The Cougars of Bothell are hoping to beat their second GSL opponent in as many weeks. In order to do that however, they will need to down a Lewis & Clark team that is proving to be possibly the most underrated team in the state.
"They are very physical, very disciplined. They are simplistic in their schemes, but the kids know what to do. They run to the ball and are very balanced on offense," said Bothell head coach Tom Bainter. "Their big running back, Alex Shaw, is a load to take care of. They are physical up on the line. We have been playing teams that are fast and athletic, so we'll see how we match up against a team that wants to pound you."
Bothell, much like Lewis & Clark's last opponent, Edmonds-Woodway, possesses a very potent offense which averages over 34 points per game. However, Lewis & Clark held the Warriors to only 26 points, 19 of which came in the fourth quarter off of four Tiger turnovers.
"Our defense played really well. The front four and linebackers played excellent. We didn't have to blitz to stop the run game. Anytime you hold a 2,000 yard back for 80 some yards, that's pretty good. The defense may have played the best it's played all year. Edmonds-Woodway is a good team and they didn't move the ball up and down the field on us," said Lewis & Clark head coach Tom Yearout. "We were really efficient in the first half. Those turnovers in the fourth quarter really changed the complexion of the game. Some of it was us and some of it was them. They didn't give in."
Last week, Bothell had a little bit of luck on it's side. In the waning seconds of the game, Ferris quarterback Jeff Minnerly fumbled the ball on the one-yard line. Rami Salha recovered for the Cougars to seal the 14-7 victory.
"Our defense played very well. We overcame 11 penalties of our own to only two of theirs," said Bainter. "We overcame the elements and a great football team. It was a great win for our football team."
In the past, many teams have lost focus when traveling over the mountains to play a game. However, Bainter feels his team did a tremendous job of preparing itself and keeping the course.
"Not at all," responded Bainter when asked if the trip hindered the Cougars' play. "We made it a great trip. We ate well. We had a walk-through practice on the way there. We went to bed early and had a good night's sleep - nothing negative about that trip."
Although Lewis & Clark is technically the home team, it is essentially a road game for the Tigers from the east. If Lewis & Clark is to beat Bothell, the Tigers must play a sound game with few mistakes.
"They are a really good football team. They've been in the state finals two years in a row - well coached," said Yearout. "I think they are obviously the best defense we've seen all year. You have to limit big plays against them. You can't give up 40 or 50-yard plays against them, because if they get up on you, it's going to be really hard."
While the Cougars are returning to championship game for the second straight year, the Tigers have not experienced success to this degree in recent years. Yearout admitted that keeping his team focused will be a chore, but feels confident they will come prepared.
"I haven't seen a lack of focus from them. Obviously this week will be different. We traveled last week and still came out and played about as focused of a first quarter as we have," expressed Yearout. "We are trying to treat it the same as if it was a late game at Albi. It's not easy keeping coaches focused, let alone 18-year olds. We are trying to treat it like a normal week. The kids are pretty keyed in and understand we're going to play a pretty good football team."
The Cougars fell 21-14 to Oak Harbor in last season's championship game. In an attempt to avoid the same result, Bainter is instilling the 'just another game' mentality into the mind's of his players.
"We have to treat this game like the last four weeks. We don't want to say 'win, lose or draw, we made it to the finals.' You've got to keep the mentality that you've got to get better each day. We always tell our players 'you never stay the same, you either get better or get worse'. We've got to get better and play our best. Our focus has to be on the opponent and not anything external."
Which feline will be purring in the end? The Cougars of Bothell or the Tigers of Lewis & Clark? Let the games begin.
| 4A STATE FINAL MATCHUP |
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at |
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Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007
7:30 p.m.
@ Lewis & Clark (Tacoma Dome) |
For the accompanying stats and breakdown go to the Washington Preps website. http://washingtonpreps.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=745783