Ever wonder what teams football coaches really think are the best in the state?
We’ve got the answers.
For the first time, The News Tribune has organized a statewide football coaches poll for the 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A classifications. With the cooperation of more than three-dozen coaches from around the state, The News Tribune is releasing the preseason poll and will update the rankings after each week in the regular season.
So, what teams have the coaches pegged as favorites?
In Class 4A, defending state champion Skyline grabbed nine of 10 first-place votes and is the preseason No. 1 team. Mead of Spokane, led by Notre Dame recruit Danny Mattingly, snagged the other first-place vote, but runner-up Skyview edged the Panthers for the No. 2 ranking. Four teams – Skyline, Skyview, No. 4 Bellarmine Prep and No. 5 Bothell – appeared on every coaches’ ballot.
No surprise that Bellevue topped the Class 3A rankings. The four-time defending champion Wolverines received all eight first-place votes. O’Dea was second, followed by Kamiakin and Lakes.
Lynden, which has won three of the past four Class 2A titles, was a big favorite. The Lions drew nine of 10 first-place votes. Capital, newly reclassified from 3A, took the other first-place vote and is the No. 2 team, followed by Archbishop Murphy, Tumwater, Prosser and W.F. West.
Class 1A votes were spread out, with four teams receiving first-place votes. King’s, which was the top-ranked team on four of 10 ballots, is the No. 1 team, edging Cascade Christian by one point. The Cougars, who received two first-place votes, are followed by Montesano and Connell. The Bulldogs and Eagles also garnered a pair of first-place votes each.
Coaches’ individual ballots will not be revealed, but the voters for each classification will be identified.
In addition to the coaches poll and TNT’s own rankings, we’ll also continue to publish ScoreCzar’s scary-accurate computer rankings this season. Look for those to appear after Week 3 when enough data has been accumulated. TACOMA NEWS TRIBUNE’S FOOTBALL COACHES POLL
CLASS 4A
Team (first-place votes)Pts
1. Skyline (9)99
2. Skyview80
3. Mead (1)60
4. Bellarmine Prep59
5. Bothell58
6. Federal Way36
7. Chiawana27
8. Union17
9. Camas15
10. Eastlake12
Others receiving votes: Ferris 18, Wenatchee 10, Issaquah 9, Curtis 8, Graham-Kapowsin 7, Gonzaga Prep 7, Woodinville 6, Olympia 6, Kentwood 5, Richland 4, Edmonds-Woodway 4 Central Valley 1, Lewis & Clark 1 and Tahoma 1.
Voters: Mat Taylor, Skyline; Wayne Maxwell, Woodinville; Tony Davis, Tahoma; Gavin Kralik, Bethel; Cale Piland, Union; Steve Graff, Chiwana; Dan Eyman, Eisenhower; Jim Sharkey, Ferris; Tom Tri, Lake Stevens; and Bill Beattie, Olympia.
CLASS 3A
Team (first-place votes)Pts
1. Bellevue (8)80
2. O’Dea70
3. Kamiakin58
4. Lakes56
5. Meadowdale34
6. Seattle Prep33
7. Timberline21
8. Mount Si17
9. Peninsula16
10. Eastside Catholic15
Others receiving votes: Kennewick 9, Kennedy Catholic 8, Glacier Peak 6, Mount Spokane 6, Mercer Island 6, Oak Harbor 4, Columbia River 2, Marysville-Pilchuck 1.
Voters: Jay Turner, Oak Harbor; Brett Ogata, Mercer Island; Jamie Plenkovich, Ferndale; Garrett Cook, Seattle Prep; Dave Miller, Lakes; Adam Mathieson, Mountain View; Jason Silbaugh, Bonney Lake; Aaron Maul, Bishop Blanchet.
CLASS 2A
Team (first-place votes)Pts
1. Lynden (9) 99
2. Capital (1) 80
3. Archbishop Murphy66
4. Tumwater65
5. Prosser52
6. W.F. West44
7. Lakewood34
8. Othello24
9. Sequim14
Tie-10. East Valley-Spo.13
Tie-10. Ellensburg13
Others receiving votes: Burlington-Edison 12, Lindbergh 7, Mark Morris 7, West Valley-Spokane 4, Franklin Pierce 4, Cheney 3, Sedro-Woolley 3, North Kitsap 3, Deer Park 2, East Valley-Yakima 1.
Voters: Curt Kramme, Lynden; Reed Richardson, Squalicum; Dan Teeter, Lakewood; Mike VonRueden, Washington; Keith Ross, Sumner; Jeff Weible, North Kitsap; Shawn Perkins, Mark Morris; Benji Sonnichsen, Prosser; Adam Fisher, Spokane East Valley; and Jim Sutrick, Lindbergh.
CLASS 1A
Team (first-place votes)Pts
1. King’s (4)81
2. Cascade Christian (2)80
3. Montesano (2)70
4. Connell (2)67
5. Royal57
6. Cashmere48
7. Cle Elum/Roslyn28
Tie-8. Blaine22
Tie-8. Cedar Park Christian22
10. Chelan18
Others receiving votes: Meridian 17, Mount Baker 14, Hoquiam 13, Woodland 6, Quincy 4, Elma 2
Voters: Jay Dodd, Blaine; Jim Shapiro, King’s; Randy Davis, Cascade Christian; George Fairhart, Eatonville; Terry Jensen, Montesano; Mark Greenleaf, Woodland; Tim Strother, Zillah; Phil Zukowski, Cashmere; Todd Parmenter, Cedar Park Christian; Jerry King, retired (Northeast League)
How the votes are tallied: Teams get 10 points for a first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote, eight points for a third-place vote and so on. A tenth-place vote equals one point. blog.thenewstribune.com/preps
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