Grimmer, Harris Connect; Snohomish Clinches Berth

MARYSVILLE - Mark Grimmer and Morgan Harris like to say they have an "agreement" about football.

They combined to score 30 of the Panthers' 40 points as No. 10-ranked Snohomish clinched a state Class AAA playoff berth with a 40-14 victory over Marysville-Pilchuck last night at Quil Ceda Stadium.

"We have an agreement," said Grimmer, the Snohomish quarterback. "If I ever get in trouble, all he has to do is call my name and I'll look for him."

Neither was hard to find last night, except for the Marysville defense.

"Those two are like blood brothers," Snohomish Coach Dick Armstrong said. "They've been playing together so long that they know where each other are all the time."

The Tomahawks, spread out in an attempt to stop the Panthers' running game, left Grimmer open on the option all night, and Grimmer responded with big play after big play.

"I don't know what they were doing, but I was wide open and all I did was cut it back inside," Grimmer said.

Grimmer ran for 142 yards in the final three quarters, as the Panthers scored 33 straight points before the Tommies scored.

Grimmer and Harris combined on a 35-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Grimmer read the option inside and ran for 15 yards before being tackled by a Marysville defensive back. But just before he went down, he pitched the ball under his arm to a waiting Harris, who sprinted untouched the final 20 yards for the score.

Grimmer had scoring runs of 2 and 56 yards. Harris had touchdown runs of 3, 20 and 6 yards.

Snohomish had made 14 consecutive playoff appearances before that string was snapped in 1989. The Panthers will make their first trip to state in three seasons.

"We had that long string before that dry spell," Armstrong said. "Now I look around and all of those kids who had been to the playoffs are all graduated and these kids think it's something really special."

Snohomish (6-1, 8-1) has lost only to Western AAA Conference champion Cascade, and will play the No. 2 team from the KingCo next Friday.

That team will be determined by a playoff today.

-- CASCADE 63, OAK HARBOR 0 - Cascade prepped for its playoff game by using 12 rushers in the rout. Jerry Jensen gained 95 yards on just nine carries, scoring an a 46-yard run, and Mark Lehner went 3 for 4 for 56 yards and two touchdowns, as Cascade piled up 397 yards in total offense and held Oak Harbor to just 37 yards and three first downs. Cascade (7-0, 8-1) will play Kent-Meridian at Snohomish on Friday. Oak Harbor finished at 0-7, 2-7.

-- EVERETT 28, SHOREWOOD 7 - Jamie Sluys passed for two touchdowns and Jeremy Bennett kicked three field goals and two extra points for Everett. Sluys, who went 8 for 17 for 181 yards, hit James Madison from 35 yards out and Christopher Pulaski on a 32-yarder to help Everett finish at 3-4, 4-5. Bennett kicked two field goals from 19 yards out and one from 42. Shorewood finished 1-6, 3-6.

-- MARINER 33, EDMONDS-WOODWAY 6 - Shane Fortney passed for three touchdowns and Scott Fisher tallied twice to power Mariner. Fortney completed 6 of 16 passes for 90 yards, hitting Marcus Polk for an 18-yard TD play, Jerry Yoon for a 15-yard scoring play, and Fisher with a 24-yard touchdown pass. Fisher also scored on a 23-yard run. Scott Head, who gained 87 yards on 10 carries, scored on a 1-yard plunge. Mariner is 5-2, 7-2; Edmonds-Woodway 2-5, 4-5.

WesCo AA

-- SHORECREST 21, STANWOOD 0 - Travis Baker scored two touchdowns and passed for the third to lead Shorecrest (2-7) to its second straight victory in the nonleague game. Baker, who rushed for 119 yards, scored on runs of 3 and 15 yards. He connected with Mike McFarland on a 15-yard pass to complete the scoring. Stanwood, a member of the Northwest League, finished 3-6.