Three must watch games in Week 1 of the high school football season

Staff writer Lauren Smith’s top three football games to see this weekend:

Both schools figure to be in the playoff hunt, and both have plenty of weapons on both sides of the ball. WR Easton Trakel is back in fine form for Tumwater — he scored 104 of the Thunderbirds’ 449 points last season. The Cougars are balanced offensively behind third-year QB Cody Jenkins. Two second-half touchdowns lifted the Thunderbirds to a 14-3 win in last season’s matchup. Capital kicker and UW commit, Van Soderberg, kicked a career-long 38-yard field goal to score the Cougars’ only points.

Following last season’s win, the Blazers will try to continue to inch closer to evening the series score — the Rams lead, 27-23. Mike Spears will coach his first Lacey Showdown at the head of the Timberline program in the 51st meeting of the two schools. Rocky Patchin enters his 24th season with North Thurston. Two offensive threats — Timberline wide receiver Chris Barnes and North Thurston running back Anthony Salazar — rushed for touchdowns in last season’s meeting. The Blazers won, 34-21.

The Bears will try to make it 2-0 in their series against the Saxons — Olympia won the first meeting of the two programs in last season’s opener, 20-13. Ferris graduated 19 seniors last season, and will bring its youngest team in coach Jim Sharkey’s nine seasons to Seattle. The Bears could have an edge in that respect, boasting a large senior class, and returning size and experience on both the offensive and defensive lines. Olympia made its only other appearance in the ECKC in 2004 when it beat Walla Walla, 20-13, at then-Qwest Field.

This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 7:34 PM with the headline "Three must watch games in Week 1 of the high school football season."