TACOMA — Neah Bay and Lummi are running 8-man football in the West.
With all due respect to Quilcene, Lopez Island and Wishkah Valley, the Red Devils and Blackhawks are on a completely different level than the rest of the class 1B teams on this side of the mountain.
For the fifth consecutive season, Neah Bay and Lummi clash in the state playoffs today at the Tacoma Dome.
This time, a television audience can watch the long-distance rivals square off at 4:30 p.m. on ROOT Sports.
Lummi dominated the series, ending the Red Devils’ seasons with lopsided wins in the 2009 and 2010 semifinals.
Neah Bay finally overcame in the 2011 quarterfinals, after falling to the Blackhawks twice earlier that season, on its way to the 1B state title.
Since then, it has been all Red Devils. They have won both regular season meetings since and also won in the last year’s semifinals 40-30 in a game that wasn’t quite as close as the score indicates.
Top-ranked Neah Bay took its dominance to a higher level Oct. 4 when it smacked the Blackhawks around en route to a 76-32 win.
Despite that blowout win and four straight victories, Red Devils coach Tony McCaulley knows better than to think he has Lummi figured out.
“Jim [Sandusky]’s an excellent coach,” McCaulley said after Neah Bay defeated Cusick 80-28 in the quarterfinals last week.
“He prepares very, very well. And he makes me really nervous.”
The Red Devils physically dominated the Blackhawks last month, racking up 544 yards rushing and averaging 13.4 yards per carry.
However, nearly everything that could go wrong for Lummi did.
Wide receiver/quarterback Austin Brockie caught an illness and played less than a quarter.
Brockie’s absence forced Logan Toby, who was returning from an injury, to play most of the game at quarterback instead of just one quarter.
Devin Cooper was on his way to a big game before he suffered an injury last in the first half. (Cooper also was banged up in last week’s 57-22 win over Wishkah Valley.)
It seemed that every Lummi (9-2) player who was making plays wound up leaving with an injury.
It’s unlikely fourth-ranked Blackhawks will have such bad luck again.
Then again, Neah Bay (10-0) was rolling even when Lummi at full-strength.
And while the Blackhawks had chances to make a few more plays offensively, their defense had no answer for the Red Devils in one of the few games this season that Neah Bay had all of its starters.
Cody Cummins ran for 205 yards, but has been hampered by injuries since. In his return to action last week, two of his four carries went for touchdowns.
Fullback Tyler McCaulley was playing for the first time since the season opener in the first meeting with Lummi, and is lead blocking was in full affect.
Cummins and Tyler McCaulley were limited against Cusick, but Tony McCaulley said both made it out of the game without sustaining further injuries.
Game notes
■ This could be the last 8-man meeting Neah Bay and Lummi play for a few years.
According to the enrollment figures announced by the WIAA last week, the Blackhawks will be classified as a 2B school starting next season.
That could change, as the classification assignments aren’t official until January, and there still could be movement.
■ Today’s game also will be broadcast by Forks 1490 on all its formats, which includes online at www.forks1490.com, and on the station’s iPod and iPad apps.
Oly Archibald will have the play-by-play.
■ Scoreczar.org’s computer predicts Neah Bay will win 44-22.
■ The other 1B semifinal game is between third-ranked Touchet and Rosalia at Edgar Brown Stadium in Pasco on Saturday afternoon.
Scoreczar.org has Touchet winning 39-21.
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Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
