Coupeville Sports

    “I, Bryce Fleming, will go! I will carry this ball all the way to state!!” (Shelli Trumbull photo)

See, I already have a headache, so this all sort of makes sense.

For anyone who comes into this discussion clear-eyed, a warning. You may need some Excedrin on the way back out the door.

But let’s start with itty-bitty baby steps, OK, as we try and break down the myriad possibilities looming in District 1 when it comes to football playoffs.

Without a doubt, Northwest Conference champ Mount Baker (8-1) and Cascade Conference 1A heavyweight King’s (8-0 heading into its unbeaten vs. unbeaten showdown with 2A Lakewood tonight) are going to state. That’s set in stone.

After that, things get complicated, as four teams, including Coupeville (currently 2-6), will vie for one spot at tri-districts, with a chance to play in to the 16-team state tourney.

The Wolves, having made the world right by thrashing South Whidbey, have a date in a three-team district mini-playoff Tuesday, Oct. 30. They close out their regular season at Sultan tonight and then prep for that tussle.

Only, they won’t know who they will play until after Saturday, when another three-team mini-playoff will result in two Northwest Conference teams advancing.

Meridian (5-4), Nooksack Valley (6-3) and Blaine (6-3), which each have a win and a loss against their common rivals, will meet in a Kansas tiebreaker. That involves each team getting the ball at their opponents 20-yard line and attempting to score, until one team comes out ahead.

At the end of the night, which could be short and sweet or drift on for hours, two teams will emerge. Whichever team comes out on top will be the Northwest Conference’s number two team and host the three-team playoff Oct. 30.

The other team to advance, the #3 seed from the Northwest Conference, will face Coupeville in a two-quarter game that night. The winner of that returns to the field later that night and plays the #2 seed in another two-quarter game, with the winner of that game advancing to tri-districts either Fri. Nov. 2 or Saturday, Nov. 3. Win that game and you’re off to state with Mount Baker and King’s.

Of the three possible opponents, the Wolves already have first-hand knowledge of one, having lost 56-15 at home to Nooksack Valley earlier this season. Coupeville immediately rebounded, however, winning two of their next four games.