For the first time in two years, the W.F. West football team is truly hitting the road for the playoffs. And when the No. 11 Bearcats get to King County for their first-round matchup in Burien against No. 6 Highline, they might be a slightly different-looking side than they’ve put on film so far this season.
“Right now we’re not prepping anything we haven’t worked on over the course of the year,” WFW coach Dan Hill said. “(But) maybe some things that we’ve just practiced and put in the toolbox to pull out when we need it. We might do some of those things this game to kind of have a plan where they haven’t seen something we’re able to do and catch them off-guard a bit.”
On defense, Hill said, that might be a different look in terms of coverage or pressure packages. But on the offensive side of the ball, it could well be a repeat in of a metamorphosis the Bearcats underwent last season.
In 2022, after a season of running behind an offensive line featuring multiple standouts now play in college, W.F. West let its athletes shine in the postseason, trading in the power run game for a spread attack of screens and wide plays. In the Bearcats’ quarterfinal win over Sedro-Woolley, tailback Tucker Land only ran the ball four times, but caught eight swing screens to rack up 77 receiving yards, nearly all of which came in the second half with W.F. West trying to run clock and hold a lead.
“That’s a common thing in playoff football — the further you get, the harder it gets,” Hill said. “That’s the way it’s supposed to be. Part of that is because the other team has a really good defense that can stop the run, and if you run into the teeth of the defense and they’re pretty darn good, it makes for pretty hard sledding.”
This time around, the Bearcats may be getting into that mode earlier. Last week in their 35-14 crossover win over Hudson’s Bay, Declan McDonald only needed to catch two balls out of the backfield to rack up 98 receiving yards, including a 72-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
“That’s been great to see,” Hill said of McDonald. “He’s worked so hard over his career to become a better receiver from the running back role. In the offseason, that’s really what he spent a lot of his own time on, catching the ball and route-running. It’s great to see all his hard work pay off and come to light on the field on Fridays.”
The senior did also finish with a team-high 80 rushing yards, 70 of which came on one third-quarter scamper to the house.
Of course, the Bearcats still have Land as well, who’s moved between the backfield and slot as McDonald has come into his own as more of a workhorse tailback and caught three touchdowns in the past four games.
“It was just about us getting our best 11 on the field,” Hill said. “Declan’s one of our best 11, and he and Tucker both need to be on the field at the same time. Asking Tucker to go out to receiver, he was very open to it. He’s a great teammate and a selfless cat.”
W.F. West will need both of their options in the backfield — and Gage Brumfield at quarterback, and all of their weapons on the outside — clicking all night long Friday. Highline’s defense has allowed just 90 points all season, and 45 of those came against 4A No. 10 Kennedy Catholic. The Pirates just beat Steilacoom 42-16 in their own district crossover, ending a streak six straight games in which the defense had held opponents to single-digits.
“They’re all pretty much seniors this year that have been starting the past two, three seasons now,” Hill said. “It’s kind of their year, their ride, and they play like it.”
