SEQUIM — League play begins tonight for Olympic League 2A Division members Sequim and Port Angeles.
And while each North Olympic Peninsula team faces a North Kitsap School District foe, the opponents are decidedly different.
The Wolves (2-0) get the fun task of hosting reigning Olympic League 2A champs No. 9 North Kitsap (2-0), while Port Angeles looks for its first win in a visit to Kingston, which just snapped a 16-game losing skid of its own last week.
Sequim was nearly unstoppable offensively and stingy defensively in the second half of its 20-16 comeback win over Forks last week, scoring three touchdowns and holding the Spartans out of the end zone late to rally back from a 16-0 halftime deficit.
The Vikings looked mortal in their opener, a 20-17 win over Class 3A Bainbridge, but shutout a Class 4A team, Kamiak, 56-0 last week.
North Kitsap’s two wins over bigger schools beats out an inspired rally over a good Class 1A team in Forks, so the Vikings should post their eighth straight victory over the Wolves.
• Prediction: North Kitsap 35, Sequim 14
Quilcene at Neah Bay
NEAH BAY — Tonight’s 6 p.m. kickoff is the first football matchup between the two schools since a 70-27 Red Devils win on Oct. 1, 2011. Competition-wise, this nonleague game looks like the best matchup of the weekend.
“The best sports program in [Class] 1B has been Neah Bay football,” Rangers coach Trey Beathard said.
A relative newcomer, Beathard can be forgiven for not knowing about the Colton girls basketball program, winners of nine state titles since 2009.
“We asked our athletic director to see if we could play Neah Bay to play a harder schedule, because we wanted to play a team that is really good,” Beathard said.
• Prediction: Quilcene 26, Neah Bay 20
Port Townsend at Forks
FORKS — The Redhawks showed plenty of fortitude in rallying back from a 24-0 deficit early against Kingston last week to make a game of it in the fourth quarter in a 30-25 defeat. They’ll need all of that and more against an experienced group of Spartans.
And Forks should be plenty motivated after giving up a 16-0 halftime lead and falling 20-16 to Sequim last week.
• Prediction: Forks 40, Port Townsend 6
Port Angeles at Kingston
KINGSTON — The Roughriders (0-2) travel to face a Kingston squad (1-1) that snapped a 16-game losing streak by hanging on for a win over Port Townsend last week.
Port Angeles has shown flashes defensively this season, particularly in the secondary where Garrett Edwards, Derek Bowechop, Joe Davis and Hollund Bailey, among others, have made plays.
• Prediction: Port Angeles 14, Kingston 12
La Conner at Chimacum
PORT TOWNSEND — Something has to give in tonight’s matchup of two 0-2 football teams. The Class 2B Braves have lost to Ocosta 14-7 and fell 38-14 in an 8-man contest against Lummi last week.
• Prediction: La Conner 14, Chimacum 7
Lyle-Wishram at Crescent
JOYCE — The Columbia Gorge-located Cougars will make their second long road trip in as many weeks after crushing Oakville 76-6 last week.
Lyle-Wishram made the Class 2B state tournament last season, posting a 7-4 record against bigger schools.
• Prediction: Lyle-Wishram 52, Crescent 24
• Last Week: 3-3.
• Season to date: 7-6.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
