Prep football district playoff previews: Lindbergh at River Ridge and R.A. Long at Black Hills

The Olympian’s South Sound high school football playoff games to watch Saturday night:

7 p.m. Saturday, South Sound Stadium

Stakes: Winner is District 2/3 No. 1 seed and will host winner of North Kitsap (6-3) at Fife (6-3) in first round of Class 2A state playoffs. Loser is out.

The skinny: River Ridge’s undefeated record is about as perfect as it looks. Off to the best start in school history, the Hawks haven’t had a legitimate scare since Week 2, when they edged North Thurston late in the fourth quarter, 19-13. Seven of River Ridge’s wins this season have been by two or more scores. QB Kobe Key (75 of 121 passing, 1,143 yards, 18 TDs) is averaging 127 yards per game through the air, and has picked up another 260 yards on the ground. RB Tre’Vonne Dorfner (106 carries, 920 yards, 9 TDs) has averaged 230 yards rushing per game in only four appearances in place of Gustavo Diaz (elbow). The Eagles are fresh off a come-from-behind win at Bremerton earlier this week. QB Samuel Nehren tossed two TDs (34 and 26 yards) to Darrien Sawyer-Lamb in the fourth quarter to help seal the 28-17 district play-in win. Though, the Hawks’ defense has only allowed more than 28 points twice this season.

Olympian pick: River Ridge, 38-28

7 p.m. Saturday, Tumwater District Stadium

Stakes: Winner is District 4 No. 4 seed and will travel to winner of Lakewood (Arlington) (6-4) at Squalicum (9-0) in first round of Class 2A state playoffs. Loser is out.

The skinny: The Wolves are in position to make their first state-playoff appearance since 2009, carrying the best record in school history — Black Hills opened in 1997. The Wolves’ lone loss came to first-ranked Tumwater in Week 8, 42-14. It is the only game of the season Black Hills’ offense has put up less than 21 points — the Wolves average more than 36 per game. Backup QB Chase Morrow has thrown for five TDs — four last week against Centralia with a long of 77 yards to WR Mark Melendres — since taking over for Christian Williams who exited in the second quarter against Tumwater with a head injury. Black Hills coach Kirk Stevens said Williams is healthy and will start this week, though Morrow — who has been playing with an injured shoulder, not that it’s noticeable by the numbers he put up last week — could also take some reps at quarterback. The Lumberjacks enter this week having lost four of their past five — they were blanked by sixth-ranked Hockinson last week, 53-0. QB Owen Bertram (shoulder) and RB Gunnar Blix (shoulder) haven’t played since R.A. Long lost to Ridgefield, 24-21, in Week 5.

Olympian pick: Black Hills, 42-13

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 7:22 PM with the headline "Prep football district playoff previews: Lindbergh at River Ridge and R.A. Long at Black Hills."