Author Archives: Steven Dion

Woodinville Claims Defensive Battle Against Rival Bothell

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Friday Sep 23rd 2016 4A KingCo Boys Football
Pop Keeney Stadium 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Bothell 0 10 0 0 10
Woodinville 3 7 0 7 17

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See game recap below
 

Woodinville Claims Defensive Battle Against Rival Bothell
By Steve Dion


One of the great 4A rivalries in Washington features a pair of KingCo foes Woodinville and Bothell which made its annual renewal Friday night at Pop Keeney. This has been a one sided battle in recent years in favor of #5 Bothell (3-0), but Woodinville (3-0) has a strong 2016 squad and was hungry to take back the torch.

The visiting Falcons set the tone in this game by playing sound defense and moving the chains on offense to strike when opportunity arose. They were first on the board with a field goal by Micah Roth. James Johnston returned the favor for Bothell to tie the game at three apiece early in the second. The Falcons responded with a drive culminating in a 4-yard goal line dive by Mack Minnehan to regain the lead. The Cougs used the remaining moments in the first half to march down the field and punch it in the endzone; an 18-yard strike from Jacob Sirmon to Anthony Indelicato.

The third quarter was marred by drives cut short by turnovers and penalties which kept the score deadlocked at 10 heading into the final frame.

Woodinville strung together a series of runs by Minnehan that put them in the redzone. Jaden Sheffey took a shot at the endzone for a touchdown, but the pass was broken up. The resilient Sheffey tried again and found Jared Eisenbarth for the go-ahead score. Could the defense hang on?

Bothell’s attempt to even the score was denied for the final time by the Falcon’s defense who could taste victory after the Eisenbarth score. Woodinville pushes their record to 4-0 and first place in the league standings.

The Final Score:
Woodinville 17, Bothell 10.

Top Performer

Woodinville
Jared Eisenbarth- 18 yard game-winning touchdown reception

Sumner Survives SPSL Shootout with Graham-Kapowsin

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Thursday Sep 22nd 2016 4A SPSL Boys Football
Sumner High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Graham-Kapowsin 13 0 0 14 27
Sumner 0 14 7 13 34

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See game recap below
 

Sumner Survives SPSL Shootout with Graham-Kapowsin
By Steve Dion


It is rare that a league title can be won in September, but Thursday night’s SPSL showdown between #1 Sumner and #4 Graham-Kapowsin has the potential to determine just that. These two teams have separated themselves as the class of the conference which opens up the possibility that the winner could run the table to a conference championship.

GK opened strong with a scoring drive that culminated with a goal line plunge by Brandon Becker. The opening play from scrimmage by the Spartans on the ensuing drive went awry as a flea flicker by Connor Wedington resulted in the star running back absorbing a big tackle. The hit sent him to the sideline for a bit to catch his breath.

Shortly thereafter, Micah Smith gave the Eagles a 13-0 lead with a 70 yard scamper up the gut aided by the tremendous blocking of Foster Sarell and Matt Shook.

Sumner struck back in a big way when Tyson Rainwater recorded a pick-six from 43 yards out to prevent the Spartans from falling three scores behind. Before the first half concluded, Luke Ross took advantage of broken coverage and found a wide open Tre Weed to give the home team a one point lead heading in the break.

As the second half wore on, this battle was still up for grabs. A Sumner drive early in the fourth pushed the Eagles defense to bend, but not break. They held the Spartans to a field goal and a four point lead. GK proceeded to move the ball methodically down the field on a heavy dose of Micah Smith carries with the clock continuing to tick. Becker capped off the drive with another goal line push to send the Graham-Kapowsin sideline into exhilaration.

Sumner wasn’t done.

On the ensuing kickoff, Wedington took the kick 90 yards to the house in which he bounced off GK tacklers like a pinball. The return handed the lead back over to the #1 ranked team and they didn’t look back. Tre Weed picked off a desperation pass to put the game on ice. The Spartans hang on for a thrilling win between heavyweights.

Welcome to 4A, Sumner!

The Final Score:
Sumner 34, Graham-Kapowsin 27.

Top Performer

Sumner
Connor Wedington- 90 yard game winning kickoff return TD
Tre Weed-2 TD receptions (43,63), 2 interceptions

Graham-Kapowsin
Brandon Becker- 2 rushing TDs
Micah Smith-70 yard rushing TD

2016 VFL Coach Interview
Skyline Spartans
Head Coach Mat Taylor

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2016 Varsity Football Live Coach Interview
Skyline Spartans – Head Football Coach
Mat Taylor

Longtime head coach at Skyline Mat Taylor has his #9 ranked Spartans off to a strong start in the 2016 season. Coach Taylor talks about opening the schedule on the road at Richland and Gonzaga Prep, the home opener at their newly renovated stadium, and some of the top players on this year’s team. Can Skyline navigate through the tough 4A KingCo conference schedule to get back to the championship game and win a record 5th 4A state title with Taylor at the helm?

To catch the complete radio interview with Skyline Coach Mat Taylor,
 simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.

 

Mat Taylor

2016 VFL Coach Interview
Camas Papermakers
Head Coach Jon Eagle

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2016 Varsity Football Live Coach Interview
Camas Papermakers – Head Football Coach
Jon Eagle

Jon Eagle has built a powerhouse at Camas High School since taking over as head coach in 2008 compiling an 84-14 record in that stretch. Listen as Coach Eagle talks about his #2 ranked team in 4A including the 3-0 start his team is off to this season and his keys to maintaining a high caliber of football year after year!

To catch the complete radio interview with Camas Coach Jon Eagle,
 simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.

Eagle Photo

 

Eagle

2016 VFL Coach Interview
Seattle Prep Panthers
Head Coach Aaron Maul

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2016 Varsity Football Live Coach Interview
Seattle Prep Panthers – Head Football Coach
Aaron Maul

After spending six years rebuilding Bishop Blanchet, Aaron Maul has taken over as head coach of the Seattle Prep Panthers. He talks about the rise of the Braves which culminated in a run to the final four in 2015. Also, Coach Maul discusses some of the top players on the Panthers and his optimism to build a strong program at Prep.

To catch the complete radio interview with Seattle Prep Coach Aaron Maul,
 simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.

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Bellarmine Prep vs. Olympia
Audio Game Recap
Dick & TJ on Varsity Football Live

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Varsity Football Live – Game Recap – TJ Cotterill
Bellarmine Prep vs. Olympia

Listen to Dick and TJ Cotterill break down the action in this high scoring shootout.
Simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.

 

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Read T.J. Cotterill’s full article at TheNewsTribune.com

Battle Ground vs. Mountain View
Audio Game Recap
Dick & Paul on Varsity Football Live

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Varsity Football Live – Game Recap – Paul Valencia
Battle Ground vs. Mountain View

Listen to Dick and Paul Valencia talk about the Tigers quick 3-0 start
as they defeated Mountain View. Simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.


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Read Paul Valencia’s full article at Columbian.com

WESCO League Double Header
Audio Game Recaps
Dick & Steve Varsity Football Live

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2 Varsity Football Live – Game Recaps – Steve Willits

Lynnwood vs. Shorewood &
Mountlake Terrace vs. Edmonds-Woodway

Listen to Dick and Steve Willits break down 2 WESCO League Matchups.
Simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.

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Catch Steve Willit’s game of the week every Friday on SoundLiveSportsNetwork.com

Sedro-Woolley vs. Blaine
Audio Game Recap
Dick & Jeff on Varsity Football Live

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Varsity Football Live – Game Recap – Jeff Rex
Sedro-Woolley vs. Blaine

Listen to Dick and Jeff Rex break down the Cubs win against Blaine 52-20.
Simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.


Catch Jeff Rex’s game of the week every Friday Night on KAPSradio.com

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RA Long vs. Mark Morris
Audio Game Recap
Dick & Vern on Varsity Football Live

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Varsity Football Live – Game Recap – Vern Foster
RA Long vs. Mark Morris

Listen to Dick and Vern Foster as they discuss the outcome of Longview’s rivalry game.
Simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.

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Catch Vern Foster’s game of the week every Friday Night on KUKN.com

Montesano vs. Castle Rock
Audio Game Recap
Dick & Ian on Varsity Football Live

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Varsity Football Live – Game Recap – Ian Cope
Montesano vs. Castle Rock

Listen to Dick and Ian Cope talk about the unbeaten Bulldogs and their game against Castle Rock.
Simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.

 

 

Catch Ian Cope’s game of the week every Friday Night on 1490 KWOK and KXRO.com

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Pasco vs. Southridge &
Chiawana vs. Kamiakin
Audio Game Recaps
Dick & Mike on Varsity Football Live

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Varsity Football Live – Game Recaps – Mike McDonnal
Pasco vs. Southridge & Chiawana vs. Kamiakin

Dick and Mike McDonnal discuss these Mid-Columbian League match-ups.
Simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.

 

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Catch Mike McDonnal’s game of the week every Friday Night on 610KONA.com

Marysville-Pilchuck vs. Squalicum
Audio Game Recap
Dick & Curtis on
Varsity Football Live

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Varsity Football Live – Game Recap – Curtis Klep
Marysville-Pilchuck vs. Squalicum

Hear the game recap by clicking on play button below


Catch Curtis Klep’s game of the week every Friday Night on MPFootball.com

Edmonds-Woodway vs. Woodinville &
Redmond vs. Meadowdale
VFL Audio Game Recap
Dick & Jeff on KJR-AM

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Sound Live Sports Network

Varsity Football Live Game Recap- Edmonds-Woodway vs. Woodinville & Redmond vs. Meadowdale

Listen to Steve Willits’ game recap by clicking on play button below

Game Recap 9/9: Steve Willits from Sound Live Sports Network
9-9-16

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Skyline Opens New Stadium with Win Over Wolves

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Friday Sep 17th 2016 4A Boys Football
Skyline High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Eastlake 6 0 9 0 16
Skyline 7 7 3 0 17

Skyline

See game recap below
 

Skyline Opens New Stadium With Victory Over Wolves
By Steve Dion
After spending two weeks in Eastern Washington, Skyline was chomping at the bit to play at their new facility. The 2015 runner-up Spartans hosted the 2-0 Eastlake Wolves in their season home opener for a pivotal 4A KingCo clash.

Sparty took the opening drive the distance ending with a 2-yard punch-in by Isaiah Shim. Unfazed, Eastlake responded by marching down the field and quarterback Ben Howard connected with a diving Parker Lester in the back corner of the endzone.

Skyline’s attacked found its groove by feeding their tailbacks the football behind their bruising left guard Henry Bainivalu. Riley Gill broke the deadlock on an 18 yard scamper up the gut to put the Spartans back up by a score heading into halftime.

Eastlake emerged from the locker room with a will to even the score and did so when Howard found Hank Pladson for 62 yards and the game tying touchdown. A successful two-point conversion brought the score to 14 apiece.

The Spartans bounced back when Kevin McGrane knocked in a field goal from 35 yards out. At 17-14, could the Wolves bounce back again?
A clean sheet by Sparty’s defense allowed the McGrane kick to be the game-winner as Eastlake’s attempt to win was thwarted. Both teams will enter week four with identical 2-1 records.

The Final Score:
Skyline 17, Eastlake 14.

Top Performer
Skyline
Kevin McGrane- Go-ahead 35 yard field goal (35), 2/2 XP

Eastlake
Ben Howard- 2 passing TDs (18,62)

2016 VFL Coach Interview
Sumner Spartans
Head Coach Keith Ross

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2016 Varsity Football Live Coach Interview
Sumner Spartans – Head Football Coach
Keith Ross

After a breakout season in 2015, the Sumner Spartans are off to a hot start this season as one of the top teams in 4A. Coach Ross talks about some of his big time playmakers including University of Washington commit Connor Wedington and the evolution of the program since he took the helm.

To catch the complete radio interview with Sumner Coach Keith Ross, simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.

 

Eastside Catholic Fends Off Skyview in Memorial Classic Finish

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Saturday Sep 10th 2016 4A/3A Boys Football
Memorial Stadium 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Skyview 7 0 9 0 16
Eastside Catholic 7 10 0 14 31

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See game recap below
 

Eastside Catholic Fends Off Skyview in Memorial Classic Finish
By Steve Dion

The 3rd Annual Memorial Classic concluded with a dandy of a matchup between two of the top teams in the state: defending back-to-back 3A champs Eastside Catholic and 4A up-and-comer Skyview from Vancouver. Could the Storm end the in-state win streak held by the Crusaders which dates back to 2014?

Eastside opened the scoring on a roll-out by Ze’Shaun Lewis who found his favorite target Hunter Bryant dashing toward the endzone. Bryant was forced to sit the majority of the contest after getting banged-up on a kickoff shortly thereafter. Hayden Froeber responsed with a four yard punch-in to tie the game back up.

The second frame was big for the Crusaders who tacked on ten more points courtesy of a Chris Lefau touchdown and Ben Petersen field goal. Could the Storm rally in the second half?

Skyview answered the call in similar fashion when Tavis Chunphakvenn-Pinkney broke multiple tackles to find pay dirt and swing the momentum back in the Storm’s favor. The fate of the game was in the balance heading into the final frame with EC up by a single point at 17-16.

Thielbahr’s Cru responded with one of their pillars of success over the past few seasons which is ‘Finish’. Tyler Folkes put Eastside up by eight on a goal line blast early in the fourth which set preceded a Lewis pass to Gee Scott moments later to put the nail in the coffin. Skyview put up a tremendous fight, but Eastside’s composure was an impressive display of their continued success.

The Final Score:
Eastside Catholic 31, Skyview 16.

Top Performer

Eastside Catholic
Ze’Shaun Lewis- 2 passing TDs (18,42)

Skyview
Tavis Chunphakvenn-Pinkney- 8 yard receiving TD

Coach Kohler Earns 300th Career Victory as O’Dea Downs Shelton in Memorial Classic

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Friday Sep 9th 2016 3A Boys Football
Memorial Stadium 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Shelton 0 6 0 0 6
O'Dea 0 17 21 7 45

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See game recap below
 

Coach Kohler Earns 300th Career Victory as O’Dea Downs Shelton in Memorial Classic
By Steve Dion

The Friday nightcap of the Memorial Classic matched the Shelton High Climbers of the newly created South Sound Conference against O’Dea whose legendary Coach Monte Kohler entered with a chance to cross a significant milestone which is 300 career wins as head coach of the Irish.

A slow start for both teams was the result of tight defense and erratic passing attempts from each offense. O’Dea struck first when their staunch offensive line opened a massive running lane for Parker D’Anna allowing the junior tailback to glide to the endzone. Minutes later, Connor Gregoire benefited from the same treatment for a touchdown of his own adding to O’Dea’s lead. Shelton recorded six before the break, but had an uphill battle in the second half.

The second half can be simply classified as ‘The Hunter Franco Show’ as the senior running back busted loose three times for long touchdown runs of 47, 51, & 44 yards respectively. This outburst proved too much for the Climbers when paired with the Irish defense clamping down in the final two quarters without allowing Shelton to score. At the end of the night, O’Dea moves to 2-0 and Coach Kohler earns win number 300 of his legendary coaching tenure.

The Final Score:
O’Dea 45, Shelton 7.

Top Performer

O’Dea

Hunter Franco- 3 TDs (44, 47, 51)

Murphy Dominates ‘Bishop Battle’ Against Blanchet

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Friday Sep 9th 2016 3A/2A Boys Football
Memorial Stadium 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Bishop Blanchet 0 0 0 0 0
Archbishop Murphy 24 28 7 0 59

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See game recap below
 

Murphy Dominates ‘Bishop Battle’ Against Blanchet
By Steve Dion

Archbishop Murphy kicked of the 3rd annual Memorial Classic in dominant fashion as a 52 point outburst in the first half allowed the Wildcats to cruise to victory over their Metro League counterpart. Desi Carey opened the scoring with a 32 yard TD grab early which opened the floodgates. Collin Montez followed that up with a interception for touchdown and a 19 yard rumble to the endzone. The rout continued when Kyler Gordon matched Montez with touchdowns on defense and offense. The game was one sided from the start and Murphy opens their season with a combined margin of victory of 132-0 after their win last week against Issaquah.

Bishop Blanchet will look to start anew in 2016 after advancing to the state semifinals a year ago. Meanwhile, Murphy has emerged early as a frontrunner to be not only one of the best teams in 2A, but in the entire state of Washington.

The Final Score:
Archbishop Murphy 59, Bishop Blanchet 0.

Top Performer

Archbishop Murphy

Collin Montez- 6 rush, 91 yards, 3 TDs

Oak Harbor’s Powerful Ground Game Shines in Win Over Knights

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Thursday Sep 8th 2016 4A/3A WesCo Boys Football
Goddard Stadium 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Kamiak 7 0 7 7 21
Oak Harbor 14 14 13 14 55

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See game recap below
 

Oak Harbor’s Powerful Ground Game Shines in Win Over Knights
By Steve Dion

A light slate of games to kick off week two of the high school football season took place Thursday included a WesCo clash featuring the visiting Oak Harbor Wildcats and host Kamiak Knights at Goddard Stadium. Both teams won in their season opener; which squad would push their record to 2-0?

Oak Harbor was off to the races early as they intercepted Kamiak on the first play of the game. This led to a 46-yard rumble to the pylon by Princeton Lollar Jr. who lived in the endzone all night long. Kamiak responded with a 5-yard strike from Matt Merk to Ben Barton.

However, the Wildcats powerful running game with Taeson Hardin and Lollar started to take its toll on the Knights defense and they started to take a control of the game. They led by three scores at the break.

As the second half wore on, the push up front by the staunch Oak Harbor offensive line helped the offense sustain drives and finish in the red zone. The Knights found the endzone twice more, but they could not surmount the massive lead accumulated by the Cats. Oak Harbor finished with over 600 yards on the ground and looks tough. The Wildcats 2-0 start may just be the tip of the iceberg for Coach Jay Turner’s bruisers from Whidbey Island.

The Final Score:
Oak Harbor 55, Kamiak 21.

Top Performer

Oak Harbor

Princeton Lollar Jr.- 3 TDs
Taeson Hardin- 3 TDs

Football Preview:
3A WesCo-South
Dion & Willits Breakdown

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League Preview presented by theFinalScore.TV

Steve Dion and Steve Willits breakdown the 3A WesCo-South League. Who are the top teams coming out of this tough conference?

Is there a new crop of teams on the rise to challenge perennial powers? We’ll break it down for you!

Listen to our league preview of the 3A WesCo-South by clicking on the PLAY BUTTON below.


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Be sure to visit SoundLiveSportsNetwork.com and follow Steve’s high school football coverage all season long!


Football Preview:
3A WesCo-North
Dion & Willits Breakdown

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League Preview presented by theFinalScore.TV

Steve Dion and Steve Willits breakdown the 3A WesCo-North League. Who are the top teams coming out of this tough conference?

Is there a new crop of teams on the rise to challenge perennial powers? We’ll break it down for you!

Listen to our league preview of the 3A WesCo-North by clicking on the PLAY BUTTON below.


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Be sure to visit SoundLiveSportsNetwork.com and follow Steve’s high school football coverage all season long!


Team Preview:
Columbia River
Dion & Valencia Take a Look

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Team Preview Presented by theFinalScore.TV

Steve Dion and Paul Valencia talk about the Columbia River Chieftains.
Can they contend for the league title?

 

Listen to our preview of the Columbia River Chieftains by clicking on the PLAY BUTTON below.

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Columbia River Chieftains Preview with Paul Valencia from The Columbian

 

Be sure to catch Paul Valencia every Friday Night on Varsity Football Live on Sports Radio 950 KJR
AND read his column at the Columbian.com throughout the football season!

 

For the full GSHL league preview, click here:
Greater St. Helens League Preview

2A GSHL

Team Preview:
Hockinson
Dion & Valencia Take a Peek

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Team Preview Presented by theFinalScore.TV

Steve Dion and Paul Valencia talk about the Hockinson Hawks. Can they contend for the league title?


Listen to our preview of the Hockinson Hawks by clicking on the PLAY BUTTON below.

Hockinson Hawks Preview with Paul Valencia from The Columbian

Be sure to catch Paul Valencia every Friday Night on Varsity Football Live on Sports Radio 950 KJR
AND read his column at the Columbian.com throughout the football season!


For the full GSHL league preview, click here:
Greater St. Helens League Preview

2A GSHL