Week 5 football predictions
Here are our predictions for the fifth week of the KingCo football season. There are some solid games this week, including Bellevue at Mercer Island and Eastlake at Newport. Could this be the year Inglemoor recaptures the Spaghetti Bowl crown from Bothell?
Be sure to chime in with your thoughts and to vote on who you think will win. Results on the first four weeks of voting are at the bottom of the page.
BIG 5
Mercer Island vs. Bellevue
Kevin - Well, this will probably be the toughest KingCo 3A/2A matchup Bellevue has this year. That said, I really don’t see the outcome being much different. The Wolverines have earned their high national rankings with wins over out-of-state powerhouse Oaks Christian and in-state force Skyline. Mercer Island struggled to stop Seattle Prep’s run game, which doesn’t bode well for the Islanders this week. As most everyone knows, unning attacks don’t get much more potent than the Bellevue’s.
Pick: Bellevue 38-10
Josh - Boy was I wrong about the Islanders. In our preseason chat, someone asked how I thought 3A KingCo would shape up. I’d rather not discuss my reply…After the season-opening loss to (still unbeaten) Seattle Prep, which came on a PAT that bounced off the crossbar, Mercer Island has rolled off three straight wins and had control throughout all three. The Wolverines, meanwhile, have been predictably taking care of business in league play but have yet to face a team that will finish in the top half of the conference. That will change on Friday. If any defense is built to handle the ariel attack the Islanders will launch, it’s Bellevue. Tyler Hasty anchors a secondary that stifled highly regarded quarterbacks Lucas Falk and Max Browne and will try to do the same against possibly the best signal-caller in the state in Jeff Lindquist. I’m actually anticipating Mercer Island trying to set up the run game first to open some windows for Lindquist, but if they decide to throw it 50 times, I can’t say I’d be shocked. The M-I defense had undoubtedly its best week of the season against Interlake, but will be hard-pressed to slow a Bellevue offense that has been operating at a high level in each of its four games.
Pick: Bellevue 42-17
Kevin - This is Eastlake’s biggest test since its week-one victory over Central Kitsap. The No. 2 ranked Wolves have beat their four opponents by an average of 40-12, but have gotten off to notoriously slow starts. They failed to score first-quarter points in two of their last three games, and the one they scored in, they trailed Roosevelt 12-7 at the half. With Newport’s explosive offense, Eastlake will have to be careful to not dig itself an early hole. That said, the Wolves are ranked as one of the top 4A teams for a reason. They boast one of largest lines in the league, have an explosive running back (Ryan Lewis), a crafty quarterback (Keegan Kemp), and a stingy defense. I think this one will come down to just too much firepower for the boys from Sammamish.
Pick: Eastlake 35-14
Josh - Aside from the loss to Mercer Island, things between the lines have gone according to plan for the Knights heading into their biggest test of the season thus far. A win over unbeaten Eastlake, ranked one or two by most polls around the state, would go a long way in making sure that trend continues. Newport will no doubt rely on Isaac Dotson to be Isaac Dotson and with Miles Fowler emerging as a threat at the tight end spot and a handful of backs including Neil Hones, Brian Setijono and Eric Rodan keeping the defense honest in run situations, the Knights have enough options to put points on the board.
Pick: Eastlake 35-28
Kevin - This one is hard to call. These are two teams who are still trying to find themselves. Liberty has suffered tough defeats to high-quality opponents. Juanita has also struggled against stronger teams. I think home-field advantage and an improving offense will help the Patriots this week.
Pick: Liberty 28-13
Josh - Juanita has clearly taken a step back from last season. The 47 points allowed to Mercer Island two weeks ago isn’t a complete indictment, considering the Islanders’ offense, but it isn’t exactly encouraging either. Liberty barely missed scraping out a win against Mount Si and has lost to all three teams it has played not named Sammamish, but I think they will find a way in this one.
Pick: Liberty 24-20
Kevin - This could be the year Inglemoor finally does it. Bothell, which has won 10 straight Spaghetti Bowls, has had its struggles this season — in particular at the quarterback position. Expect both teams to run, run and run some more. I can see this being a back-and-forth battle with the victory going to whoever has the ball last.
Pick: Bothell 28-26
Josh - The Vikes got back on the right path last week with the 35-14 win over Ballard, which they badly needed after getting thrashed by Lake Stevens in week three. I saw Bothell’s game against Newport and came away thinking the Cougars lack the necessary consistency to be a major contender this year. If Bothell plays with some more continuity and avoids costly penalties, they could get another win over their Northshore rivals. But I think this could be Inglemoor’s year to get over on Bainter’s bunch.
Pick: Inglemoor 24-20
Kevin - With some of the yelling I heard coming out of the Issaquah locker room after last week’s 41-14 loss to Skyline, I can guarantee one thing this Friday — the Eagles will be ready to play against Kamiak. This should be a good rebound game for Issaquah as they face a Knights team that has had its offensive struggles. I expect the Eagles to get back on track.
Pick: Issaquah 38-7
Josh - The Eagles admittedly didn’t play with the fire needed to take down Skyline last week. Luckily for them, Kamiak isn’t Skyline. The Knights’ senior quarterback Anthony Berg has the physical tools to make plays, the question is whether or not his teammates will do enough to help him out. That seems doubtful against an Issaquah team that allowed 28 points in three games before the Skyline game.
Pick: Issaquah 35-12
Kevin: 11-1
Josh: 10-2
Readers: 10-2
Year to date
Kevin: 38-14
Josh: 37-15
Readers: 36-16
