The top 10 football programs in Washington

Taking a look at the state's top football programs.

By
Sep 2, 2010, 9:34am
The top 10 football programs in Washington:

1. Bellevue: The Wolverines have become the top program in the state — and among the nation's best — under coach Butch Goncharoff, who is 117-11 in 11 years. Since 2001, they've won seven of the last nine Class 3A state titles and three of the last four. Bellevue consistently seeks out the nation's best and is known for ending the De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) national record 151-game winning streak in 2004.

Skyline High's Kasen Williams.
Skyline High's Kasen Williams.
Photo by Tom Lemming
2. Skyline (Sammamish): The Spartans from Sammamish are challenging nearby Bellevue for the state's top program. Coach Steve Gervais took them to three state titles from 2000-08 and one second-place finish before he left for the University of Washington (he's since left the Huskies). Mat Taylor took over and won the last two state titles. The Spartans have won state titles the last three years (two 4A and one 3A) with such top-ranked prospects as quarterback Jake Heaps (BYU) and WR Kasen Williams, who is committed to Washington.

3. O'Dea (Seattle): The Fighting Irish from Seattle are a contender every year under coach Monte Kohler. The Irish have three state titles and three runner-up finishes to their name. The Irish have made the state playoffs 16 years in a row and have only missed once since 1987.

4. Bothell: The Cougars have emerged as a power over the last decade. The team that enjoys a nice home-field advantage at Pop Keeney Stadium has finished runner-up twice and has missed the playoffs only once in the past 10 years under coach Tom Bainter.

5. Curtis (University Place): The Vikings from near Tacoma won four state titles since 1989 under coach Bob Lucey, who retired after the 2006 season. The Vikings are a constant in the state playoffs, making it five times over the last six years.

6. Prosser: The Mustangs put up numbers like you'd find in a video game under coach Tom Moore. Moore stepped down after the 2008 season so he could watch his sons (QB Kellen and WR Kirby) play at Boise State. Over the last 20 years, Prosser has won four state titles and finished second four times.

7. Royal (Royal City): The Knights, a Class 1A football power from eastern Washington, nearly always make a deep playoff run and have won three state titles since 2000 (and five overall) under coach Wiley Allred.

8. Lynden: The Lions are nearly unbeatable since dropping to the 2A classification, winning three of the last four state titles for coach Curt Kramme. Since 1980, the Lions have won five state titles and have had three runner-up finishes.

9. LaCrosse/Washtucna (LaCrosse): The Tigercats combined two small eastern Washington towns into an eight-man football power. The Tigercats, under coach Jeff Nelson, won five state titles — including four in a row from 2002-2005 — in the last eight years.

10. South Kitsap (Port Orchard): The Wolves were one of the state's most feared programs in the 80s and 90s under coach Ed Fisher. SK is one of the state's biggest high schools, and it used that talent base to make it to the state tournament a record 23 straight years, a run that was highlighted by a state title in 1994. That run ended in 2003, but coach DJ Sigurdson has had them back twice since, including last year when they ran into Skyline.

Nathan Joyce has covered high school sports in Washington for 13 years. He currently works at the Kitsap Sun in Bremerton.

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