3A Playoff Predictions

The 3A Leagues within Washington State bolster many noticeable programs. So much so that 3 teams from the same district made it to the first round of the playoffs this year. Some of those programs include perennial playoff teams such as O’Dea, Bellevue, Seattle Prep, and East Side Catholic while other programs such as Marysville-Pilchuck, Kelso, Garfield, and others have made their presence in the playoffs known more recently. Nevertheless, the race to get to the playoffs will certainly begin from week 1 in the 3A League. &nbsp; <strong>Bellevue High School 14-0 </strong>It is important to start with the 3A champion, Bellevue High School, and determine if they have what it takes to repeat winning the championship title. They are going to be losing a solid class of seniors so it’ll be up to the coaching staff and class of 2023 to see if they are up for the challenge. <strong>Notable Returning Players </strong>Caymus Rooney, WR/DB Class of 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="338808" first="Carson" last="Rubin"], RB/LB Class of 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="301972" first="Lucas" last="Razore"], QB Class of 2024 <strong>Kennewick High School 12-2 </strong>Kennewick is a bruiser of a program. They finished the season 12-2 and won most of their games by notable margins. In the playoffs, Kennewick had to face some incredible programs such as O’Dea and Eastside Catholic. After winning those hard-fought battles Kennewick High School went on to face Bellevue and lost by less than a touchdown. The strength of the schedule begs the question of whether Kennewick is the better team of the two. Nevertheless, Kennewick will be looking to recoup and win the championship this year. <strong>Notable Returning Players </strong>Aaron Castro WR/QB Class of 2023 Zaydel Capetillo RB/LB Class of 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="333671" first="Ashton" last="Tripp"],  DE Class of 2023 <strong>Marysville-Pilchuck 11-2 </strong>Marysville-Pilchuck is a team who aims to run the ball with every opportunity they get. This year they are losing their star running backs to graduation therefore repeating their trip to the semi-finals may be difficult. Furthermore, now that their strategy is transparent to opponents they may want to shuffle their offensive scheme to be able to compete with the likes of Bellevue and Kennewick. It’ll be interesting to see how Marysville-Pilchuck fares this season, especially with a very competitive district and a new cast of athletes. <strong>Notable Returning Players </strong>[player_tooltip player_id="155637" first="Gaylan" last="Gray"] RB/FS Class of 2023 Lucian Curtis RB/CB Class of 2023 Elias Sopi ATH, Class of 2024 <strong>Eastside Catholic 9-2 </strong>Eastside Catholic easily maneuvered its way through the regular season in 2021. They were first in their district and had a point differential of 152. The Crusaders boast a balanced offense and readily performed well against any opponent. In the Semi-Finals Eastside was able to make the competition with Kennewick for the right to go to state a fierce battle that was ultimately decided by one touchdown. The Crusaders are retaining their passing and rushing athletes in 2022 but will have to replenish their receiving corps in order to be a playoff contender this upcoming season. If they do so one can expect Eastside Catholic to be aiming at taking the championship home come late November. <strong>Notable Returning Players </strong>[player_tooltip player_id="333687" first="Brady" last="McKelheer"], QB/FS Class of 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="214872" first="Masen" last="Uribe"], RB/LB Class of 2023 Ishe Kanhukamwe, WR/DB Class of 2024 <strong>Other Playoff Caliber Teams</strong> <strong>O’Dea High School 8-3 Yelm High School 10-1 Mt. Spokane High School 8-3 </strong><strong>Arlington High School 8-2 Rainier Beach High School 6-4 </strong>