Pick 6: It’s down to three teams

I’ve gone in the tank.

Maybe I should first give credit where credit is due. Sam Adams has done something I haven’t done this year – he’s had back-to-back perfect weeks. Six and oh is sweet.

My once seemingly insurmountable six-game lead is down to one.

We have three teams still playing. So Pick 6 is Pick 3 this week.

Sam wants to win so he’s picking up a couple of upsets. Here’s the scoreboard: Lee 50-22 (.694), Adams 49-23 (.681).

ACH vs. Liberty Christian, Edgar Brown Stadium, Pasco, Saturday, 4

Lee: I’m convinced this game will be much closer than the 24-point victory Liberty Christian put up in the season opener between the teams at Coulee City. ACH coach Brandon Walsh puts up a good argument on why his team will play better. The Warriors have shored up their defensive deficiencies from the opener. They didn’t tackle well. To hold Touchet to 22 points last week was quite the feat. Remember, Touchet scored 50 points against No. 1-ranked LC earlier this month. There’s no doubt that the Patriots have the best eight-man player in the state in quarterback John Lesser. He’s set all sorts of career state records. This year alone he has more than 1,500 yards passing and 28 touchdowns to go with more than 3,100 yards rushing and 43 TDs. Mind boggling statistics. ACH’s version of Lesser is Dallas Isaak, who has a combined rushing/passing yardages of 2,991 yards and 57 TDs. In the first matchup between the teams, Lesser had 394 yards rushing and four TDs to go with 156 yards passing and three TDs. As much as I want to pick ACH, Lesser is more. LC, 54-42.

Adams: LC is in the midst of a run of going to the 1B championship game in two of the last three years, while ACH is looking to go back for the first time in four years. But standing in the Warriors’ way is Lesser, the career rushing leader in 1B Washington history. He has also scored more all-purpose touchdowns than any other small school player. Lesser is also championship-tested, having scored the game-winning touchdown as a freshman in the title game against Neah Bay. LC, 48-42.

Northwest Christian vs. Okanogan, Moses Lake, Saturday, 1

Lee: Seven of the Crusaders’ eight seniors were part of the first team that won one game as sophomores. For them, I hope they play as well as they can. This is a Cinderella-type story. It’s not about a longtime door mat program resurrecting from the depths, it’s about building a program that in year No. 3 is a win away from playing in a state championship game. NWC hasn’t advanced this far without athletes. And there’s reason to believe the Crusaders can give Okanogan all it can handle. NWC was driving inside of 4 minutes and fumbled at Lind-Ritzville/Sprague’s 2-yard line before the Broncos kicked a field goal to win 32-29. The Okanogan-LRS games were decided by a touchdown. But Okanogan is the defending state champ. And there’s something to be said about having been there and done that. LRS did the same thing just a few years back when it won back-to-back state titles. So I say all that to say this: The Crusaders will give a respectable accounting of themselves, but the Bulldogs will prevail. Okanogan, 35-25.

Adams: NWC has not lost a game since a heartbreaking finish against LRS. Amazingly enough, the Crusaders point total has somehow gone down each and every week, starting with 64 points versus Wilbur-Creston and dipping down to 33 in a 1-point win last week against Asotin. The trend will continue against Okanogan, but I believe they’ll still score one more point than the opposition to reach a first-ever 2B title game. NWC, 28-27.

Gonzaga Prep vs. Richland, Edgar Brown Stadium, Pasco, Saturday, 1

Lee: Can G-Prep beat Richland twice in the same season? Yes, but it won’t be easy. Both G-Prep and Richland had difficult quarterfinal games last week. Truthfully, Woodinville had G-Prep on its heels and Moses Lake had the Bombers on their heels. The strength of both teams is, without question, defense. In the first game, won by G-Prep 13-10, the Bombers’ lone touchdown came on an interception return. And the Bullpups blocked two field goals. Defense will be the difference. G-Prep 17-13.

Adams: G-Prep had to play from behind in a closer than expected quarterfinal, overcoming a 10-0 first quarter deficit to defeat Woodinville, 28-18. The Bullpups can ill afford a similar slow start against a smothering Bomber defense that stifled G-Prep in a 13-10 decision in week one. Both teams have improved exponentially since that season opener, but that giant chip on Richland’s shoulder may be too tough for the Bullpups to handle on Saturday. Richland, 17-16.