Checking in on football progress

Congratulations to the Wahluke High School football team. It's victory over Highland last Friday is a good indication the boys from Mattawa never give up.

That type of character is especially important in the game of football, which is so physically demanding. It would be easy to abandon a season when you're 1-6.

If Friday's win caught people by surprise, it shouldn't have. The only games that got out of control previously were against Royal and River View, the top two teams in the league.

Connell comes to town this Friday. The Eagles will be favored, but the Warriors will be encouraged. They don't quit.

Which leads me to the Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars. They haven't quit, but their results so far this fall might make you think so.

Before the season, I predicted the Huskies and Cougars would play in bowl games. Now it appears they won't even get to sniff one.

I really believed the hiring of Mike Leach would get the Cougars rolling. They are traditionally the pass-happiest program in the PAC-12. The addition of Leach would make them that much more so.

The Cougars are throwing the ball a lot, all right. But the quarterbacks are not hitting their targets often enough, and the receivers are dropping too many passes. Who would have thought?

I said the Huskies had one of the best quarterbacks in the country. After a 33-touchdown sophomore season with 60 percent accuracy, it appeared Keith Price was set for a monster season.

There has been a monster season, but not in favor of Price. An offensive line that can't block may still send him to the hospital. Gun-shy now, he can't seem to find a receiver.

You can tell Price is off his game when you catch him on the sideline. His trademark smile seems to be gone.

Coach Steve Sarkisian came to Seattle three seasons ago dedicated to reviving Husky football tradition. Someone needs to let him in on the secret.

Husky tradition is a pounding defense and offensive linemen who deserve their scholarships. If you can't put that together in four years, then maybe you need more time at an assistant's level.

As for pounding defenses, the NFL Seahawks have one of the best this year. I predicted they would make the playoffs. I still believe that. All we need is a little more offense.

After seven games, the 'Hawks are 4-3 and just one game out of first in the NFC West. The three losses have been hard-fought close games at NFC West Arizona, St. Louis and San Francisco. All three have yet to come to Seattle.

Now to the best football team that matters to me.

Royal High is in a great position to challenge for the state class A title, just as I thought it would be. The Knights are doing even better than I expected. They are dominating.

The offense is no surprise. Quarterback Alex Myrick is dynamic, and he has scoring weapons at all of the skill positions.

What may be a little surprising is the development of the defense. It gave up 47 points in the first six games and zero in the last two. It is allowing 5.88 points per game.

Defending state champ Connell was a 47-0 victim. Zillah, which sits atop the South Central A Conference West, fell 44-7.

That's the kind of thing that happens when your defense believes it owns the field.