J425 4A Top Ten for October 13
The first in a series of weekly polls ranking the 4A football contenders
J425 Debuts 2023 4A Top Ten Poll
The Journal 425 released its first 4A ranking of the 2023 season today, listing the current top ten state title contenders in the 4A classification.
Input is solicited from a collection of coaches, athletic and administrative personnel, media, players, and J425 editorial staff.
Ranking criteria include recent history of play dating back to the previous season, win-loss record, strength of schedule, quality wins (wins over teams with winning records) and other subjective factors, including injuries.
The Lake Stevens Vikings hold the top spot on the strength of a resume that removes any rationale for ranking the current title holders anything other than #1...
Consider the following: The Vikings – the 4A state champion with a star junior QB who started the last two title games – are currently riding a seventeen-game winning streak versus Washington State opponents.
During the current winning streak, the Vikings have toppled their top opposition, besting second-ranked G-K by two touchdowns last November. The Viks have also defeated Bellevue, Eastlake, Glacier Peak, Gonzaga Prep and Federal Way twice during this unbeaten run. Other signature wins include Kennedy Catholic, O’Dea and Emerald Ridge. Stretching back a little further, the Vikings are 27-2 versus state opponents.
With respect to the current season, the Vikings have played the most difficult schedule in 4A, facing a mean opponent winning percentage of .639. The Vikings also possess the most quality wins in 4A – defined as wins against an opponent with a winning record.
The Viks have three such wins (Garfield, Bellevue, Eastlake) with two of those wins coming on the road.
Despite losing the best player in the program’s century-long history (Jayden Limar, left for Oregon Ducks), the Vikings are playing just as well as last season, on the strength of returning starters and developing stars like junior quarterback Kolton Matson, who is currently on pace to break former University of Georgia and Seattle Seahawk QB Jacob Eason’s single-season school passing marks.
To the uninitiated, it may seem like the Vikings run out a bunch of guys. For people used to judging a player’s value based on which 7v7 team he runs with or which training facility a player is affiliated with, the success of some of the Viking players may seem mystifying. Who the hell is that 6’3 WR/CB who is second in the state with ten TD catches already? What about that other wideout slash safety opposite him – that #2 guy? Where the hell did these guys come from?
Well, case in point with David Brown and Steven Lee – the two fastest 110m hurdlers in the State of Washington.
They finished 2-3 in the state meet as juniors and the gold medalist has graduated… so you’re looking at two incredibly explosive track athletes with verified, the fastest hurdlers in the state to be exact, speed and toughness personified. The Lake roster is peppered with performers like these, and Tom Tri’s machine hasn’t skipped a beat in Lake’s inaugural title defense. If anything, the battle for top seed at the WIAA playoffs is already on in earnest.
It’s worth noting that Lake has managed it’s impressive results despite losing star running back Jayshon Limar (eight high major offers) and captain Bryze Slezak – a three year starter at LT and DE – to injury. It is not known if and when these leaders will return. And while the Viks get points for winning at Eastlake down a few of their best players, missing players of this caliber during a playoff run is not something to brag about. The situation will be monitored in following editions of the J425 rankings.
Spots Two through Four — G-K, Skyview and Camas
Like Lake Stevens, #3 Camas also owns three wins against teams with winning records. Graham- Kapowsin, by comparison, has one win against an opp with a winning record - they defeated Curtis by a touchdown last week. However, the high level of play exhibited by QB Daveon Superales
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