Thursday
Central Kitsap (3-0) at Timberline (2-1), 7 p.m.
Head coach Mark Keel goes for his 100th victory, but he’ll have to beat the Blazers, one of last year’s 3A state quarterfinalists. The Cougars have been riding the strong play of quarterback Elijah McGee (17-of-30, 274 yards, three touchdowns, plus four rushing touchdowns) and running back Alex Refilong (639 rushing yards, six touchdowns) and an unheralded defense through three games. They’re in for a big test at South Sound Stadium against the defending SSC champions, though Timberline has played close games with Bonney Lake and Gig Harbor this season.
Kingston (1-2) at Olympic (0-3), 7 p.m.
A game that features two teams looking for their first league victory this season. The Trojans are coming off a wild, 51-47, shootout with North Mason that saw them give up 30 points in the fourth quarter when it looked like they were going to cruise to victory. The Bucs, meanwhile, dropped their first game, 28-6, to Port Angeles. Expect Olympic’s high-powered offense to put up plenty of points again. The defense will have to contend with Kingston’s top running back, Garrett Sitting-Dog, who has rushed for nearly 500 yards in three games.
Friday
Chimacum (1-2) at Klahowya (2-1), 7 p.m.
The Eagles might be on to something special here. They crushed Kingston on opening night and handed a 30-point loss to Granite Falls last week. Their only loss was to North Mason, which currently sits tied for first place in the Olympic League 2A. John Hartford has thrown for 505 yards and six touchdowns, completing 70 percent of his passes. He’s found chemistry with his stable of receivers and has a good complementary running game featuring sophomore Hunter Wallis (272 yards, three touchdowns). Cascade Christian usually sews up one of the two Nisqually playoff spots, but Klahowya should be right in the mix for the other one if they can get off to a good start against the Cowboys.
Bremerton (1-2) at North Kitsap (2-1), 7 p.m.
It’s something you don’t hear too often, but North Kitsap is also looking for its first league win of the season after losing to Sequim last week, their first Olympic League loss since 2015. The Vikings welcome in Bremerton, which has gotten off to a rough start, though the Knights rebounded to beat Rochester last week. North Kitsap has shown flashes of great promise this year and should have plenty of motivation at home against a league rival.
South Kitsap (0-3) at Emerald Ridge (0-3), 7 p.m.
Along with Bellarmine Prep, these two teams are currently at the bottom of the SPSL. Last year’s game at Sparks Stadium was memorable for being played in a driving rainstorm and featuring Mosiah Liu, a 265-pound tight end and defensive lineman taking the majority of the carries for the Jaguars, leading them to a 17-3 victory. Both teams are looking to avoid the same fate — a potentially winless 2018 season.
— Mark Krulish is a reporter for Kitsap News Group. He can be reached at mkrulish@soundpublishing.com.
