TOLEDO — For Mike Christensen, it’s a full circle moment.
He was a freshman at Toledo High School in 1996, the last time the football team was dominant enough to play deep into November. That roster went 12-2, beat Meridian in the Class 1A semifinals to play in the state title game for the first time ever.
Fast forward 29 years later, Christensen is on the sidelines at his alma mater and back in an all too familiar spot.
When top-seeded Toledo and third-seeded Tri-Cities Prep clash helmets at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning inside Husky Stadium on the University of Washington campus, it will be the culmination of Christensen getting this program four quarters away from its first ever state championship for the second time in his life.
“That is one thing that motivates me to get back and win one for Toledo,” Christensen said. “The way the program is built is you look up to those guys. I’ve wanted to (win) that championship for them.”
It’s the third straight meeting between the two programs in the state playoffs. Two years ago, the Riverhawks upended the Jaguars 21-12 in the Round of 12. Then last fall, it was TCP that put together a goal-line score in the final seconds to triumph 13-10.
Redemption and revenge are at the forefront of Toledo’s mind.
“It comes down to the motivation,” senior offensive lineman Alex Vasquez said. “I know it is going to be a hard fight.”
The comparisons between the 1996 and 2025 squads are more than meets the eye.
Just like how the Riverhawks felt the Wenatchee camp was the jumping point into their undefeated season, Marc Neimeyer recalled when they went to Linfield for a camp that spurred them to a one-loss regular season.
That team featured three all-state players by season’s end.
“Coming into the season, we had so many juniors and seniors. Bought into the weight room,” Neimeyer said. “We knew we were going to be good, just not sure how good.”
While Neimeyer admits the current Toledo offense has “so many weapons,” and the ‘96 unit was run-first, the two defenses aren’t far off. The ‘96 team allowed just over 4,000 total yards and with its recent stretch of dominance in the playoffs, the ‘25 team is showcasing how lethal it can be.
In the last two victories over Napavine and Okanogan, the Riverhawks’ secondary has hauled in five interceptions. And they’ve allowed under 275 yards of total offense each contest. Slow starts have hampered early cushions in both games.
“It is all mental,” junior Austin Reed said.
Christensen has brought up what transpired in 1996, when the magical season came to an abrupt halt in losing to powerhouse Royal 70-0 — which remains the biggest margin of victory in a state title game.
Still, it’s hard to ignore what that season meant to the program and community.
“Any good team has to have the brotherhood,” Christensen said. “There was a lot (of buzz) back then. This year, I don’t think a lot of people around were expecting us to be in this position outside of our team. We’re feeling it now; a lot of people are excited.
“Now looking back, the whole town was invested and I’m starting to see that now.”
Neimeyer, a former coach and teacher at Wahkiakum, is more than thrilled that Christensen is the one leading the Riverhawks into Montlake on Saturday.
He said there was a group text that started just before kickoff of the semifinals. While he won’t make the trek on Saturday, he does expect plenty of former players to see their alma mater one step away from glory.
Something he knows all too well.
“When your teams are really good, you have the majority of the community turning the lights off and heading to the games,” Neimeyer stated. “A lot of pride in a small town.”
It’s a much different TCP offense this time around. It has shifted from a spread to a run-first attack behind running back Jacob Sherfey, plus skill guys Aiden McCabe and Jameson Elliott. Jarrett Garza is the quarterback for the Jaguars.
The Jaguars have blown out everyone in their path to their first state title game in 16 years. Before the semifinal triumph over Adna, their closest win was 22 points over 2A Grandview.
“We got to keep a level head, come into the game knowing we can win,” Reed said. “We got to punch them in their mouth first.”
From Week 1 until the semis, Toledo has won every game by double digits and through slow starts, it hasn’t mattered. Now, it’s 48 minutes away from making school history and creating a legacy for a town itching for it.
The senior class, one with a plethora of starters on both sides of the ball, have a chance for a storybook ending.
“I knew we were going to go pretty far,” Vasquez said. “This means everything to me.”
Class 2B State Championship: No. 1 Toledo (13-0) vs. No. 3 Tri-Cities Prep (13-0)
When: Saturday, Dec. 6
Where: Husky Stadium, Seattle
Time: 11 a.m.
Road to Husky Stadium: Toledo triumphed in the C2BL East division, beat Forks in a crossover to earn the No. 1 seed, then ripped off victories over Columbia Burbank 45-14 in the Round of 16, shut out Napavine 42-0 in the quarters and stymied Okanogan 24-8 in the semis. Tri-Cities Prep claimed the EWAC East title, silenced Granger in the crossover to snare the No. 3 seed, then proceeded to dominate PWV in the first round, whipped Liberty Bell in the quarters and triumphed over Adna in the semis.
State Championship history: Toledo is playing in its second ever state title game and first in Class 2B. It lost 70-0 to Royal in Class 1A back in 1996. Tri-Cities Prep won the Class 1B state title in 2009 and hasn’t been back to the finals since.
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Toledo players to watch: Eli Weeks, sr., QB/DB; Carter Swofford, sr., RB/LB; Adam Kruger, sr., WR/DB; Alex Vasquez, sr., OL/DL
Tri-Cities Prep players to watch: Jarrett Garza, sr., QB; Jameson Elliott, sr., RB/WR; Karter Gadish, sr., LB; Jacob Sherfey, sr., RB
On the sidelines: The Riverhawks and Jaguars meet in the 2B state tournament for the third consecutive postseason, but this one is the biggest. In 2023 and 2024, the two sides met in the first round. Toledo has never won a state title in football and is seeking a perfect season where all victories are by double figures. Eli Weeks is close to both 100 completions and 100 rushes in his final game for the Riverhawks. Senior-laden TCP has beaten a handful of playoff teams in its run to an unblemished mark. The Jaguars took advantage of big plays to advance to the title game. Aiden McCabe is nearing 1,000 total yards of offense for Tri-Cities Prep.
