A look at Bellevue-area postseason football | Column

There’s no stopping now – football playoffs are in full swing in Washington.

There’s plenty of action, with a bevy of big games coming up that should heal the soul of any WSU, UW or Seahawk fan looking to watch some competitive football.

Here’s a glance at each class in Washington with ties to Bellevue schools, with contenders and dark horses highlighted.

Class 4A

Favorite: Skyline (9-0)

Contenders: Ferris (8-1), Southridge (9-0) Jackson (8-1), Auburn (9-0), Olympia (9-0), Marysville-Pilchuck

Dark horses: Richland (7-2), Pasco (7-2), Bothell (6-3), Woodinville (8-1), Issaquah (7-1)

The lowdown: With Lewis and Clark failing to make it out of the Greater Spokane League, there will be a new 4A champion this season. But odds are it will be a reigning one, as Skyline, fresh of a 3A state title, looks to be the favorite to win again in Tacoma. But the Spartans looked – dare I say – mortal in the KingCo 4A championship game against Bothell, trailing most of the game before roaring back in the final minutes.

Not to mention that nobody – including this reporter – gave the teams east of the mountains a shot at the title. Could history repeat itself?

This weekend’s best bets: Issaquah (7-2) at Marysville-Pilchuck (9-0); Federal Way (7-2) vs. Gig Harbor (8-1); Pasco (7-2) at Ferris (8-1); Central Valley (8-1) at Richland (7-2).

Class 3A

Favorite: Bellevue (9-0)

Contenders: Eastside Catholic (8-1), Ferndale (9-0), Union (9-0), Lakes (9-0), Kennedy (8-1)

Dark horses: Lindbergh (7-2), Liberty (7-2), O’Dea (7-2), Timberline (7-2)

The lowdown: Bellevue is the clear favorite in Class 3A and it appears that Ferndale is on a crash course for the Wolverines. If both teams win out, they’ll meet in Tacoma. The last time that happened, the Wolverines defeated Jake Locker’s Ferndale squad. There’s another Locker behind center in Ferndale these days – Jake’s cousin Casey.

There are also a few intriguing undefeated contenders: Lakes and Union. Nobody seems to know much about Union, and Lakes, well, Lakes seems to go undefeated each year before bowing out in the playoffs (as they did last year, getting crushed by Skyline).

It looks to be Bellevue’s title to lose.

This weekend’s best bets: Mount Si (5-4) at Peninsula (7-2); North Kitsap (7-2) at Liberty (7-2); Camas (6-3) at Kennedy (8-1).

Class 2A

Favorite: Prosser (9-0)

Contenders: Archbishop Murphy (9-0), Burlington-Edison (8-1), Tumwater (8-1)

Dark horses: Interlake (5-4), Centrailia (7-2), Hockinson (7-2), Lynden (7-2)

The lowdown: When you talk about the Class 2A state title, the discussion begins and ends with Prosser. The defending state champions, who absolutely creamed Burlington-Edison 42-7 in last year’s championship game, feature a passing attack centered around Kirby Moore, the national prep career record holder with 86 receiving touchdowns. Moore, whose brother Kellen is the starting quarterback at Boise State, is an unstoppable strong receiver whose size makes him a threat every time he’s on the field.

Despite Interlake’s record, I’m inclined to think the Saints will do well in the postseason. Why? They play in the toughest conference of any team in 2A, KingCo 3A. In fact, three of Interlake’s four losses came against Class 3A playoff teams in Bellevue, Liberty and Mount Si.

The combination of a dangerous passing offense and a strong rushing attack will be help the Saints make some noise.

This weekend’s best bets: Bellingham (5-4) at Archbishop Murphy (9-0); Black Hills (6-3) at Hockinson (7-2); Woodland (5-4) at Tumwater (8-1); Chehalis (6-3) at Mark Morris (7-2).