Inside the Huddle

Both Olympic and Central Kitsap pulled out key victories on the gridiron Oct. 23, with the Trojans clinching a postseason berth and the Cougars bolstering their playoff chances significantly.
The Trojans (5-3 overall, 4-3 league) used a late touchdown from Larry Dixon to escape North Kitsap on homecoming night with a 21-14 win, their third consecutive triumph. Oly is now locked into the No. 4 seed from the combined Olympic/Western Cascade League, meaning the team faces the No. 1 seed from the Greater St. Helens league in a state preliminary game Nov. 7 or 8. That team will be either Camas or Union, both of which are ranked in the Top 10 of the Associated Press state football poll. Camas and Union face each other Friday, the winner earning the No. 1 spot.
The road to state for CK, meanwhile, is yet to be determined. The Cougars (5-3 overall, 5-2 league), who cruised 30-0 past Stadium Oct. 23, close the regular season Thursday with a HUGE game at Wilson (6-2, 6-1). The winner of that game most likely will be the Narrows League No. 3 seed (Wilson could jump to No. 2 with a win and an Olympia loss). For CK, the difference between third and fourth or fifth in the Narrows League, which gets five postseason berths, is significant. The Narrows No. 3 seed receives a matchup against the Wesco North No. 2 team, currently Kamiak, in prelims, whereas both the Narrows No. 4 and 5 teams must face a No. 1 seed, needing a win to advance to the round of 16.