MARYSVILLE — The Tomahawks’ season is about to come full circle.
After a 63-31 Wesco North win over Monroe Oct. 22, Marysville-Pilchuck will face a familiar foe in Edmonds Woodway for a better seed in a winner-to-state game the following week.
“It’s great to know that we’re in (the playoffs),” said Marysville-Pilchuck coach Brandon Carson. “Now we’ve got to concentrate on winning this Friday.”
That will mean defeating a Warriors’ team that ran over the Tommies 42-22 in Week 2.
“We played them early in the year and now we get a chance to avenge the loss from earlier in the year,” Carson said. “And I think, if we can take care of the ball, and win the turnover battle, we can do it.”
Both of those tasks seem more likely from the Tomahawks after they seemingly turned a corner in Week 7 against Lake Stevens, and started playing more efficient football. Now the Tommies just have to prove that they are a different team than the one that allowed six touchdowns by versatile halfback Zack Berg two months ago.
The Warriors finished the season with a 6-2 record overall and 3-1 in the Wesco South, losing the head-to-head tie-breaker with Jackson earlier in the season.
Marysville’s (5-3 overall, 3-2 Wesco North) latest win, against Monroe, was arguably its most dominating performance this season, as the Tommies jumped out to a 35-17 halftime lead in a loser-out game against the Bearcats.
The Tommies’ running attack seems to be firing on all cylinders, as they ran off 441 yards on ground, starting with Cody House, who had 120 and four touchdowns.
“Offensively, I thought our backs had some great runs,” Carson said. “Cody House and Kyle Miller had some big runs. Tyler Thompson and our quarterback (Tylor Klep) made some big plays for us.”
House started the Tommies off with a 6-yard score and then M-P turned to the big play for scores in the second quarter as Colby Merkt had a 40-yard score, House had a 56-yard dash and Thompson ran back an interception 41 yards.
Also scoring TDs were Miller on a 77-yard run in the fourth quarter and Klep on a 1-yard keeper. Junior Chris Herbert also scored on the ground, with a 59-yard run.
Defensively, the Tommies won the turnover battle, which has been so crucial to their season, by getting three interceptions — and one returned for a touchdown.
