MARYSVILLE — The Neah Bay football team leaves school at 7 a.m. today for what could be the middle of a grueling three-game marathon in a little over a week.
The Red Devils beat archrival Clallam Bay 56-13 on the road Friday night, will battle undefeated powerhouse Lopez Island this afternoon in a loser-out Northwest Football League playoff game, and that winner will play rested Mary M. Knight in a district playoff contest Saturday in Tumwater.
“That’s what we do, we travel a lot,” Neah Bay coach Tony McCaulley said about leaving from Neah Bay early this morning to play a 3:30 p.m. game today at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Marysville against the Lopez Lobos.
The good news is that McCaulley feels good about the Red Devils’ chances against the 8-0 Lobos.
Neah Bay is 7-2 with the two losses coming to perennial state powerhouse Lummi, the defending state champion and No. 1-ranked team this year while the Lobos have not been tested yet this season.
The Lobos have played everybody in league except Neah Bay and Lummi, two perennial state playoff teams.
“I think our playoff experience gives us the edge,” McCaulley said.
“All of our kids have been in the playoffs before but I don’t know the last time Lopez has been in the playoffs.”
McCaulley, however, is expecting a strong game from Lopez, which has a big and fast running back who weighs about 215 or 220 pounds.
Lopez senior Tommy Kramer, 5-foot-11, is the defending state 1B 100-meter track champion.
“He is a very good athlete,” McCaulley said.
“I have watched Lopez play twice, and they are a pretty good team but they have not been tested. There is a big spread in our league [between the top and bottom teams].
“It will be a pretty good game.”
In Neah Bay’s only losses, Lummi won 38-36 in Neah Bay in the first game of the season and then won 40-12 at home Oct. 28.
“I had more confidence about my team before we lost [40-12] to Lummi,” McCaulley said about the subpar performance of the Red Devils.
“I feel confident that we will do well if we play like we can play.”
Lummi, meanwhile, will host Crescent in Bellingham on Wednesday night in the league playoffs between the No. 1 and 4 teams.
That winner gets a free pass into the state playoffs.