2B State Finals Preview, Napavine vs. Okanogan
By Steven Dion
The Gridiron Classic kicks off with an intriguing 2B matchup with Okanogan and Napavine. The Bulldogs from the northeast corner of Washington made a statement in the semifinals by pitching a shutout against the 2-time defending champions in Lind-Ritzville-Sprague by the score of 34-0. Okanogan had a fluky loss to Brewster midway through the season, but beat the Bears by four touchdowns the second time the two met up. Napavine dominated Toledo in many key statistical categories last week in the semis, but advanced with a slim six point margin. The Tigers accumulated 346 total yards in the contest and nearly doubled the Indians in plays and first downs.
One thing that Josh Fay may emphasize to his team is not allowing Okanogan to sneak back into the contest late if NHS holds a lead. The combo of Taylor Hicks to Grant McEwen was very effective last Saturday which may lead to more that 11 pass attempts for the Tigers signal-caller in the 2B championship. The last time either of these teams appeared in the championship game was 2008 when Napavine claimed the title. If Okanogan can channel the dominance they demonstrated last weekend, they will be one tough customer. Bringing the hardware home would certainly make the 12 hour round trip for Steve Chamberlain and his Bulldogs well worth it.