TACOMA — High-powered offenses — check. Stingy defenses — check.
Second-ranked Odessa-Harrington (13-0) and No. 4 Neah Bay (10-1) are on a collision course for the Class 1B state championship football game at the Tacoma Dome.
Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Saturday.
To earn their fourth state championship in school history, the Red Devils will have to tame a potent Titans’ offense.
Odessa-Harrington has rolled through 1B competition this season by an average score of 67-13.
“They’ve scored a lot of points that’s for sure,” Red Devils head coach Tony McCaulley said.
McCaulley hasn’t had the chance to do his usual in-person scouting of Eastern Washington title contenders, instead focusing on his own squad.
“I’ve been more concerned with getting there [to the state championship] this year,” McCaulley said.
“More concerned with getting by Lummi, really.”
Neah Bay does have one competitive advantage — they’ve played a far tougher schedule than the Titans — with two victories over Class 1A teams and two wins over 2B opponents and split a pair of close contests with rival Lummi, including last week’s 28-22 semifinal triumph.
The Titans have played just one close game this season, a 42-40 win over Sunnyside Christian.
“They are a good ballclub,” McCaulley said.
“A little bit smaller than us maybe, but they have good-sized athletes. Last game, Sunnyside Christian threw the ball a lot against them and had success. And Odessa runs quite a few offenses, they run spread, and they can run it tight, so we have to be prepared for everything.”
Brothers Sage and Gaven Elder provide much of the fireworks for the Titans.
Sage, a senior is the eldest Elder, and the team’s leading rusher with 1,425 yards and 23 touchdowns on 117 carries.
Gaven Elder is not far behind. He’s piled up 1,096 yards and 19 TDs on 89 carries.
Junior quarterback Colton Hunt was accurate through the air, completing 53 of 71 passes for 780 yards, 16 touchdowns and two interceptions.
“Their quarterback was injured part of the season and missed a couple of games,” McCaulley said.
“They have a freshman QB [Camden Weber] who comes in and they are both solid, the real deal.”
McCaulley said his team’s ability to improve each week is what makes this season’s squad so special.
“What I’ve really enjoyed is we’ve gotten better as the year has gone on,” He said.
“We’ve gotten better each and every week and that’s exactly what you want to see as a coach.”
To ensure another celebration on the Tacoma Dome turf, Neah Bay must slow down the Elder brothers rushing attack, get Cole Svec some early yards in the running game to build his confidence and give quarterback Rwehabura Munyagi Jr. the time to find receivers such as Cameron Buzzell (31 catches for 619 yards and 14 TDs).
McCaulley said he wasn’t planning on adding any new wrinkles to his I-formation based attack.
“You don’t have a whole lot of time to prepare, so you go out and do what you can do best and try to execute as best you can,” he said.
No. 4 Neah Bay (10-1) vs. No. 2 Odessa-Harrington Titans (13-0)
4 p.m. Saturday at Tacoma Dome
Radio: Forks Radio 1490 AM or www.forks1490.com
TV: $9.95 at tinyurl.com/PDN-TitleGame.
The Playoff Path
Odessa-Harrington: Beat Entiat, 72-16, in the first round; beat Almira/Coulee-Hartline, 60-28 in the quarterfinals; and beat Sunnyside Christian, 42-40, in the semifinals.
Neah Bay: Beat Taholah, 58-22, beat Tacoma Baptist, 66-26, in the quarterfinals; and beat No. 1 Lummi, 28-22, in the semifinals.
State history
Odessa-Harrington: Four appearances, 4-3 overall (Harrington has two state appearances, 1-2 overall; Odessa has 17 state appearances, two state titles, 16-15 overall).
Neah Bay: 17 appearances, three state titles, 23-14 overall.
Lost to Odessa 74-28 in 1989 B8 state final.
1B Gridiron Classic records
Passing yards: 552, Will Hoppes, Tri-Cities Prep (vs. Lummi), 2009
Rushing yards: 342, Nick Killer, LaCrosse-Washtucna (vs. Touchet), 2002
Receiving yards: 214, Travis Maitland, Pateros (vs. Inchelium), 1991
