Playoff push begins for the Mules and Comets

Just like that, there are only 16 teams left vying for the Washington 1B football state championships, and Naselle and Wahkiakum both have their eyes on the trophy this season.

The Comets come in as the #5 seed with an 8-1 record, and made their way into the bracket when Charles Wright Academy forfeited in the crossover play-in game. On the other side of the bracket, the Mules are #3, having earned a bye into the final 16 as conference champions with a 9-0 slate.

Let's dive into whom Naselle and Wahkiakum will face on the gridiron and how the coaches are feeling heading into the postseason.

Naselle

Though the Comets are undoubtedly excited to be in the postseason, Head Coach Kevin McNulty was disappointed they didn't get one more high-stakes game in. Of course, there was one on the schedule - a win-or-go-home game against Charles Wright Academy - but the Terriers forfeited.

As a result, the Comets enter their playoff matchup with Odessa coming off a two-week hiatus. The Odessa Tigers are a familiar foe for the Comets, and one Naselle hasn't had too much success against in the past.

"Odessa has been a nemesis to Naselle and a team the Comets have never beaten," McNulty said. "We played them three years ago and came out on the wrong end of a 76-74 game."

This season, Odessa had a 7-3 record and finished third in their league. The Tigers' only three losses they had on their schedule came against some of the top teams in the state: #2 Liberty Christian (Richland), #4 Almira-Coulee-Hartline, and #10 Wilbur-Creston-Keller.

"Odessa has a great tradition and has won the 8-man state football title several times,” said McNulty. “They are a pretty good football team and come from the league that has been the toughest in the state for many years."

With that being the case, Naselle will definitely have its hands full when the teams clash on Nov. 15. Luckily, Naselle will be the beneficiary of home-field advantage as the higher seed.

As has been the case all season, the Comets will hope the core of Leith Chadwick, Gus Burkhalter, Eli Gardner, and Scott Henington can lead them to glory. Ahead of the matchup with Odessa, the Comets, after dealing with a bevy of injuries this year, finally seem to be rounding into fitness as well. "We anticipate entering the playoffs as healthy as we have been all season," McNulty said.

Other than the loss against Wahkiakum, Naselle has won every game it has played this season by at least 40 points. The Comets will hope to earn a quarterfinal spot and take down the Tigers for the first time.

Wahkiakum

The Mules are eager to get back on the field after their two-week bye. Head Coach Ryan Lorenzo and his squad prefer when there are games on the schedule. Ahead of the Nov. 14 matchup with Moses Lake Christian - Covenant Christian (MLCCC), the energy is high.

"Should be a fun one,” said Lorenzo. “Lots of energy for a state game. Coaches are running on fumes, running film. Boys are excited for a game. This bye week is no fun."

MLCCC comes into the game as the #14 seed, having finished the season 9-2. Those two losses came all the way back in September. Since then, the Lions have won seven games in a row. The most recent win came against Entiat in a low-scoring 14-8 victory on Nov. 8.

The best news for Wahkiakum fans is that the squad is finally fully healthy. Parker Leitz is expected to be back from concussion, and Joe Merz should be on the field as well. It couldn't come at a better time. "We are back at 100 percent power,” said Lorenzo. “All the Mules are back and ready to go to work."

Jayden Stoddard, Leitz, Gage Robinson, Emory Filkowski, and all the rest of the Mules that have made this undefeated season possible are raring to go. For Wahkiakum, the big focus is to come out firing, with intensity from the jump. It's a challenge because the team hasn't been in a game scenario in a couple of weeks, but Lorenzo and the team understand the opportunity that is at hand.

"We are excited for a game,” said Lorenzo. “The boys played well all year [and] got a good seed. Now [we] get to be rewarded with one last game at home."

The Mules will be hoping for a packed crowd to welcome the Lions on Friday, and will battle it out with an opportunity to snag a spot in the final eight in this year's postseason.