Oregon vs. Washington: Biggest wins of the season (so far)

Oregon and Washington have already delivered some monster match-ups through the first few weeks of the season.   We've see No. 1 vs. No. 2 and a collection of top-five match-ups, as well as a big-time upset.   To date, no one has a better 1-2 punch than Lake Stevens' wins over Sumner and Bellevue, but Graham-Kapowsin, Lake Oswego and Summit have also delivered victories that have changed the state title discussions.   Here's a look at the biggest wins in Oregon and Washington this year - ranked:   1. Graham-Kapowsin 40, O'Dea 38 — September 1   In the preseason, Graham-Kapowsin had high hopes for its young nucleus.   “A bright future awaits,” seemed to be the tagline.   The future is now.   Graham-Kapowsin beat defending 3A champion O'Dea in the final seconds to register the Northwest's most meaningful win of the early season.   Quarterback A.J. Tuivaiave accounted for five touchdowns in the contest - three rushing and two passing - including a short 1-yard plunge with 35 second left to clinch the victory.    The Eagles are absolutely loaded with young talent, including athletes [player_tooltip player_id='937738' first='Kase' last='Betz'] (2027) and [player_tooltip player_id='985348' first='Jayce' last='Halasz'] (2028), offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='569907' first='Ayden' last='Bullinger'] (2027), linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='584671' first='Julius' last='Hernandez-Avila'] (2027), running back [player_tooltip player_id='1576634' first='Blake' last='Pearson'] (2027), two-way lineman [player_tooltip player_id='985356' first='Solova'a' last='Steffany'] (2028), defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='928074' first='Maurice' last='Williams'] (2027) and others.   Notice that each of those names is expected back for at least one more season, and in several cases two.   For a young squad to register that kind of a victory is a statement.   It's an arrival.   Graham-Kapowsin is for real - and is a must-stop shop for college football coaches.   *It is noteworthy that O'Dea trailed by 17 to begin the fourth quarter and did take the lead before the Eagles' final drive. There's little doubt the Fighting Irish wishes it could have the early portion of that game back, because they made a valiant effort to pull off the come-from-behind victory.    2. Lake Oswego 21, Central Catholic 0 — September 12   The unofficial title of “6A state title favorite” belongs to two schools, West Linn and Lake Oswego.   But sitting at No. 3 was Central Catholic, who some felt were being slighted by not being included in that early-season discussion.   Lake Oswego firmly slammed the door on that topic.   The Lakers blanked the Rams 21-0.   Senior running back LaMarcus Bell delivered two first-half touchdown runs, one coming after Bell registered a key interception to set the table for himself.   In the second half, senior cornerback [player_tooltip player_id='1234612' first='Jalen' last='Bauman'], one of the most under-recruited players on the West Coast, snagged an interception and returned it for a score, putting the game out of reach early in the third quarter.   Coming into the season, Lake Oswego was breaking in a new-ish offensive and defensive line with a couple of questions in the secondary.   So far, Steve Coury's crew has emphatically answered that all phases of its team are ready to compete for a state title.   Lake Oswego is loaded, ready and rolling!    3. Lake Stevens 31, Sumner 28 — September 5   Lake Stevens is an early-season staple of this list.   The Vikings pulled off an incredible victory, as quarterback Blake Moser found [player_tooltip player_id='1679407' first='Seth' last='Price'] for the game-winning score with just 1 second remaining.   Moser finished the contest with 195 yards passing, 87 yards rushing and three total touchdowns, overcoming Sumner star [player_tooltip player_id='1188109' first='Braylon' last='Pope']'s 115-yards, 4-touchdown performance.    For Lake Stevens, the victory was a statement over Sumner, the defending 4A state champions.   From a prospect standpoint, Lake Stevens is led by class of 2027 edge [player_tooltip player_id='1188123' first='Ty' last='Tautolo'], class of 2027 offensive tackle [player_tooltip player_id='1241961' first='Will' last='Lynch'], class of 2027 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1679407' first='Seth' last='Price'] and class of 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='1892954' first='Jayvian' last='Ferrell'],, while class of 2028 offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='984903' first='Calvin' last='Middendorf'] is an intriguing prospect.   There may not be a sure-fire “next Jayden Limar” on the roster, but Lake Stevens is a team with a ton of underrated athletes who have delivered some huge, eye-opening wins early this season.   4. Lake Stevens 21, Bellevue 14 — September 12   For the second consecutive week, Lake Stevens used late-game heroics to earn a statement win.   This time, it came over Washington powerhouse Bellevue.    Lake Stevens marched 92 yards down the field in the fourth quarter, ending with a Blake Moser-to-Max Cook touchdown to give the Vikings their second massive statement victory in as many games.   Class of 2027 running back [player_tooltip player_id='1892954' first='Jayvian' last='Ferrell'] ran for 121 yards and a score to lead the way for Lake Stevens.    While both of the Vikings' big wins have come with some up-and-down moments, the gritty group has found a way to compile the Northwest's best resume so far this season.    5. Summit 28, Wilsonville 20 — September 12   Talk about a statement!    No. 2 Summit made the long trek to Wilsonville for a battle of the top teams in Oregon at the 5A level.   The Storm picked up a monster win, clearing the way for them to claim the No. 1 ranking.   Class of 2027 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1358896' first='Andrew' last='Guthrie'] was the star of the show, throwing for 273 yards and four touchdowns.   He doesn't get the credit he deserves as a prospect, but that may start to change with his stellar junior season thus.    Senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='1864133' first='Jude' last='Anderson'] rushed for 150 yards on the ground, while wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1165789' first='Keona' last='Tam'] hauled in 10 receptions for 134 yards and two touchdowns.   Early on, Summit looks like the team to beat in 5A.   Once again, the Bend area proves it is one of the most under-appreciated, under-recruited regions in the Northwest.    6. Nelson 26, Lakeridge 21 — August 29   Entering the season, many speculated that the West Linn Lions and Lake Oswego Lakers were the teams to beat in Oregon at the 6A level.   But there were some, including myself, who considered it a potential three-team race for the “title favorite” spot - with the Lakeridge Pacers.   Lakeridge's roster is loaded with Division I talent, highlighted by running back [player_tooltip player_id='284119' first='Ansu' last='Sanoe'] (Washington) and edge-rusher [player_tooltip player_id='769915' first='Noah' last='Tishendorf'] (West Virginia), and has 35 seniors.   So, a Week 0 matchup with the Nelson Hawks was widely viewed as a likely tune-up.   Instead, Nelson pulled off a shocker.   The Hawks scored a trio of long touchdowns, then registered a pair of late-game defensive stops to earn the win.   For Nelson, the contest was also a breakout for 6-foot-3, 180-pound athlete [player_tooltip player_id='937176' first='Malachi' last='Garlington'].   The two-way standout has been one of the region's biggest risers in the past month, and should be considered a must-see player for all of the new Pac-12 programs.   Garlington is a potential star.

Oregon and Washington have already delivered some monster match-ups through the first few weeks of the season.