Greater St. Helens League Football

The Mark Morris Monarchs carried the GSHL flag high for the past month, winning 3 post season games before getting knocked off Saturday by #1 ranked Archbishop Murphy.

This is now the 2nd season in a row in which there will not be a GSHL team playing at the Tacoma Dome for a state championship.

However, there is still one former member of the GSHL who will be.

The Tumwater T-Birds defeated East Valley of Spokane 63-27 Monday in the 2A Semifinals, and will face the same Archbishop Murphy team who ended the Monarchs season.

Tumwater was a member of the AAA GSHL from 1993-1996.

During those 4 seasons, the Thunderbirds went 34-0 and won 4 league championships and 1 state championship in 1993.

Tumwater will be playing their first state title game in the Tacoma Dome. Their 4 other finals appearances were all in the old Kingdome (1987, 1989, 1990, 1993)

NOTE: Tumwater had a non-league game on Nov 6th, however we do not know the opponent or score.

Mark Morris Sr. RB Dan Feeney (#32) is the 2010 GSHL 2A Coaches Offensive player of the year. Mark Morris Sr. DE Zach Tackwell (#44) is the 2010 GSHL 2A Coaches Defensive player of the year. Photos by John Hamlik

The 2010 Greater St. Helens League 2A Football Coaches All-League selections were announced. League champs Mark Morris led the way with 17 overall selections. Mark Morris had 10 first team players and 7 second team players. They also had the Offensive Player of the Year in RB Dan Feeney and Defensive Player of the Year in DE Zach Tackwell. R.A. Long had the most first team picks with 11 and also had 2 second team and 2 honorable mention picks. Hockinson was next with 10 players selected, including 4 first team selections, followed by Washougal’s 9, and Woodland’s 6. Mark Morris coach Shawn Perkins was voted coach of the year. His Monarchs finished the regular season 6-3 and 4-0 in league play, winning their second straight 2A GSHL championship, then winning 3 playoff games and advancing to the 2A Semifinals in the Tacoma Dome.

Jeremy Wolf of Mark Morris was voted both as a first team Defensive Back and first team Kick Returner this season.

There were also several players who made the Coaches 2A All-League team in 2009 as well.

Dan Feeney of Mark Morris was first team Linebacker in 2009 and voted Offensive Player of the Year this season
Jerry Graham of R.A. Long was also first team Linebacker in 2009
Tanner Chamberlain of R.A. Long was also first team Defensive Back in 2009
Nick Fuller of Woodland was also first team Wide Receiver in 2009
Jeremy Wolf of Mark Morris was voted first team Running Back and second team Punt Returner in 2009 and first team Defensive Back and Kick Returner this seaons
Hayden Kytola of Hockinson was first team Linebacker in 2009 and second team Linebacker this season
Julio Barrera of R.A. Long was voted second team Offensive Line in 2009 and first team Offensive Line this season
Torey Dunn of Hockinson was voted second team Linebacker in 2009 and first team Linebacker this season
Willie Davis of Woodland was voted second team Defensive Back in 2009 and again this season
Dalton Thacker of Mark Morris was voted second team Defensive Back in 2009 and first team Defensive Back this season
Austin Wegdahl of R.A. Long was voted second team Defensive Back in 2009 and first team Quarterback this season

Mark Morris Senior RB Dan Feeney was voted Offensive Player of the Year while Defensive Player of the Year  was given to Mark Morris Senior DE Zach Tackwell.

There are not a lot of times when one can look at a 42-18 final and say, ‘wow, that’s pretty impressive’, when talking about the losing team.

Saturday afternoon at the Tacoma Dome, the Mark Morris Monarchs can do just that.

The Monarchs did a few things Saturday that no other team has done all season when playing the top ranked Wildcats.

One, Mark Morris took the opening drive 80 yards in 12 plays eating up 6:55 and scored a touchdown to jump ahead 6-0. Only two other schools had even held a lead on Archbishop Murphy all season. 3A Kennedy led 7-6 before losing 45-28, and Lakewood did go up 6-0 after a quick strike 65 yard touchdown pass just 23 seconds into the game, Murphy then led 35-14 in the 4th before winning 35-28.

Two, Mark Morris then ran back an interception 78 yards for another touchdown and took a 12-0 lead. No other team had ever led by more than 6 points all season.

Three, Mark Morris led after 1 quarter 12-0. No other team led after 1 quarter of play vs the Wildcats this season. Only W.F. West had a  tie score, 7-7, after 1. Archbishop Murphy’s average score after 1 quarter through their first 12 games had been 17.3-2.4. Only 4 other teams had even scored a touchdown in the opening quarter.

Four, Mark Morris held Archbishop Murphy to 0 points after 1 quarter. The Wildcats had never been held without a score in the opening quarter, having scored an average of 17+ pts through their first 12 games. 5 times they scored 21+ including 35 in last weeks 58-13 win over Interlake.

Unfortunately for Mark Morris, there was still 3 more quarters of football to play.

Over the next 36 minutes Archbishop Murphy looked all of the #1 ranked team in the state, putting up 14 points in each of the next 3 quarters, and leading 42-12 before the Monarchs scored on the final play of the game.

The Wildcats were just flat out too fast, and too sharp for Mark Morris.

After the opening drive, in which QB Seth Pedersen hit Zach Tackwell on a 38 yard touchdown pass on 4th and 10, the Monarchs struggled just to get first downs.

It’s not like the Monarchs played a bad game, or looked sloppy on offense. Many times a Mark Morris play appeared to be well on it’s way to a 20+ yard gain, only to have 2, sometimes even 4-5 Wildcat defenders fly in and stop the play for little or no gain, sometimes even 5+ yard losses.

It did not help that after taking their 12-0 lead, the Monarchs threw interceptions on their next 2 offensive possessions.

The Wildcats had 3 RB’s rush for 80+ yards and ran for 410 yards as a team compared to just 88 for the Monarchs.

Jeremy Wolf did provide the 2 other bright spots for Mark Morris. Wolf ran back the interception 78 yards for the touchdown in the 1st quarter, and scored on a 7 yard run, diving to the pylon, as the clock expired in the 4th quarter.

With the loss Mark Morris falls to 9-4 on the season and finished tied for 3rd in state at the 2A level with East Valley of Spokane. The Monarchs season is over.

Experts Picks

Bryan – Archbishop Murphy √
Mike – Archbishop Murphy √
Cody – Archbishop Murphy √

Monday

CLASS 4A

Ferris 14 Bellarmine Prep 10 FINAL

Mark Morris put up quite a fight at the Tacoma Dome Saturday.

The Monarchs became the first team this season to score before #1 ranked Archbishop Murphy, and only the 3rd team all season to take a lead on the Wildcats.

On the games opening drive, Mark Morris went 80 yards in 12 plays taking up 6:55 seconds and jumped out to the early 6-0 lead when QB Seth Pedersen threw a 38 yard strike to  Zack Tackwell. When it looked as though Archbishop Murphy was going to drive the field themselves and answer the Monarchs, Jeremy Wolf stepped in front of a Austin VanderWel pass at the 20 and took it 80 yards to the house for a quick 12-0 lead. Ryan Littlefield had a huge block, planting a Wildcat player on his but, to help spring Wolf.

A full game recap will be up late tonight, with full game highlights Sunday evening.

WIAA Semifinals Football Playoffs

Camas Papermakers QB Logan Grindy has a very nice highlight video on Youtube. I have embedded the videos below. Please note, this video was not produced by www.gshlfootball.com but by Logan Grindy.

Skyview Storm K/P Nick Phillips has a very nice highlight video on Vimeo. Nick has video of his punts, kick offs and field goals. Please note, this video was not produced by www.gshlfootball.com but by Nick Phillips.

If you are aware of any other GSHL players who have highlight videos on vimeo, please let us know and we will showcase them here as well.

Punts

Kick offs

Field goals

Camas Papermakers WR/DB Brent Hill has a very nice highlight video on Youtube. It is very good footage, however there is no audio. I have embedded the videos below. Please note, this video was not produced by www.gshlfootball.com but by Brent Hill.

Okay, so we are a bit slow on reporting this news. Our apologies.

The Seattle Seahawks and Sterling Savings Bank name 2 high school football coaches in Washington each week of the regular season.

Following their 24-13 win over Kelso in week 9, Camas head coach Jon Eagle was selected as the week 9 “NFL High School Coaches of the Week.”

Skyview head coach Steve Keizer won the award the very next week when his Storm defeated Todd Beamer 42-33 giving him the week 10 “NFL High School Coaches of the Week.”

Each coach will receive a $500 cash donation for their football program from the Seattle Seahawks and a $225 Sports Authority gift card and custom replica jersey from Sterling Savings Bank.

Following the season, one coach will receive the Jim Ennis Award for High School Coach of the Year. The 2010 NFL High School Coach of the Year for Washington State and will receive a $2,000 cash grant.

A couple of former Greater St. Helens League head football coaches also won the award this year.

Former Camas (1983-1985) and Columbia River (1986-1993) head coach, Gordon Elliott won the award in week 1 when his Auburn Trojans defeated Kentridge 28-14.

Former Woodland (1999-2002) and Battle Ground (2003-2005) head coach, Jim Sharkey won the award in week 6 when his Ferris Saxons defeated Mt. Spokand 35-14.

Complete list of 2010 award winners

SEAHAWK COACH OF THE WEEK
Coach of the Week 2010/2011

9/3/2010
Gordy Elliott ,Auburn High School
Eric Wiker Sequim High School

9/10/2010
Aaron Maul Blachet High School
Dan Teeter, Lakewood High School

9/17/2010
Rick Clark, Davis High School
Phil Zukowski, Cashmere High School

9/24/2010
Matt Hinkle, Shelton High School
Tom Sanchez South Bend High School

10/1/2010
Scott Beglin Kamiakin High School John Lambert
John Lambert LaCenter High School

10/8/2010
Jim Sharkey, Ferris High School
Mike Morgan, Colfax High School

10/15/2010
John Ondriezek, Mariner High School
Bill Evans, Anacortes High School

10/22/2010
Bill Beattie, Olympia High School
Ron Rood, Concrete High School

10/29/2020
Jon Eagle, Camas High School
Randy Cornwell, Colville High School

11/5/2010
Steve Kizer, Skyview High School
Tom Wahl, Port Angeles High School