What started as four Issaquah and Sammamish area football teams in the state playoffs is down to one. Here’s a quick glance at Skyline’s state semifinal matchup with Woodinville this Saturday.
Skyline (9-3) vs. Woodinville (12-0)
Kickoff: 1 p.m., Saturday at the Tacoma Dome
At stake: Winner advances to the 4A state championship game, Dec. 3, against Lake Stevens or Skyview.
Breakdown: One side, Skyline, has one of the most explosive offenses in the state. The other, Woodinville, has one of the most stout defenses out there. Something has to break Saturday. The Spartans are on fire since there Oct. 21 loss to Eastlake, averaging more than 45 points in the last four games. Quarterback Max Browne has completed 70 percent of his passes this season for 3,522 yards, 41 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He’s spread the ball around, too. Six different receivers have more than 300 yards. Taggart Krueger leads the group with 51 catches for 728 yards. The Falcons defense has been stingy all season, allowing just over seven points per game. Wayne Maxwell’s squad will be truly tested this week as Skyline enters its element — the Tacoma Dome — on fire. Defensive lineman Sawyer Whalen presents a challenge for the Spartans’ offensive line, but the question remains, can Woodinville slow Skyline’s fast-pace, no-huddle spread attack with no weather elements? This will mark the seventh time in the last eight years the Spartans have made the semifinals. They’ve advanced to the state title game on all six of those previous occasions.