Week 8

Lincoln Abes (2-5) @ South Kitsap Wolves (7-0)

Time: 7 p.m. Friday @ Joe Knowles Field.

Stadium Coach: Mike Merrill, first year.

League Affiliation: Narrows League.

Offensive formation: Wing-T.

Defensive formation: 5-2.

Last year’s Record: 4-6.

2008 playoff results: Lincoln did not qualify for the state playoffs.

Key returners: OL/DL Michael Anderson, 6-0, 300, jr.; RB/DB Penoy Penilton, 5-8, 150, soph.; RB/LB Jerome Robinson, 5-9, 190, jr.; RB/DB Jordan Russell, 5-9, 175, jr.

Lincoln vs. South Kitsap: South leads the series 23-5-1.

Last meeting with South Kitsap: The Wolves won 37-29 last year at the Lincoln Bowl.

D.J. Sigurdson vs. Lincoln: 3-1.

Last week: Lincoln lost 67-7 at Lakes.

Overview: Dick Zatkovich, who built Lakes into a Class 3A state power, appeared to be building Lincoln into one of the better 4A programs when he guided the Abes to their first state-playoff appearance in 2003. But Zatkovich only stayed at Lincoln one more year and the school has drifted toward the bottom of the Narrows League. Merrill became the third coach at the school in as many years after previous stints at Auburn Riverside, Mount Rainier and Lake Washington. He was an assistant at South in the early 1990s under Ed Fisher and uses a run-heavy, Wing-T offense. Merrill has a dynamic talent to center the offense around in Russell, who had two touchdowns in a 40-20 loss Oct. 2 against Olympia. But Lincoln has not been able to stop anyone, allowing 166 points in its last four games — all losses. The Abes have not allowed fewer than 22 points in any game this season and ranked ninth in the 11-team Narrows in points allowed per game (35). Only Mount Tahoma (39.1) and Shelton (40.4), who have combined to win two games, are worse.