Jackson knows Saxons

There will be no secrets when Ferris hosts Jackson of Mill Creek, Wash., on Saturday in the first round of the State 4A football playoffs.

“One of my best friends is an offensive coordinator (at Jackson),” Saxons coach Jim Sharkey said. “We were together six years from back in the early 1990s.”

Alex Barashkoff is listed as Jackson’s quarterbacks coach on a team that had a 9-1 record and 3-to-1 total offensive advantage over its WesCo League foes. He has a good idea of what the Saxons run.

Likewise, Sharkey has compared notes with Barashkoff over the years and is aware of what to expect when the Timberwolves roll into Albi Stadium for the 1 p.m. game.

“If we tried to lie to each other, we’d see right through each other,” Sharkey said. “I’m sure he’s helping their defense get ready for us and I’m helping our defensive staff prepare for them.”

While the Saxons are entertaining Jackson, Central Valley will be in Kennewick for a first-round contest against Columbia Basin Big Nine champion Southridge, also at 1 p.m. The winners will face each other a week later in the state quarterfinals.

•Sharkey said Jackson runs a lot of different sets. The Timberwolves, whose other state appearance was in 2003, somewhat mirror Ferris and its spread attack. But they are more like Boise State with unbalanced looks, shifting, motion and no huddle.

“It’s a lot to look at,” Sharkey said. “But we feel pretty good about being able to compete.”

Although considered a running team with a speed guy in Taylor Cox and power runner in Riley Carr, who’s also their defensive tackles leader, quarterback Andy Gay has completed two-thirds of his average 12 passes per game, about 35 percent of those to wide receiver Jordan Kellington.

“They are good on offense and I’m leery of getting into a shootout with them,” Sharkey said.

The Saxons have better size in the line, which should be advantageous. Their running game has been improving the last few weeks and has received a lift from senior Steven Horning, who has rushed for 193 yards the past two weeks.

“Early he was on defense more and missed three weeks with arthroscopic knee surgery,” Sharkey said. “Given the opportunity, he has done really well. He has pretty good vision, runs hard and has good strength.”

Middle linebacker Nate Tonani, out most of the season with an ankle injury, saw action in the win against Pasco and will play more this week, Sharkey said.

“We’re probably as healthy as we’ve been in a month,” he said.

•CV coach Rick Giampietri has been impressed with the size and athleticism of Southridge. Most of the lineup features 200-pound-and-heavier athletes, with a group of receivers/defensive backs that stand between 6-foot-3 and 6-5.

“We’ve got to contain that quarterback,” Giampietri said of the Suns’ Andrew Mendenhall. “He’s very quick and runs the ball very well.”

Southridge is another ground-first team that tends to methodically drive the football down the field behind Mendenhall and Cam Sanders. The Suns pose a problem for a secondary with their tall pass catchers, particularly Clayton Homme.

“We have to establish the run so we don’t have to throw every down,” Giampietri said. “If we do a 50-50 thing like last week (against Richland) it would be great.”

The Bears’ skill kids match well with Southridge, although the Suns have a size advantage in the line. Last week Giampietri’s grandson, Tyler Simmet, rushed for 121 yards and Blake Bledsoe passed for 225.

Injured defensive lineman Evander Cobbs remains day-to-day and is doubtful for this weekend, Giampietri said.

“We played them toe-to-toe in summer camp,” Giampietri said of Southridge. “The kids know they can play with them.”