Another Crown For Redmond? -- Speedy Mustangs Favored To Win Football Division

Rik Haines is tired of hearing it.

The season hasn't started - not even a jamboree this year - and most football fortune tellers in the area already have the Redmond Mustangs in the state playoffs for the first time in school history.

"People see we have a quarterback and a tailback, and pick us as the favorite. That's completely obnoxious to me," said Haines, Redmond's second-year head coach. "We have a chance to be a good team, but we're not going to light up the world. We lost a lot of players. People don't see that."

What people see now is what most opponents will have difficulty seeing most of the season: a blur of team speed.

The Mustang stampede is led by senior quarterback Matt Banks (4.4-second 40-yard dash) and senior tailback Tom Jones (4.5 40).

"They have shown flashes of brilliance," said Haines, "but they have not done it for 48 minutes a game yet."

Their flashes came in a 6-3 season - tying Redmond's best ever - and have attracted recruiting attention for each from Notre Dame, Michigan and much of the Pac-10 Conference.

Naturally, that has helped attract the attention of most KingCo Conference football observers.

"That's idiotic," Haines said. "If people pick us to win it, they don't know football."

Idiotic as it might seem, the label of "preseason favorite" has stuck to the Mustangs.

The KingCo's Crown Division coaches gave Redmond a perfect "25" score in a preseason poll, with all five opponents picking Redmond first.

"I guess there's more pressure this year than last," Jones said. "But we're trying very hard to concentrate on each game."

If the Mustangs do as predicted, they will earn the lone Class AAA state playoff berth from the division - and the first in school history. Already, the school is buzzing for football like it never has.

In the last five years, Redmond has won two state boys basketball titles, a baseball title and a softball title - but claimed only a "loser" title in football.

"This is the first time people in our school are talking football," Jones said. "Usually, it's, `I can't wait for basketball season,' or, `I can't wait for baseball.'

"For the first time since I've been going to Redmond, they're talking about football. It's great."

It might be great, but the theme is "less filling." Lean and too fast to be seen.

Speed comes in all sizes on the Mustangs, in the forms of 5-foot-5 running back/receiver Geoff Hirai, 6-2 running back Jesse Travis and 5-10 junior receiver Michael Williams.

With the swift receiver corps, Redmond might get a chance to do this year what it wanted to do last year, pass effectively and frequently.

"We're still going to throw the ball," Haines said. "Last year everybody played us to pass, so we ran. We'd like to pass 30, 35 times a game and run 10, 15 or 20 times a game."

Don't feel sorry for Redmond if it's forced to run again. The Mustangs finished fifth in the league in rushing last year - running as a second option -with 1,363 yards, compared to 754 yards passing.

Jones led the team and finished seventh in KingCo with 603 yards rushing and an average of 5.7 yards per carry. Banks was eighth in the league in total offense with 991 yards (433 rushing, 558 passing).

"We know if we do what we're supposed to do, we have a chance to win," Haines said.

The only thing they're supposed to do is sweep through an otherwise wide-open division.

"I've been hearing that, but I think there's going to be a lot of good teams," Banks said. "I hear Juanita's going to be real good. I hear Lake Washington's going to be real tough. And Woodinville, too. I think it's going to be a tough road."

But the Mustangs, the seniors anyway, expect to get to the end of that road in first place. Nothing short of that can satisfy the hunger.

"Not for me, personally," Banks said. "That's what I'm shooting for and all the seniors are shooting for."

Jones: "We're aiming real high, I'll tell you that."

. KINGCO CROWN DIVISION POLL. . Predicted order of finish for 1992 KingCo Conference's Crown Division football race, based on survey of league coaches (coaches not allowed to vote for own teams; 5 points awarded for first-place vote, 4 points for second, etc.; first-place votes in parentheses):. .

1991 1991 Ballot.

league season pts. . . 1. Redmond (5) 3-2 6-3 25. . 2. Inglemoor 5-0 8-2-a 18. . 3. Woodinville 4-1 6-4-b 16. . 4. Juanita (1) 1-4 2-7 15. . 5. Lake Washington 2-3 5-4 10. . 6. Bothell 0-5 0-9 6. . a-Lost to Wilson 31-20 in state-playoff opener; b-Lost to Newport 28-7 in qualifier for state berth.

. HAINES - HIS WAY.

-- Since taking over as head football coach at Redmond High last season, Rik Haines guided the Mustangs to their first winning record in three seasons (6-3) - tying their best record ever - and has the rest of the Crown Division convinced his team is the favorite to win the 1992 division title. If it does, Redmond will earn the school's first state playoff berth. (the Mustangs have lost twice against cross-division KingCo opponents in qualifying games with state berths on the line). The Mustang trail since the state playoffs began:.

. . Year League Season Place. . 1991 3-2 6-3 Third / Crown. . 1990 1-4 2-7 Fourth / Crown. . 1989 4-1 4-6-a Second / Crown. . 1988 5-3 6-4-b Second / Crown. . 1987 5-3 5-4 Second / Crown. . 1986 5-4 5-4 Fourth / Crest. . 1985 6-3 6-3 Third / Crest. . 1984 4-5 4-5 Fourth / Crest. . 1983 0-8 1-8 Last / Crest. . 1982 1-7 1-8 Last / Crest. . 1981 1-7 1-8 Last / Crest. . 1980 2-6 2-7 Sixth / non-strike division. . 1979 2-6 3-6 T4th / Crest. . 1978 2-6 3-6 T4th / Crest. . 1977 4-4 5-4 Fourth / Crest. . 1976 2-6 3-6 Last / Division 5. . 1975 1-7 1-7 Last / Division 5. . 1973 1-3 6-4 T4th / Division 5. . . . a-Lost to Newport in qualifying round for state playoffs; b-Lost to Mercer Island in qualifying round for state playoffs.. Note: After 1988 only intra-division KingCo Conference games counted in league standings.

. KEY CROWN GAMES TO WATCH. (All games 7:30 p.m.). . Friday, Oct. 9 - Redmond at Juanita. . Friday, Oct. 16 - Juanita at Inglemoor. . Friday, Oct. 23 - Inglemoor at Redmond, Woodinville at Juanita. . Friday, Oct. 30 - Inglemoor at Woodinville, Redmond at Lake Washington. . Thursday, Nov. 5 - Redmond at Woodinville.