This week we welcome Geoff Corkum, director of media development for the Tacoma Rainiers. Corkum has big shoes to fill as the guest picker is leading this competition after three weeks. I pulled his mugshot from the KOAT TV news Web site when he was the Ron Burgundy of Albuquerque. No word on if his apartment smells of rich mahogany or if Merlin Olsen is his friend.

WEEKLY PICKS	Doug Pacey	Todd Milles	guest picker
Steilacoom at Sequim	Steilacoom	Sequim	Steilacoom
North Kitsap at Yelm	Yelm	North Kitsap	North Kitsap
Federal Way at Kentlake	FW	FW	FW
Spanaway Lake at Graham-Kapowsin	GK	GK	GK
Emerald Ridge at Rogers	Rogers	Rogers	Rogers
Franklin Pierce at Sumner	FP	Sumner	FP
Wilson at Mount Tahoma	Wilson	Wilson	Wilson
Bellarmine Prep at Olympia	Olympia	Olympia	Olympia
Gig Harbor at South Kitsap	SK	SK	Gig Harbor
Orting at Life Christian	Life Christian	Orting	Orting
Cedar Park Christian at Cascade Christian	CC	CC	CC
LAST WEEK	7-5	8-4	7-5
SEASON RECORD	25-10	24-11	27-6

Thursday night's games are in the books, so let's take a look at some of the more meaningful games left on this week's schedule:

Federal Way (2-1) at Kentlake (3-0)
7 p.m. today at French Field
The lowdown: There is plenty at stake for the upstart Falcons. If they win today, they will guarantee themselves their first non-losing league record since winning the North crown in 2003. However, they are 0-2 all-time against Federal Way.
Why the Eagles will win: Much of the blame after an opening loss to Auburn was attributed to not having standout RB Andre Barrington (knee) in the lineup. Not coach John Meagher, who saw his line get pushed around. That has shown drastic improvement, especially on the left side with G Jordan Maulolo and T Andru Pulu. Last week, Barrington returned with 163 total yards and two TDs.
Why the Falcons will win: Speedy RB Taylor Angevine gives the Falcons a true home-run threat, but the bread is buttered by a defense giving up just 89.0 rushing yards per game. They want to funnel the action to LB Steven Morse, a stop-you-in-your-tracks defender who is on his way to leading the SPSL again in tackles (12.0 per game).
The News Tribune pick: Federal Way hit its stride at this time a year ago, and should give hungry Falcons a wake-up call.
Federal Way 30, Kentlake 18

Gig Harbor (2-1) at South Kitsap (2-1)
7 p.m. today at Joe Knowles Stadium
The lowdown: South Kitsap snapped a four-game losing streak in the series by taking a 7-0 victory on a muddy field in Port Orchard. The teams have won or shared the Narrows title every year except 2004 in past decade.
Why the Tides will win: Debuting its version of a swinging-gate formation in its new spread offense certainly surprised Central Kitsap last week as the Tides scored on two early big plays in a 31-7 win. The formation is designed to give dual-threat QB Chet Thompson (26-of-46, 424 yards, five TDs; 245 rushing yards) more lanes to run.
Why the Wolves will win: South Kitsap is nearly all the way back to its glory days of running teams over with power football. RBs Sean Allison (54 rushes, 243 yards, three TDs) and Ryan Williams (22 rushes, 149 yards, TD) are a lethal 1-2 punch, and Gordy Anderson (14-of-20, 207 yards, four TDs in past two games) is the better passer of two-quarterback rotation.
The News Tribune pick: Experienced Wolves' defense should be able to thwart Tides' unconventional gimmicks.
South Kitsap 24, Gig Harbor 21

Franklin Pierce (1-2) at Sumner (2-1)
7 p.m. today at Sunset Chev Stadium
The lowdown: En route to back-to-back 3A playoff runs, the Cardinals defeated Sumner by a combined 85-7 the past two years, including a 43-0 victory in 2007. The Spartans have not beaten Franklin Pierce since 1978.
Why the Cardinals will win: QB Brooks Roy (34-of-60, 487 yards, five TDs) and WR Aram Mann (16 catches, 265 yards, three TDs) are doing their part, but Franklin Pierce needs more. It likely won't happen this week. Up to three starters, including LBs Dwayne McCarver (neck) and Rheinheart Siose (shoulder), sustained injuries during last week's 48-7 loss to South Kitsap, and could miss tonight's matchup.
Why the Spartans will win: The last time Sumner had a winning record going into the fourth week of play was 2005. And this could stick, especially since coach Keith Ross has moved big-time college recruit Grant Cisneros from tight end to right tackle after an opening-week loss to Peninsula. Since then, the Spartans power rushing attack behind RB Cody Haavik (220 yards) and FB Alex Griffith (235 yards) has taken off.
The News Tribune pick: Not a good week to likely lose two starting linebackers. The Cardinals have recent history; Sumner has momentum.
Sumner 23, Franklin Pierce 20

No. 5 Orting (3-0 in 1A) at No. 2 Life Christian (3-0 in 2B)
7 p.m. Saturday at Harry E. Lang Stadium
The lowdown: Classification level hasn't mean much the past two seasons as Orting has escaped with two last-minute wins, including a 17-16 in 2007. During that span, however, it's the Eagles who have been to the state playoffs both years.
Why the Cardinals will win: Eye-opening, indeed, is Orting's 47-24 pounding of Meridian last week, and it's not difficult to see why. The Cardinals' No. 1 defensive unit is limiting opposing rushers to 20 yards per game. And if they need a big strike, QB Nick Wilkins (44-of-83, 659 yards, eight TDs) and RB Grant Angle (36 rushes, 270 yards, four TDs) have aptly provided.
Why the Eagles will win: Coach Todd Corrigan had one chief concern entering the season – an offensive line with four new starters. But it has developed quicker than anticipated with C Hunter Kim and LT Jordan Michelson in an all-senior unit. That should give a big-play offense, led by QB Barrett Schmidtke (43-of-72, 809 yards, seven TDs) and RB Morgan Cox (43 rushes, 351 yards, four TDs), peace of mind.
The News Tribune pick: The Cardinals can win both ways – a shootout and a grind-it-out game. They would prefer the latter.
Orting 19, Life Christian 14

State Game of the Week
No. 4 2A Lynden at No. 2 3A Ferndale (3-0), 7 p.m. today
This game is so big in Whatcom County that Ferndale brings in extra bleachers to accommodate the crush of spectators. Those fans will see two very good football teams that have a combined five state title game appearances in the previous seven seasons. With 20 returning starters from 2007, Ferndale might be the most experienced team in the state. The Golden Eagles have certainly played like it, outscoring opponents 163-15, and the first-string defense has not allowed a point. Lynden has recovered nicely from a season-opening loss at No. 2 2A Archbishop Murphy, winning its next two games by at least three touchdowns.
The News Tribune pick: Ferndale 26, Lynden 13

Here are the Washington State Coaches Association volleyball rankings.

Class 4A
1. Mead
2. Kentwood
3. Lewis & Clark
4. Monroe
5. Kamiak
6. Rogers (Puyallup)
7. Auburn Riverside
8. Puyallup
9. Skyview
10. Bethel

Class 3A
1. East Valley (Spokane)
2. Auburn Mountainview
3. Prairie
4. Shadle Park
5. Sumner
6. Kennedy
7. Shorecrest
8. Mercer Island
9. Mount Si
10. Seattle Prep

Class 2A
1. Grandview
2. Selah
3. Lynden
4. Black Hills
5. Burlington Edison
6. West Valley Spokane
7. Tumwater
8. Fife
9. North Mason
10. Pullman

Class 1A
1. Connell
2. Goldendale
3. Kings
4. Cedar Park Christian
5. Chewelah
6. Lakeside (9 mile falls)
7. Nooksack Valley
8. Lynden Christian
9. Omak
10. Kiona Benton

Class 2B
1. LaConner
2. Davenport
3. Colfax
4. Tekoa-Oakesdale
5. Riverside Christian
6. Darrington
7. Lind-Ritzville
8. NW Christain (Colbert)
9. Toutle Lake
10. Adna

Class 1B
1. Garfield-Palouse
2. Lacrosse/Washtucna
3. Moses Lake Christian
4. Northport
5. Odessa
6. Klickitat
7. Sunnyside Christian
8. Entiat
9. Lopez Island

It's been a couple weeks since I posted some prep sports links from around the state. It's high time I get back in that groove, so here we go.

In the last couple days, we have had our girls soccer and cross country previews run. Our girls swimming preview will be in Thursday's newspaper.

Let's go next to Spokane. Spokesman-Review sports writer Mike Vlahovich takes a look back at the victories by Central Valley and Ferris football teams here. Here's a mention of the DeSales football team, which began the season ranked No. 1 in our Class 2B poll, but has since fallen out.

The Olympian reported that Black Hills running back Cody Peterson was initially shorted by 100 yards by the team's stat keeper. Peterson actually ran for 309 yards on 33 carries in the win over Hoquiam on Friday.

Finally, click below to see The Associated Press high school football polls.

=> Read more!

What did we learn from Week 3?

The SPSL South is a four-team battle royale and Graham-Kapowsin is standing on the turnbuckle with Curtis, Puyallup and Rogers brawling on the mat. Will any of them find a folding chair and knock the Eagles from their perch?

Auburn is ruling the SPSL North with an iron fist. The Trojans walloped Kent-Meridian 49-0 on Friday.

Foss showed that Mount Tahoma running back Ron Baines can be stopped, holding the explosive senior to 71 yards.

So, where do we go from here? Well, Week 4 likely won't help much in figuring out how the season will unfold. This week is lacking in "big" games. Showdowns like last week's Rogers-Curts and Graham-Kapowsin-Puyallup contests are not on the schedule.

That being said, let's move on to the rankings. We've got some shakeups in 4A and 3A. Lewis and Clark tumbled six spots to No. 10 after losing to Central Valley, which is now No. 7. Puyallup and Rogers also fell out of the poll after suffering losses, while Graham-Kapowsin is No. 9.

In 3A, Meadowdale's loss to Mountlake Terrace dropped the former second-ranked team out of the rankings. Ferndale (3-0) is the new No. 2 team. West Seattle's win over O'Dea catapulted it to No. 6 and the Irish fell to No. 9. Peninsula is a new addition, coming in at No. 10.

Click below to check out the rankings for yourself. Agree or disagree? Let your voice be heard.

=> Read more!

Here's how the Top 10 teams in 4A, 3A and 2A fared in Week 3. I'm rounding up scores for the rest of the classifications and will post them here this afternoon. This week's rankings will be up this evening.

Class 4A
1. Skyline (3-0) d. Lake Washington 55-0
Friday: at Newport
2. Ferris (3-0) d. Mead 34-0
Friday: vs. Mount Spokane
3. Issaquah (3-0) d. Inglemoor 36-7
Friday: vs. Garfield
4. Lewis and Clark (2-1) lost 33-21 to Central Valley
Thursday: vs. East Valley (Spokane)
5. Olympia (3-0) d. Wilson 34-0
Friday: vs. Bellarmine Prep
6. Rogers (2-1) lost 33-28 to Curtis
Friday: vs. Emerald Ridge
7. Auburn (3-0) d. Kent-Meridian 49-0
Friday: vs. Jefferson
8. Woodinville (3-0) d. Eastlake 10-7
Friday: at Roosevelt
9. Puyallup (2-1) lost 35-34 to Graham-Kapowsin
Friday: vs. Spanaway Lake
10. Kamiakin (3-0) d. Hanford 12-0
Friday: at Eastmont

Class 3A
1. Bellevue (3-0) d. California 34-27
Friday: vs. Mount Si
2. Meadowdale (1-1) lost to Mountlake Terrace 23-17
Friday: at Kamiak
3. Ferndale (3-0) d. Blaine 55-7
Friday: vs. No. 6 Lynden (2A)
4. O’Dea (2-1) lost to West Seattle 21-6
Saturday: at Bishop Blanchet
5. Lakes (3-0) d. White River 49-7
Friday: at Enumclaw
6. Union (3-0) d. Battle Ground 59-10
Friday: at Heritage
7. Kennedy (2-1) d. Evergreen (Seattle) 34-10
Friday: at Highline
8. Eastside Catholic (2-1) d. No. 10 North Mason (2A) 28-7
Saturday: vs. Lakeside (Seattle)
9. North Kitsap (2-1) lost to Timberline 29-28
Friday: at Yelm
10. East Valley (Spokane) (1-2) lost 20-14 to Shadle Park
Thursday: at No. 4 Lewis and Clark (4A)

Class 2A
1. Prosser (3-0) d. No. 5 Othello 54-21
Friday: vs. East Valley (Yakima)
2. Archbishop Murphy (3-0) d. Granite Falls 42-6
Friday: at Sultan
3. Tumwater (3-0) d. River Ridge 29-14
Friday: vs. Aberdeen
4. Pullman (2-1) lost to Lewiston (Idaho) 21-14
Friday: vs. Colville
5. Othello (2-1) lost to No. 1 Prosser 54-21
Friday: at Toppenish
6. Lynden (2-1) d. Bellingham 35-14
Friday: at No. 3 Ferndale (3A)
7. Burlington-Edison (2-1) d. Squalicum 34-14
Thursday: at Bellingham
8. West Valley (Spokane) (3-0) d. Riverside 45-10
Friday: at Clarkston
9. Steilacoom (3-0) d. Seattle Prep 27-10
Friday: at Sequim
10. North Mason (2-1) lost to No. 8 Eastside Catholic (3A) 28-10
Friday: at Klahowya

Class 1A
1. Royal (3-0) d. Wahluke 42-13
2. Cascade Christian (2-1) lost to Sequim 17-14
3. Cashmere (2-0) d. Lake Roosevelt 63-0
4. Forks (3-0) d. Rochester 41-6
5. Montesano (3-0) d. Toledo 40-16
6. Orting (3-0) d. No. 7 Meridian 47-24
7. Meridian (1-2) lost to No. 6 Orting 47-24
8. Kalama (3-0) d. Tenino 41-21
9. Connell (0-2) d. Kiona-Benton 38-0
10. LaCenter (1-2) lost to Hudson’s Bay 21-17

Class 2B
1. LaSalle (3-0) d. Dayton 57-0
2. Life Christian (3-0) d. Tacoma Baptist 21-0
3. Adna (3-0) d. Napavine 41-14
4. Asotin (2-1) d. Lind-Ritzville 41-7
5. Willapa Valley (3-0) d. Raymond 53-0

Class 1B
1. Tri-Cities Prep (3-0) d. Highland Christian 48-0
2. Touchet (3-0) d. Waterville 55-38
3. Almira/Coulee-Hartline (3-0) d. Curlew 54-6
4. Cusick (3-0) d. Sprague-Harrington 50-0
5. Lummi (2-1) d. St. John-Endicott 58-20

NARROWS
Olympia 34, Wilson 0
Foss 28, Mount Tahoma 12
Gig Harbor 31, Central Kitsap 7
Bellarmine Prep 56, Shelton 7

SPSL
Curtis 33, Rogers 28
Auburn 49, Kent-Meridian 0
Spanaway Lake 6, Decatur 2
Auburn Riverside 21, Beamer 14
Bethel 42, Emerald Ridge 26
Federal Way 38, Kentridge 18

SPSL 3A
Lakes 49, White River 7
Bonney Lake 41, Clover Park 25

OLYMPIC WESTERN
North Thurston 31, Olympic 28 (OT)
Timberline 29, North Kitsap 28
Capital 57, Port Angeles 6

EVERGREEN
Black Hills 50, Hoquiam 28
W.F. West 35, Elma 13
Centralia 40, Aberdeen 22

NON-LEAGUE
Eatonville 13, Mark Morris 0
Eastside Catholic 28, North Mason 7
Orting 47, Meridian 24
Steilacoom 27, Seattle Prep 10
South Kitsap 48, Franklin Pierce 7

I believe we'll learn quite a bit about a few teams tonight and Saturday.

Take the SPSL South. Graham-Kapowsin visits No. 9 Puyallup on Saturday night in a showdown of two teams that appear to be good enough to win the league title. In University Place tonight, No. 6 Rogers visits Curtis. The Rams offense has been unstoppable so far this season -- here's my story on Rogers' offense that ran in today's newspaper. But don't write off Curtis. The Vikings have some talent and they'll be ready.

In the Narrows League, we'll get to see what Wilson's made of when the undefeated Rams host fifth-ranked Olympia tonight.

The Olympic Western League begins league play this week. Olympic visits North Thurston and Timberline travels to ninth-ranked North Kitsap tonight in games that will reveal a lot about each team.

Here's a recap of last night's action:

-- A week after Enumclaw stunned Franklin Pierce, the Hornets fell 30-7 at Sumner. All of a sudden, the Spartans are 2-1 and have doubled last season's win total.

-- Tahoma scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to beat Kentwood 28-14. The Bears are 3-0 in the SPSL North.

-- London Vessey ran for 171 yards in third-ranked Tumwater's 28-14 win over River Ridge.

Now, let's get to the picks. Two weeks into the season, the guests are leading the picks. That should change this week, as news reporter Scott Fontaine, a former sports freelancer, takes a stab at prognosticating.

WEEKLY PICKS	Doug Pacey	Todd Milles	Scott Fontaine, guest picker
Foss at Mt. Tahoma	Mt. Tahoma	Mt. Tahoma	Mt. Tahoma
Olympia at Wilson	Olympia	Olympia	Olympia
Franklin Pierce at South Kitsap	FP	SK	SK
Rogers at Curtis	Rogers	Curtis	Curtis
Graham-Kapowsin at Puyallup	Puyallup	G-K	Puyallup
Kentridge at Federal Way	FW	FW	FW
Timberline at North Kitsap	T-line	NK	NK
Meridian at Orting	Orting	Meridian	Orting
Olympic at North Thurston	NT	NT	Olympic
Hoquiam at Black Hills	BH	BH	BH
Cas. Christian at Sequim	CC	CC	CC
Life Christian at Tac. Baptist	LC	LC	LC
LAST WEEK	10-1	8-3	10-1
SEASON RECORD	18-5	16-7	20-3

The Bellarmine Prep duo of Abdul Gaddy and Avery Bradley will not be playing together in college. Following on the heals of Gaddy recommitted to Arizona earlier this week, former Lions teammate Avery Bradley committed to the University of Texas, according to a Houston Chronicle report.

Bradley, one of top-rated shooting guards in the nation, chose the Longhorns over UCLA, according to the report. Bradley averaged 25.7 points per contest for the Lions last season, and is considered one of the top high school perimeter defenders in the nation.

Bradley transferred to Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, the same place former Gig Harbor High product Clarence Trent attends school, for his senior year to help him qualify for college.
Bradley has drawn comparisons to UCLA product Russell Westbrook because of his athleticism.

“Texas is getting Russell Westbrook with 50 percent more offense,” AAU coach Garry Ward told the Chronicle. “He will defend the best perimeter player on the other team. He can flat-out play.”

This press release just landed in my in-box:

APPLE PHYSICAL THERAPY OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES

Apple Physical Therapy is proud to honor one boy and one girl student athlete for both the Fall and Winter sport seasons with a $1,000 Athlete of the Quarter Scholarship.

Eligible student athletes must be high school seniors enrolled in a Western Washington high school, participating in a varsity sport and be in good-standing academically. The scholarship criteria include athlete performance, community service/involvement and other compelling personal circumstances.

Nomination forms are available to download at Apple Physical Therapy’s website and can be turned in to any Apple Physical Therapy clinic location or other participating private practice location. A complete list of locations is on Apple Physical Therapy’s website. Nomination forms are due December 1 for Fall, 2008 and March 1 for Winter, 2009 applications.

Scholarship winners will be announced at the conclusion of the Fall, 2008 and Winter, 2009 seasons on the High School GameTime television program on King 5 and Kong 6/16.

The South Sound's biggest cross country meet is this weekend. More than 50 schools will compete at the Fort Steilacoom Invitational on Saturday. Quite a few of the participating teams are ranked in this week's Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association polls.

Class 4A
Boys
1. Mead
2. Jackson
3. Gig Harbor
4. Kamiakin
5. Redmond
6. Tahoma
7. Eisenhower
8. Lewis and Clark
9. Southridge
10. Issaquah
Others: Auburn Riverside, Ferris, Bothell, Lake Stevens, Richland, Skyline

Girls
1. Gig Harbor
2. Eastlake
2. Redmond
4. Richland
5. Kamiakin
6. Newport
7. Olympia
8. Central Valley
9. Davis
10. Lake Stevens
Others: Snohomish, Mead, Eisenhower

Class 3A
Boys
1. North Central
2. Seattle Prep
3. Lindbergh
4. Mercer Island
5. Bellevue
6. Peninsula
7. Glacier Peak
8. Mount Spokane
9. North Kitsap
10. Capital
Others: Bishop Blanchet, Liberty and Shorecrest

Girls
1. Lakeside
2. Seattle Prep
3. Shadle Park
4. Glacier Peak
5. Mount Spokane
6. Mercer Island
7. North Kitsap
8. Hanford
9. Enumclaw
10. Capital
Others: Columbia River, Shadle Park and West Valley (Yakima)

Class 2A
Boys
1. Sehome
2. Burlington-Edison
3. Squalicum
4. Colville
5. Cheney
6. Lakewood
7. Selah
8. Ellensburg
9. Tumwater
10. Riverside
Others: Centralia, Elma and W.F. West

Girls
1. Sehome
2. Squalicum
3. Cedarcrest
4. Sequim
5. Deer Park
6. South Whidbey
7. West Valley (Spokane)
8. Cheney
9. Riverside
10. Kingston
Others: Bellingham, Ellensburg and W.F. West

Class 1A
Boys
1. Port Townsend
2. Charles Wright
3. Lynden Christian
4. King's
5. Lakeside (9 Mile Falls)
6. Nooksack Valley
7. LaCenter
8. Bellevue Christian
9. Freeman
10. Newport
Others: Chewelah, Zillah

Girls
1. King's
2. LaCenter
3. Bush
4. Nooksack Valley
5. Meridian
6. Chelan
7. Lynden Christian
8. Onalaska
9. Omak
10. Lakeside (9 Mile Falls)
Others: Freeman

Class 2B/1B
Boys
1. Reardan
2. Northwest Christian Lacey
3. White Pass
4. Valley Christian
5. St. George's

Girls
1. St. George's
2. Northwest Christian Lacey
3. White Pass
4. Reardan
5. St. John-Endicott

Abdul Gaddy has recommitted to the University of Arizona, according to Garry Ward, Gaddy's AAU basketball coach.

"It's always been Arizona," Ward said. "He liked everything about Arizona, Lute Olson, it's Point Guard U, it's his dream school."

Gaddy gave the news to Wildcats coach Lute Olson this evening. He also called UCLA coach Ben Howland to inform the Bruins coach of his decision. The Bellarmine Prep standout visited Arizona's campus last weekend and UCLA two weeks ago.

Last year, Gaddy gave on oral committed to attend Arizona, but he re-opened the recruiting process in May.

Former Bellarmine Prep standout Avery Bradley's recruiting visit to Texas last weekend was canceled because of Hurricane Ike. Ward said Bradley has scheduled a new visit for Sept. 26-27.

Here’s my take on the first two weeks and what is to come:

-- Who would have thought that Mount Tahoma would be sitting atop the Narrows League after the first two weeks of the season? Well, that's where the T-birds are. For the next three weeks, Mount Tahoma will go on a tour of Tacoma, playing Foss, Wilson and Stadium. It's not crazy to think the T-birds will be 5-0 in league-play when they end the regular season with Central Kitsap, Gig Harbor and Bellarmine Prep.

-- Auburn is in the driver’s seat in the SPSL North. I said this Friday night on Varsity Football Live on KJR 950 AM, after beating Federal Way and Kentwood – two of the best teams in the league – in the first two weeks, it will take a serious breakdown for the Trojans not to win the league title in the their first year back in the SPSL North.

-- I’m sensing a log-jam will soon appear at the top of the SPSL South standings. Rogers, Puyallup and Graham-Kapowsin all seem to be a notch above the rest of the league. We’ll know more on Saturday when the Vikings host the Eagles at Sparks Stadium. Rogers doesn’t play G-K for another month and ends the regular season against Puyallup.

-- In the SPSL 3A, Peninsula gave Lakes a run on Thursday night before the Lancers escaped with a 42-26 win. Then Enumclaw stunned Franklin Pierce. Lakes appears to be the class of the league, but we'll know for sure when the Cardinals play Lakes in four weeks. Franklin Pierce faces Peninsula in the final week of the regular season.

-- Cascade Christian is a legitimate state title contender in Class 1A. The Cougars can run and pass behind their offensive play, and play great defense.

-- I think our top four teams in Class 2A will stay Prosser, Archbishop Murphy, Tumwater and Pullman.

Click below to see The News Tribune's Week 3 rankings.

=> Read more!

Here's how the teams in The News Tribune's prep football power rankings did in Week 2. We'll have the Week 3 rankings up on the blog this evening and in tomorrow's newspaper.

AREA Top 10
1. Olympia (2-0) d. Capital 7-0
2. Rogers (2-0) d. Spanaway Lake 55-6
3. Auburn (2-0) d. Kentwood 28-7
4. Lakes (2-0) d. Peninsula 42-26
5. Kentwood (1-1) lost 28-7 at Auburn
6. Puyallup (2-0) d. Decatur 21-10
7. Federal Way (1-1) d. Emerald Ridge 31-7
8. Franklin Pierce (1-1) lost 25-23 to Enumclaw
9. Graham-Kapowsin (2-0) d. Beamer 46-0
10. Capital (0-2) lost 7-0 to Olympia

Class 4A
1. Skyline (2-0) d. Ballard 56-6
Friday: vs. Lake Washington

2. Ferris (2-0) d. Gonazaga Prep 37-13
Friday: vs. Mead

3. Issaquah (2-0) d. Mount Si 34-20
Friday: at Inglemoor

4. Lewis and Clark (2-0) d. Mead 28-7
Friday: at Central Valley

5. Olympia (2-0) d. Capital (3A) 7-0
Friday: at Wilson

6. Moses Lake (1-1) lost 23-13 to Coeur d’ Alene.
Friday: vs. Southridge

7. Rogers (2-0) d. Spanaway Lake 55-6
Friday: at Curtis

8. Auburn (1-0) d. No. 9 Kentwood 28-7
Friday: at Kent-Meridian

9. Kentwood (1-1) lost 28-7 at No. 8 Auburn
Friday: vs. Tahoma

10. Bothell (0-2) lost 38-19 to No. 1 Bellevue (3A)
Saturday: vs. Redmond at Qwest Field

Class 3A
1. Bellevue (2-0) d. No. 10 Bothell (4A) 38-19
Saturday: vs. San Ramon at Qwest Field

2. Meadowdale (1-0) at Stanwood -- suspended
Friday: vs. Mountlake Terrace

3. Ferndale (2-0) d. Shorecrest 61-0
Friday: at Blaine

4. O’Dea (2-0) d. Centennial (B.C.) 41-14
Friday: at West Seattle

5. Lakes (2-0) d. Peninsula 42-26
Friday: vs. White River

6. Franklin Pierce (1-1) lost 25-23 to Enumclaw
Friday: at South Kitsap

7. Eastside Catholic (1-1) lost 26-23 to No. 2 Archbishop Murphy (2A)
Friday: at North Mason

8. Union (2-0) d. Evergreen (Vancouver) 35-14
Friday: vs. Battle Ground

9. Capital (0-2) lost 7-0 to No. 5 Olympia (4A)
Friday: vs. Port Angeles

10. Kennedy (1-1) d. Tyee 42-6
Saturday: vs. Evergreen (Seattle)

Class 2A
1. Prosser (2-0) d. Quincy 76-0
Friday: at No. 5 Othello

2. Archbishop Murphy (2-0) d. No. 7 Eastside Catholic (3A) 26-23
Friday: vs. Granite Falls

3. Tumwater (2-0) d. Clover Park 34-8
Friday: at No. 7 River Ridge

4. Pullman (2-0) d. Moscow (Idaho) 41-0
Friday: at Lewiston (Idaho)

5. Othello (2-0) d. Ephrata 27-7
Friday: at No. 1 Prosser

6. Lynden (1-1) d. Squalicum 32-6
Friday: vs. Bellingham

7. River Ridge (1-1) lost 31-18 to Timberline
Friday: vs. No. 3 Tumwater

8. Black Hills (1-1) lost 30-6 to North Thurston
Friday: vs. Hoquiam

9. Burlington-Edison (2-0) d. Sehome 47-6
Friday: vs. Squalicum

10. Centralia (1-1) lost 28-18 to Mark Morris
Friday: at Aberdeen

Class 1A
1. Royal (2-0) d. Omak 41-6
Friday: at Wahluke

2. Cascade Christian (2-0) d. Eatonville 48-28
Friday: at Sequim

3. Cashmere (1-0) d. No. 6 Connell 19-16
Friday: at Lake Roosevelt

4. Forks (2-0) d. Chimacum 41-8
Friday: vs. Rochester

5. LaCenter (1-1) lost 35-19 to Hockinson
Thursday: at Hudson’s Bay

6. Connell (0-2) lost 19-16 to Cashmere
Friday: vs. Kiona-Benton

7. Montesano (2-0) d. Castle Rock 21-20
Friday: at Toledo

8. Orting (2-0) d. Naches Valley 43-22
Friday: vs. Meridian

9. Lakeside (9 Mile Falls) (1-1) lost 42-17 to West Valley (Spokane)
Friday: vs. Medical Lake

10. Meridian (0-1) d. Friday Harbor 20-7
Friday: at Orting

Class 2B
1. Asotin (1-1) lost 28-21 to Grangeville (Idaho)
Friday: at Lind-Ritzville

2. Toutle Lake (1-1) lost 34-14 to Willapa Valley
Friday: vs. Wahkiakum

3. LaSalle (2-0) d. Bridgeport 34-8
Friday: at Dayton

4. Life Christian (2-0) d. Sultan 42-21
Friday: at Tacoma Baptist

5. Adna (2-0) d. Pe Ell 47-0
Friday: vs. Napavine

Class 1B
1. Lummi (1-1) lost 58-34 to No. 4 Tri-Cities Prep
Friday: at St. John/Endicott

2. Touchet (2-0) d. Ione (Ore.) 44-14
Saturday: vs. Waterville

3. Almira/Coulee-Hartline (2-0) d. Columbia (Hunters) 38-32
Friday: at Curlew

4. Tri-Cities Prep (1-0) d. No. 1 Lummi 58-34
Saturday: vs. Highland Christian Prep

5. Cusick (2-0) d. Wilbur- Creston 46-0
Friday: vs. Sprague-Harrington

Here are this week's prep volleyball rankings, courtesy of the Washington State Coaches Association.

Class 4A
1. Mead
2. Kentwood
3. Lewis & Clark
4. Monroe
5. Kamiak
6. Rogers (Puyallup)
7. Auburn Riverside
8. Kentridge
9. Puyallup
10. Bethel

Class 3A
1. East Valley (Spokane)
2. Auburn Mountainview
3. Shadle Park
4. Prairie
5. Sumner
6. Shorecrest
7. Kennedy
8. Mercer Island
9. Mount Si
10. Seattle Prep

Class 2A
1. Grandview
2. Selah
3. Lynden
4. North Mason
5. Black Hills
6. Burlington Edison
7. Tumwater
8. West Valley Spokane
9. Fife
10. Pullman

Class 1A
1. Connell
2. Goldendale
3. Kings
4. Cedar Park Christian
5. Chewelah
6. Lakeside (9 mile falls)
7. Nooksack Valley
8. Lynden Christian
9. Omak
10. Kiona Benton

Class 2B
1. LaConner
2. Davenport
3. Colfax
4. Manson
5. Wilbur-Creston
6. Darrington
7. Riverside Christian
8. Lind-Ritzville
9. NW Christain (Colbert)
10. Toutle Lake

Class 1B
1. Tekoa-Oakesdale
2. Garfield-Palouse
3. Lacrosse/Washtucna
4. Moses Lake Christian
5. Northport
6. Odessa
7. Klickitat
8. Sunnyside Christian
9. Entiat
10. Lopex Island

Here's a video of the Mount Tahoma-Lincoln football game.

Auburn 28, Kentwood 7 (Final)
Graham-Kapowsin 46, Beamer 0 (Final)
Rogers 55, Spanaway Lake 6 (Final)
Mount Tahoma 28, Lincoln 20 (Final)
Gig Harbor 28, Bellarmine Prep 14 (Final)
Foss 41, Shelton 20 (Final)
Bonney Lake 28, Auburn Mountainview 0 (Final)
Olympia 7, Capital 0 (Final)
King's 17, Charles Wright Academy 7 (Final)
Enumclaw 25, Franklin Pierce 23 (Final)
Timberline 31, River Ridge 18 (Final)
Wilson 22, Stadium 15 (Final)
Sumner 23, White River 12 (Final)

Another week, another chance to look foolish.

After middling through last week with an 8-4 record, I feel better about this week. All the teams have played and we've got some concrete information to go off. At least, that's my hope...

There are some big and meaningful games this weekend. The biggest is Kentwood at Auburn. The game is Kentwood's first SPSL North contest, while Auburn already has a win over Federal Way. If the Trojans win tonight, they will have cleared quite a path to the league title.

Before we get to the picks, here's my story on Lakes' 42-26 win at Peninsula last night. The Seahawks fought the Lancers every step of the way and if not for Jamaal Kearse's interception late in the fourth quarter, Peninsula might have taken Lakes into overtime or even won.

Lakes' running game was impressive. Willis Wilson has good speed and Jordan Rivera is a punishing runner and lead-blocker. The Lancers' missed linebacker Travis Johnson for most of the game after he suffered a high-ankle sprain in the second quarter. When I spoke with Lakes coach Dave Miller after the game, he didn't know if Johnson would miss next week's game.

And here's a feature on Mount Tahoma running back Ron Baines, who ran for 421 yards last week.

Just a reminder, if you want scores from around the area sent to your cell phone, sign up at Twitter and "follow" tntsports.

This week, we welcome back former prep sports coordinator Eric Williams. Eric now covers the Seahawks, but he must still know something about high school football -- he made the same picks I did this week.

WEEKLY PICKS	Doug Pacey	Todd Milles	Eric Williams
Olympia at Capital	Olympia	Capital	Olympia
Mount Tahoma at Lincoln	Mt. Tahoma	Mt. Tahoma	Mt. Tahoma
Bellarmine Prep at Gig Harbor	Gig Harbor	Bellarmine Prep	Gig Harbor
South Kitsap at Central Kitsap	South Kitsap	Central Kitsap	South Kitsap
Foss at Shelton	Foss	Foss	Foss
Eatonville at Cascade Christian	Cas. Christian	Cas. Christian	Cas. Christian
Kentwood at Auburn	Auburn	Kentwood	Auburn
Curtis at Bethel	Curtis	Curtis	Curtis
Aub. Mountainview at Bonney Lake	Bonney Lake	Bonney Lake	Bonney Lake
River Ridge at Timberline	Timberline	Timberline	Timberline
NW Christian at Tacoma Baptist	Tac. Baptist	Tac. Baptist	Tac. Baptist
LAST WEEK	8-4	8-4	10-2
SEASON RECORD	8-4	8-4	10-2

Here's the story I just filed:

BY DOUG PACEY
doug.pacey@thenewstribune.com

Jamaal Kearse didn’t see the first part of the fourth quarter in Lakes’ South Puget Sound League 3A matchup at Peninsula on Thursday night.

Instead, the junior was on his back on the sidelines, getting his cramped legs stretched out. When Kearse finally returned to the field, he made his presence known. First he drew a pass interference call that kept alive a Lancers drive that eventually resulted in a touchdown. Moments after that, he sealed Lakes’ 42-26 victory with an interception he returned to the Seahawks’ 1-yard line,

“Man, did Jamaal make some plays tonight,” Lancers coach Dave Miller said.

After Lakes went up 35-26 late in the final period, Peninsula took over at its own 38 with five minutes to play. On first down, Seahawks quarterback JR Grosshans fired the ball over the middle to Johnny Johnson, but Kearse stepped in front of Johnson and returned the interception 44 yards.

“We’d been studying that play in film this week,” Kearse said. “I was watching the quarterback’s eyes and dropped behind the receiver. When he went to throw, I ran in front of him and got the ball.”

Running back Jordan Rivera scored his third touchdown of the game on the next play, all but clinching the win.

Miller said he was glad Peninsula pushed his team, which beat Bonney Lake 49-0 last week.

“So often in the regular season we don’t face adversity,” he said. “It’s we get to do it now so it’s not new when it happens later in the season.”

The Seahawks hung with the Lancers, scoring a couple quick-strike touchdowns that answered Lakes’ scores.

“We wanted to go out and attack them,” Peninsula coach Ross Filkins said. “A lot of teams play Lakes and they try to stay back and not make mistakes. We wanted to be aggressive.”

The strategy worked until the very end.

“This was a big win for us,” Kearse said. “They are one of the best teams in our league.”

Known for a wide-open passing attack, Lakes has taken on a run-first approach this season. Tailback Willis Wilson led Lakes with 124 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries and Rivera added 106 yards on 17 rushes.

“We’re going to set up the pass with the run,” Miller said. “In the past we’ve set up the run with the pass. We have new players and I believe that we should play to our personnel.”

Rivera might shoulder more of the carries next week. Wilson was ejected in the fourth quarter after being flagged for a personal foul. Players that are thrown out of games automatically are ineligible for the following game – Lakes plays next week at White Rivera – but Miller said he appealed the decision.

Quarterback Dylan Gervais was an efficient 10-of-14 for 114 yards and a touchdown. But the junior signal-caller’s biggest play of the night was a run. Leading 28-26 and facing fourth-and-4 at the Peninsula 28 with about eight minutes left, Gervais kept the ball for the first time in the game, running up the middle for 11 yards. The first down kept alive a drive that lasted nearly nine minutes and Gervais capped with a 1-yard sneak for a touchdown that put Lakes ahead 35-26.

Running back Brandon James scored all four of Peninsula’s touchdowns on runs of 3, 1, 26 and 4 yards. He finished with 80 yards on 16 carries.

Darrian Creamer helped Peninsula stay close in the first half. The junior set up the Seahawks’ first touchdown with a kickoff return to Lakes’ 15.

Doug Pacey: 253-597-8271

blogs.thenewstribune.com/preps

We've got a few interesting games on Friday night, but tonight we've got a SPSL 3A showdown when Lakes travels to Peninsula.

The Lancers easily dispatched Bonney Lake 49-0 last week, showing that talent still abounds even after losing a dozen players who went on to play college football. Peninsula is expected to be one of the better teams in the SPSL 3A, but so is Bonney Lake. Tonight's game will tell us quite a bit about where Lakes and Peninsula are headed this season.

Just a reminder, if you want scores from around the area sent to your cell phone, sign up at Twitter and "follow" tntsports.

Here's a sneak peek at Friday night's top matchups.

SPSL NORTH
No. 9 Kentwood (1-0) at No. 8 Auburn (1-0)
7 p.m. Friday at Auburn Memorial Field
The lowdown: Both teams are coming off big wins. Kentwood rallied from a 14-point first-quarter deficit to beat a talented Kennedy squad 28-14 at Qwest Field. Auburn held off defending SPSL North champion Federal Way on the road. If the Trojans win this game, they are clearly in the driver’s seat in the SPSL North.
Why the Conquerors will win: Kentwood has one of the better offensive lines in the league and a great backfield, too. Running backs Darius Coleman and Joseph Banks can grind between the tackles and sprint around the end.
Why the Trojans will win: Auburn’s linemen played well last week, creating holes on offense and plugging them on defense at critical moments. RB/LB Jeff Gouveia is a rock and capable of carrying the team at times. QB Carlo Lavoie returns this week.
The News Tribune pick: In a nearly even matchup, the Trojans get the edge.
Auburn 14, Kentwood 13

SPSL SOUTH
Spanaway Lake (1-0) at No. 7 Rogers (1-0)
7 p.m. Friday at Sparks Stadium
The lowdown: The Sentinels get a chance to knock off reigning SPSL South champion Rogers, but they might be at less than full-strength. RB Shay Patton, who ran for 270 yards and three touchdowns last week, hasn’t practiced all week because of an infection on his heel.
Why the Sentinels will win: RB Devin McKinney and Marquise Miller, a flanker-turned-running back, will get the bulk of the carries if Patton can’t play. McKinney showed he can have success, rushing for 94 yards on seven carries last week.
Why the Rams will win: Rogers simply has too much firepower. The Rams have an effective running attack in QB TylerVan Sligtenhorst, RB Bennett Bontemps and RB Keith Arnold. The defense, is pretty stout, too.
The News Tribune pick: Rogers has too many weapons for a Sentinels team heavy on sophomores and juniors.
Rogers 28, Spanaway Lake 14

NON-LEAGUE
No. 5 Olympia (1-0) at No. 9 Capital (0-1)
7 p.m. Friday at Ingersoll Stadium
The lowdown: Outside of gubernatorial elections, the Spaghetti Bowl is as big as it gets in Thurston County. The Olympia School District rivals are each ranked in their respective classes.
Why the Bears will win: Known as a running team under coach Bill Beattie, Olympia will try to be more balanced this season, passing more. Bears QB Willie Willard is effective throwing the ball and his mobility will keep defenses honest.
Why the Cougars will win: A preseason favorite to win the Olympic Western League, Capital has to be seething over letting last week’s game against No. 2 O’Dea slip away, losing 14-13. Expect the Cougars to be looking to exact some revenge in Week 2.
The News Tribune pick: Olympia’s 38 seniors don’t want to lose their final Spaghetti Bowl. Beattie will get his 100th victory with the Bears.
Olympia 26, Capital 20

NARROWS LEAGUE
Bellarmine Prep (0-1) at Gig Harbor (0-1)
7 p.m. Friday at Roy Anderson Field
The lowdown: Both of these teams began the season with dreams of a league title and postseason berth. One of these teams will find itself starting at a 0-2 record tonight.
Why the Lions will win: QB Luke Schindele makes game-planning difficult for defensive coordinators. He’s one of the best runners in the area and that will keep defenses honest. Bellarmine Prep’s line will hold its own against any opponent.
Why the Tides will win: The Tides’ postseason path will become awfully rocky if they start 0-2 in the Narrows League, so there’s no way they lose this game, right? The youthful Tides worked out the kinks of the new spread offense on the season-opener and will come back much smoother and more confident.
The News Tribune pick: With another week to work on the spread offense, Gig Harbor has smoothed out the bumps.
Gig Harbor 26, Bellarmine Prep 20

Here are The News Tribune's Top 10 high school football rankings for Week 2.

AREA
1. Olympia (1-0)
2. Rogers (1-0)
3. Auburn (1-0)
4. Lakes (1-0)
5. Kentwood (1-0)
6. Puyallup(1-0)
7. Federal Way (0-1)
8. Franklin Pierce (1-0)
9. Graham-Kapowsin (1-0)
10. Capital (1-0)

Class 4A
1. Skyline (1-0)
2. Ferris (1-0)
3. Issaquah (1-0)
4. Lewis and Clark (1-0)
5. Olympia (1-0)
6. Moses Lake (1-0)
7. Rogers (1-0)
8. Auburn (1-0)
9. Kentwood (1-0)
10. Bothell (0-1)

Class 3A
1. Bellevue (1-0)
2. Meadowdale (1-0)
3. Ferndale (1-0)
4. O’Dea (1-0)
5. Lakes (1-0)
6. Franklin Pierce (1-0)
7. Eastside Catholic (1-0)
8. Union (1-0)
9. Capital (0-1)
10. Kennedy (0-1)

Class 2A
1. Prosser (1-0)
2. Archbishop Murphy (1-0)
3. Tumwater (1-0)
4. Pullman (1-0)
5. Othello(1-0)
6. Lynden (0-1)
7. River Ridge (1-0)
8. Black Hills (1-0)
9. Burlington-Edison (1-0)
10. Centralia (1-0)

Class 1A
1. Royal (1-0)
2. Cascade Christian (1-0)
3. Cashmere (0-0)
4. Forks (1-0)
5. LaCenter (1-0)
6. Connell (0-1)
7. Montesano (1-0)
8. Orting(1-0)
9. Lakeside (9 Mile Falls) (1-0)
10. Meridian (0-1)

Class 2B
1. Asotin (1-0)
2. Toutle Lake (1-0)
3. LaSalle (1-0)
4. Life Christian (1-0)
5. Adna (1-0)

Class 1B
1. Lummi (1-0)
2. Touchet (1-0)
3. Almira/Coulee-Hartline (1-0)
4. Tri-Cities Prep (1-0)
5. Cusick (1-0)

Well, that didn't take long.

Seems that our high school football rankings for Week 2 will be drastically different than our preseason rankings.

But after watching quite a few games -- seven, to be exact -- last week and seeing the results of other games, our rankings will be much more stable in the coming weeks.

We're going through the rankings and will update them on Monday afternoon.

Click below to see how our Top-10 teams fared. Tell us how you think the teams should be ranked.

=> Read more!

I'm at Qwest Field today, covering the Emerald City Kickoff Classic and will be providing updates throughout the day:

Here is the slate at the ECKC:
9 am -- Cascade Christian, 46, Fife 7
Noon -- Eastside Catholic 16, Eisenhower 8
3 pm -- Puyallup 20, Bellarmine Prep 19 (final)
5:30 pm -- Kentwood 28, Kennedy 14
8 pm -- Punahou 35, Central Kitsap 6 (halftime)

Click below for the updates, video and to get caught up on Friday night's action.

=> Read more!

CLASS 4A
Mount Tahoma 47, Shelton 14 (F)
Olympia 21, Gig Harbor 7 (F)
Kentlake 7, Kentridge 2 (F)
Emerald Ridge 31, Decatur 14 (F)
Rogers 35, Bethel 14 (F)
Tahoma 51, Jefferson 32 (F)
Lincoln 29, Foss 27 (F)
South Kitsap 44, Stadium 6 (F)
Graham-Kapowsin 28, Curtis 7 (F)

CLASS 3A
O'Dea 14, Capital 13 (F)
Lakes 49, Bonney Lake 0 (F)
Peninsula 24, Sumner 0 (F)
Auburn Mountainview 44, Clover Park 20 (F)
Franklin Pierce 49, White River 28 (F)

CLASS 2A
Black Hills 43, Nathan Hale 22 (F)
North Mason 41, Port Angeles 0 (F)
River Ridge 33, Cedarcrest 6 (F)
Steilacoom 35, Hoquiam (F)

CLASS 1A
Vashon 27, Sultan 21 (F)

NON LEAGUE
Wilson 14, Enumclaw 13 (F)
Orting 39, Eatonville 7 (F)
Charles Wright 39, Tacoma Baptist 28 (F)
Life Christian 38, Cleveland 0 (F)
Yelm 22, Washington 6 (F)
North Mason 41, Port Angeles 0 (F)
Ocosta 12, Chief Leschi 6 (F)

Going to be out at a high school football game tonight and want to know what's going on at other games in the area? We can meet

Sign up for a Twitter account (it's free), search for "tntsports" and follow us to get all the scores sent to your cell phone. It's as simple as that.

The first Football Friday of the 2008 season has arrived. We've got plenty

A few teams got an early start last night:

-- Auburn pounded out 284 rushing yards at Federal Way, beating the TNT's preason pick to win the SPSL North. Hey, we can't win them all.

-- Spanaway Lake running back Shay Patton ran for 260 yards and three touchdowns in his team's 56-27 win over Todd Beamer.

-- Tumwater withstood Timberline's second-half surge, winning 32-27.

While we wait for tonight's games to kick off, here are some football previews from around the state:

Folks should brush up on the Greater Spokane League, considering the GSL is good enough to claim back-to-back Class 4A state titles. There's no better place to do that than right here.

The Tri-Cities Herald has a slew of previews on the Columbia Basin Big Nine, CWAC, SCAC and its local 2B and 1B schools right here.

The Bellingham Herald has the Northwest Conference covered. Take a look at this great photo of Casey Locker (or is that Marty McFly?) stepping out of a DeLorean. The Herald's tab was titled "Backs to the Future."

The Everett Herald has smothering coverage of the WesCo and Cascade conferences.

Looking for information on the 2A Greater St. Helens League and other Cowlitz County teams? Visit The Daily News' Red Zone.

We'll have the blog running during the games tonight with scoring updates and other information. If you can't make it to a game, check here to stay informed. If you do take in a game, stop by here afterward to see how your rivals fared.

Here are some game notes:

Auburn rushed 53 times for 284 yards, while Federal Way had 20 carries for 18 yards.

Federal Way kicker Kelyn Rowe, the kicker on our preason all-state team, did not play because he did not have the required 12 practices. Eagles coach John Meagher said Rowe missed a few days to travle to Notre Dame and Michigan on soccer recruiting visits.

Meagher said Barrington sprained his right knee last week and did not know until Wednesday night if he would play. He said Barrington will miss at least a couple games.

That's all for now. Check back tomorrow as we post scoring updates all night long from around the South Sound.

Game update: Auburn 21, FWay 14, 3rd Qt.

Jeff Gouveia has put Auburn on his back. The senior running back scored on a 5-yard touchdown and then ran in the 2-point conversion to give the Trojans a 21-14 lead with 2:59 left in the third quarter.

Federal Way scored 14 unanswered points to take a 14-13 lead early in the third quarter. The Eagles

Game update: Auburn 13, FWay 0, 2nd Qt.

Auburn is running the ball well against Federal Way, taking a 13-0 lead with four minutes left in the second quarter.

Federal Way's Niko Curran just returned a kick to Auburn's 25, so the Eagles might score soon.

FWay's Andre Barrington not playing tonight

Federal Way running back/defensive back Andre Barrington is not playing in tonight's season-opener against Auburn.

Barrington, who committed to Washington State University on Tuesday night, had a brace on his right knee and said he suffered a sprain earlier this week.

"Just rehab and come back," said Barrington, who will play defensive back at WSU. "That's the plan."

Barrington was expected to be a big part of Federal Way's offense this season as the Eagles try to become back-to-back champions of the SPSL North.

I'll be back with game updates throughout the night.

Welcome back, high school football.

Hope you all had a chance to check out our high school football section in today's newspaper. Visually, it looks great. And the loads of information on the 75 schools in the South Sound's 11 conferences is unrivaled. If you're headed to game tonight or tomorrow, pick up a copy to read while you wait for kickoff. It will be the best $.35 you'll spend all season.

Before we get to the first week's picks, let me introduce who's doing the picking. I'm Doug Pacey, The News Tribune's prep sports coordinator. I arrived at the TNT during the quarterfinals of the state playoffs last season, so I'm looking forward to seeing a full season of South Sound football.

Todd Milles is a former prep coordinator who now handles small colleges, golf, auto racing and helps with preps.

Todd and I will make picks all season and this week's guest picker is Ryan Divish. The pride of Havre, Mont., covered preps last season, but has since moved on to covering the Mariners and WSU for the TNT.

Let's get to the picks.

WEEKLY PICKS	Doug Pacey	Todd Milles	Ryan Divish
Auburn at Federal Way	FW	FW	FW
Bonney Lake at Lakes	Lakes	Lakes	Lakes
Rogers at Bethel	Rogers	Rogers	Rogers
Graham-Kapowsin at Curtis	Curtis	Curtis	G-K
Eatonville at Orting	Orting	Orting	Orting
O'Dea at Capital	O'Dea	Capital	O'Dea
Cascade Christian vs. Fife	Fife	Cascade Christian	Fife
Bellarmine Prep vs. Puyallup	Puyallup	Puyallup	Puyallup
Kentwood vs. Kennedy	Kennedy	Kennedy	Kennedy
Tacoma Baptist at Charles Wright	CWA	CWA	CWA
Lincoln at Foss	Lincoln	Foss	Lincoln
Olympia at Gig Harbor	Olympia	Olympia	Olympia
LAST WEEK	0-0	0-0	0-0
SEASON RECORD	0-0	0-0	0-0

Federal Way RB/DB Andre Barrington has given a verbal committment to play at Washington State University.

I'll be covering the Auburn-Federal Way game tonight, so I'll ask Barrington about his decision.

Barrington ran for 1,028 yards last season, earning first-team all-SPSL North honors.

Our 16-page high school football preview section appeared in today's newspaper and online.

Click below for links to our league feature stories and capsules, all-state team and preseason rankingsto prep football fans.

=> Read more!

With nearly every league in the South Sound adding teams, football fans will be driving to new locations to watch their teams plays. Here's a Google map to help you find your way.

View Larger Map

Just a reminder, The News Tribune's 16-page high school football section will be in Thursday's newspaper. It's the only all-inclusive prep football special section in Puget Sound this fall, so be sure to grab one. At $.35, it's a bargain.

Avery Bradley will attend Findlay College Prep in Henderson, Nev., said Garry Ward, Bradley's AAU coach.

"He just left the state on a plane at three o'clock," Ward said.

Bradley, one of the nation's most heralded high school basketball players, withdrew from Bellarmine Prep last week. Ward said Bradley needed to raise his core GPA to become eligible to play basketball in college as a freshman.

According to Ward, Bradley has whittled his college choices to three schools -- Kansas, Texas and UCLA -- and will announce his decision "later this week or early next week."

Ward said Bradley was on track to graduate at Bellarmine Prep in June 2009 and was academically eligible under Bellarmine Prep and Washington Interscholastic Activities Association rules.

"His GPA has got to be higher," Ward said, "and we all know that Bellarmine Prep is one of the toughest academic schools in the state."

Bradley also considered attending prep schools South Kent (Conn.) and Oak Hill Academy (Va.), in addition to Rainier Beach High School in Seattle, Ward said.