As football season began last weekend in Portland there was a feeling of excitement amongst fans, parents and players. Not only was Skyline going into the season as the class 4A Washington State favorites, but never before had Skyline had such a well-publicized team. Senior wide receiver Gino Simone went into the season as arguably the states best receiver, racking up offers from The University of Washington, Washington State, Oregon State, Boise State and UNLV. Junior quarterback Jake Heaps had piled up 13 division one scholarship offers and is widely considered one of the top recruits from the class of 2010. Even sophomore wide receiver Kasen Williams had a couple of scholarship offers and a bit of national attention.

Yet, where the offensive skill positions looked nearly unstoppable Skyline still had many questions. The running game suffered the loss of 1,300 yard rusher Tyler Washburn and three starting offensive lineman, the defense lost six of it’s eleven starters and possibly worst of all, Skyline’s heralded head coach Steve Gervais had moved on as the running backs coach at the University of Washington. For even more woe, Skyline opened the season against Oregon powerhouse and 2007 6A state champions Sheldon of Eugene.

Well our questions were answered. While many were expecting a full out aerial assault to make up for the apparent loss of Skyline’s vaunted running game Skyline smashed Sheldon 21-0 by playing hard nosed, physical football. Senior running back Joey Evans emerged as Skyline’s number one back and a possible breakout star by running for 88 yards in the first three quarters before being replaced by Nick Washburn. Where there were worries on defense now there is only confidence. Skyline’s defensive line absolutely obliterated Sheldon’s celebrated o-line, consistently putting pressure on Sheldon’s QB. The linebackers, suffering the loss of Eric Beige and Riley Gervais, played fantastic and looked like they might be the fastest group of linebackers Skyline has ever had. Senior Jordan Weil truly stood out, as he was involved in every play and likely had 10 or so tackles to go along with his second half interception.

Finally the secondary, one of Skyline’s biggest question marks, appeared invincible. Sheldon receivers rarely got any separation as new cornerbacks Jon “The Showstopper” Davidson and William Chandler shut them down. The secondary also holds credit to a couple of interceptions including one returned 68 yards by sophomore safety Kasen Williams. All this, despite poor play from Skylines well-publicized passing game, gives many Skyline fans reason to believe they’ll have another championship trophy come December.

Here’s a preview of Skyline’s seven remaining regular season games as well as some end of the year award predictions.

Week Two: Ballard at Skyline

Skyline plays its first home game of the season against KingCo laughing stock Ballard. Last weekend Ballard opened the season against Liberty, a team Skyline beat 28-0 last season, and managed to lose by 36. Skyline should have little trouble and as they get their offense going after a disappointing showing in Portland the week before.

Skyline wins 56-7

Week Three: Lake Washington at Skyline

Skyline continues its home stand against another one of KingCo 4a’s weaker teams. In week one Lake Washington lost to Mercer Island 7-6. A team that could only put up six points against Mercer Island can’t expect to score at all against Skylines revitalized defense and the Skyline offense should have a big game.

Skyline wins 42-0

Week Four: Skyline at Newport

Skyline goes on the road to face Newport, a team they beat by 24 the season before and has lost several crucial starters. Where last years Newport team was a threat in the playoffs this years team should struggle to stay alive in the incredibly difficult KingCo 4a. Expect another big Skyline win.

Skyline wins 35-6

Week Five: Skyline at Garfield

Skyline finally gets its first true test of the regular season, not because Garfield fields a good team, but because they field Deandre Coleman, arguably the states best defensive player. Coleman alone should not be close to enough to making this a competitive game, but he should provide a challenge that frankly Skyline won’t have seen since the Sheldon game. Skyline still wins big, but expect the running game to struggle.

Skyline wins 42-10

Week Six: Eastlake at Skyline

The first playoff contender that Skyline will face during the regular season, Eastlake suffers the loss of three all-Washington players from last year’s team, but still returns one of the states top receivers and a very good defense. Eastlake is a consistent threat in KingCo 4a and should be again this year. The game stays close going into the second half, but Skyline pulls ahead in the second half.

Skyline wins: 35-14

Week Seven: Skyline vs. Issaquah (at Mount Si High School)

Although it’ll be a drag to drive for Mt. Si this should be one of the most anticipated games of 2008. Issaquah is the newly appointed number four team in Washington 4a and could climb even higher by week seven, as they should be undefeated by this point. They opened the season by beating last years state runner up in Bothell in a game that wasn’t really very close. They boast a powerful running game spearheaded by junior running back Grant Gellatly and one of the biggest most powerful offensive lines in the state. Their defense is also among the states best. There defensive line gets great pressure with Sean Stuby at the defensive end position and they have a very strong secondary lead by Grant Gellatly at safety and senior cornerback Ryan Tiernan. This should be Skyline’s closest game of the regular season and you can expect Issaquah to be fired up to take down their more publicized cross-town rivals.

Skyline wins: 24-17

Week Eight: Redmond at Skyline

This is Skyline’s final regular season game and could be played with the winner advancing to the KingCo championship game. Redmond started the season in the top ten before losing a close game to class 2a defending champions Prosser. They boast a very strong defense and a good offense lead by senior David Gilbertson, widely considered one of the states best quarterbacks. Skyline should still win this one fairly easily as Redmond is comparable to last year’s Woodinville team.

Skyline wins: 35-14

Breakout Player: Joey Evans
This is a very difficult choice as there are many viable options. Sophomore Kasen Williams looks to get his chance on both the offensive and defensive ends where he should excel. Junior Anthony Dematteo could be an all KingCo player at linebacker and seniors Jake Knecht and William Chandler look to have big years on both sides of the ball. But the breakout player reward should belong to none other than Joey Evans. Joey was one of Mt. Si’s prized possessions before leaving the school and transferring to Skyline. He sat out most of his junior year to academic issues and then played in JV for the remainder of the season before showing just how good he is against Sheldon to open the 2008 season. While Skyline is used to bruising backs such as Tyler Washburn, Brett Kalooza, and Tyler Pelluer, Joey brings a new element to the position. Although he still maintains the ability to be a power-back he has the breakaway ability that Tyler Washburn never possessed. Joey should rack up nearly a thousand yards rushing and numerous touchdowns as he helps keep the offense balanced and defenses from zoning in on the passing game.

Team M.V.P.: Gino Simone
This too is a difficult decision as Jake Heaps looks to have another tremendous season, but the offense depends on Simone and his versatility. There isn’t a better wide receiver in the state and even when he’s not at his best (Sheldon), he still finds a way to have a game changing play (87 yard touchdown run against Sheldon). Gino should finish out 2008 with grand fashion as he goes down as one of the best players not only in Skyline history, but in state history as well.

Defensive M.V.P.: Rob Tramonte
Although he sat out most of last year due to injury Rob has never really been behind the scenes, everyone has known that he is not only one of Skylines best defensive players, but also one of its best athletes. Rob is a true specimen as he has proven in local combines, running a 4.8 second 40-yard dash and benching 185 pounds nearly 30 times. Despite missing most of last year, he still managed to make his presence known in last year’s championship game, where he made constant pressure on the defensive line and big hits all over the field. If Kasen Williams was the offensive star that emerged last year in the finals, then Rob had the same impact on our defense.

If the regular season goes as predicted Skyline will advance to the KingCo championship where they will likely play and beat Bothell. Skyline advances to the playoffs as the top seed, but the playoffs are no given, as they will likely include teams such as Ferris, Issaquah and Auburn.