Meridian vs. Vashon Game Thread -- 11/11/2008, 5:04 pm

Per SmallPox on WaPreps, Vashon wins, 22-21.  Damn.

Sorry, stopped getting updates.  WaPreps says Meridian behind late in 4th.

Q4, 7:00 — M 21/VI 16. “Vashon broke for a run from their 28 to our 17. Vashon totally blew a wide open pass in end zone. 4th and 5yrds to  goal. Pirates take time out. Very suspenseful… Took a field goal, made it. Now 21-16 with 7:12 left in game”

Q4, 10:50 — M 21/VI 13. “We return to our 24 yrd line. Didn’t do anything with our drive. Punted. Vashon’s ball at their 20. 10:50 left in game”

Q4, 12:00 — M 21/VI 13. “Vashon down to 4th and 11th. They threw ball - PI called on us. Vashon  1st down at our 13 due to penalty. 4th and 8. Vashon takes and makes field goal. Now 21-13, top of 4th quarter

Q3,  2:34 – M 21/VI 10. “Vashon’s doing alright with their running game, with a gain of about 15 on 1 play. Now at our 17. We’re holding them now - 4th and 9. Made their field goal. 21-10. 2:34 left in 3rd quarter.”

Q3, ??:?? — M 21/VI 7. “Our ball from the kickoff. Passing drive so far. Flag on 3rd and 7.  Penalty against us. Blew 3rd down on incomplete pass. Threw on 4th,  incomplete pass. Vashon’s ball on their 35″

Q3, 12:00 — M 21/VI 7. “Vashon made good solid drive, ending  in around a 20yrd pass completion that put them on the 4 yrd line. 2 plays later pushed in for a td. Made the kick. We drove for about 50 yrds in a minute, but threw a pick at about the 50 yrd line. Vashon wasn’t able to make anything happen from the turnover.  21-7 at the half”

Q2, 4:15 — M 21/VI 0. “15 yrd pass completion. 9yrd pass completion. Their 22 yrd line. 3rd down - 4 to go. Slesk sacked at line of scrimage… 4th and 9. Decided to run a play - Td pass, called back by penalty. Slesk sacked next play.. Pirates take over at their 27yrd line. 4:15 left in half”

Q2, 8:53 — M 21/VI 0. “Vashon’s ball. They are only running the ball for short gains so far. Their 4th and short - taking a time out. Made the 1st down. Vashon punted. Our ball at their 10. 1st down off qb keep. 17 yrd gain on our run. Pass complete - gain of 13 for rider chance. 1st down. Vashon takes their last time out. 8:53 left in 1st half”

Q2, 9:27 — M 21/VI 0.  V ball at mid-field.

Q1, ~1:00 — M 21/VI 0. “At the end zone again. This drive was both passing and running the ball.  Touchdown pass to Mitchell Tripp on down 2 and goal. Kick is good.  Less than a minute in 1st quarter.”

Q1, 5:15 — M 14/VI 0. “We had 15 yrds to go on the 4th down - decided to run the ball - Chance made the 1st down to their 40 yrd line… Next play had a TD  pass to # 20. 14-0 and just clinched the inside kick. Our ball their 49 yrd line. 5:15 in the quarter”

Q1, ~6:00 — Meridian 7/Vashon 0, M has the ball.

Game Day: Meridian vs. Vashon -- 11/11/2008, 7:23 am

The weather report for the afternoon looks wet & breezy.

VASHON ISLAND (6-4) AT MERIDIAN (5-5)

Time: Tuesday, Nov. 11, 4:30 p.m. Site: Civic Stadium

Pirates update: Vashon Island fell to Cascade Christian 38-14 last week to earn the Nisqually League No. 3 seed and a date with Meridian. The Pirates has put together a solid season, losing two early non-league contests to bigger schools before putting together string of wins that was eventually stopped by Orting. The Pirates are led by running back Nathan Betz, who had 159 yards and two scores against Cascade Christian.

Trojans update: Meridian had little trouble with Coupeville despite having to start backup quarterback Tait Slesk while cousin Zach Slesk sat out for disciplinary issues. Zach Slesk is expected back for the Vashon Island game, but the way Meridian played with Tait you get the feeling it might not matter which one starts. The Trojans have their eyes set on reaching state and they can do that with a win here.

Key to the game: Meridian needs to keep running the ball well. The Trojans offensive line dominated against Coupeville.

Player to watch: Meridian’s BoDean Norris had his biggest game of the year last week, rushing for 149 yards.

Know Thy Opponent: Vashon Island -- 11/10/2008, 10:22 am

Meridian plays Vashon Island Tuesday afternoon at 4:30PM, a suitably bizarre time for what is now an bizarre playoff format in Westside 1A football.

Vashon football is probably best know for producing the rampaging beast of UW football gone-by, Jason Chorak.  However, the Pirates are having their best season in several years, as noted the Tacoma News-Tribune earlier in the year.

Clay Eastly can?t recall the last time high school football so ignited Vashon Island.?Everyone is excited,? the Pirates coach said. ?The players, the whole island. We?re trying to get to the playoffs.?

For the first time in a decade, Vashon High School is making a legitimate push to get to the postseason.

The Pirates opened the Nisqually League 1A/2B season with three straight wins and are tied atop the conference standings with two fellow unbeatens, No. 5 Orting and No. 6 Cascade Christian.

?I?ve been here 10 years,? Eastly said, ?and we?ve never started this well.?

Vashon (6-4) has split their last two games, beating Cedar Park 43-6 on Oct. 30 and then losing to Cascade Christian 14-37 last week in a Nisqually League finale that had league championship implications.

Offensively, Vashon is a “pistol” look shotgun, run-oriented offense that has put up about three times more rushing yards (1900) than passing (630).

Vashon Football has it’s official site here.  The team is covered by the Beachcomber newspaper as well as the TNT.

Coupeville Pictures -- 11/08/2008, 11:11 am

Dr. Brinkman has photos from the Coupeville game up on his site, MeridianTrojans.org.

Final: Meridian 45/Coupeville 8 -- 11/06/2008, 9:08 pm

That’s the game.

Update

PREP FOOTBALL: Backup QB leads Trojans to district victory 

At Meridian, the football team doesn’t go to the backup quarterback, it goes to the backup Slesk.

With usual starter Zachary Slesk sidelined for disciplinary reasons on Thursday, Nov. 6, the team turned to another member of the First Family of Trojan Football for its postseason opener in the Class 1A Northwest District playoffs.

Tait Slesk, Zachary’s first cousin and a fellow sophomore, didn’t disappoint, passing for 191 yards and three touchdowns and running for two more in Meridian’s 45-8 victory over Coupeville at Civic Stadium.

In other words, Tait had one helluva game for a first varsity QB start.

In the third quarter, Meridian 26/Coupeville 8 -- 11/06/2008, 8:28 pm

If one can believe that a FieldTurf can get sloppy, reportedly Civic is just that tonight.  The line started with a couple squirrels, two possums, and a dachshund paired with a large cat trying to fake their way into the bus, thinking it an ark.

Game Day: Meridian vs. Coupeville -- 11/06/2008, 10:36 am

Kickoff tonight at Civic Field, 7PM.

COUPEVILLE (0-9, 0-7) AT MERIDIAN (4-5, 3-3)

Time: Thursday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m. Site: Civic Stadium

Wolves update: Coupeville doesn’t have a win yet this season, but that doesn’t mean the Wolves will be a pushover for Meridian. Coupeville put a major scare into South Whidbey last week, eventually losing 6-2. The Wolves have played well in recent weeks and have looked solid against Class 1A opponents.

Trojans update: Meridian enters the Class 1A Northwest District playoffs coming off a loss in its final regular season game, but the Trojans have a very favorable matchup as the No. 2 seed. Meridian can’t be underestimated in the postseason because the program has proven it knows how to win in the playoffs. Quarterback Zach Slesk is improving with each game and he and Mitchell Tripp are one of the best pass and catch combos in the conference.

Key to the game: Meridian’s held an early lead in many of its losses this season, but has had trouble keeping it. The Trojans can’t get worn down by Coupeville.

Player to watch: Meridian’s Zach Slesk will get his chance to work some postseason magic.

The Road Ahead -- 11/03/2008, 9:00 am

The Road Ahead thankfully begins at home, or least nearby at Civic Field Thursday night.  Meridian will host Coupeville in what’s called “1A Tri-District Playoffs.”

Coupeville comes to the game with an 0-9 record, 0-7 in the Cascade Conference.  That record sounds bad, and it is.  However, that is a very, very tough conference in which for a small 1A team to be playing.  They have played Archbishop Murphy, Sultan and the School Formerly Known As Tolt as part of their league schedule.