Mustangs Seeking Respect -- At 12-0, Prosser Has Something To Prove Vs. O'dea

As the Prosser Mustangs began the fourth quarter of their state quarterfinal game against West Valley of Yakima, Prosser's side of the stadium began to disperse.

West Valley led Prosser 14-0 with a quarter remaining. And a great number of people, some of them loyal to Prosser, were willing to bet more on the traffic than the Mustangs.

Prosser went on to beat West Valley 21-14. But the exodus reflected a disconcerting perception the Mustangs are well aware of.

"Even last year at the Kingbowl (Prosser lost to O'Dea 21-14), nobody thought we would win," Prosser Coach Tom Moore said. "But they never quit.

"No doubt about it. There's a perception that the state begins and ends in King County."

Therein lies the Prosser complex, one the Mustangs hope to dispel Saturday when they play the top-ranked, undefeated and defending state champion O'Dea Fighting Irish.

Kingbowl XVI will be a rematch of last year's Class AA title game between O'Dea and Prosser, both 12-0.

The Irish own the state's longest current winning streak, 16 games. The Mustangs have lost only one game in two seasons, to O'Dea. The Irish and the Mustangs have been ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the state poll all season.

In last week's semifinals, Prosser beat third-ranked Tumwater 38-31 in what was perhaps Prosser's most validating victory in two seasons.

"They were fast, had big linemen and a good quarterback," Moore said. "Plus they were a triple-A sized school. It really helped our confidence to win that game."

All that remains is O'Dea. The two teams have identical records over the last two seasons and are only a ranking apart, but in some ways, worlds separate them.

The talk of the season has been O'Dea's talent. The Irish boast anywhere from three to six Division I prospects. Prosser has no big-time college prospects to speak of. Only one Prosser player, running back Randy Carter, was even given all-state consideration before the season started.

The Irish play in the state's largest city. Prosser, located in Eastern Washington's wine country, makes Yakima look like a metropolis. Geography is likely one reason the Irish are ranked fourth in a West Coast prep poll. Prosser was never considered.

The Mustangs have one starter who weighs more than 200 pounds. The Irish have 20.

Moore has no problem playing underdog to the Irish.

"They should be touted," he said. "They deserve being No. 1. They're well coached, they're disciplined, they have great players."

Prosser has a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Nick Shaw and Carter. Quarterback Neal Bybee has completed 123 of 212 passes for 1,827 yards and 17 touchdowns with only three interceptions. Receiver Jared Walker has caught 51 passes for 715 yards and eight touchdowns.

Eight defensive starters and five offensive starters return from last year's Kingbowl team. Talk of returning to Kingbowl started last summer when the team went to a summer football camp at Boise State University.

The core of seniors that make up this team have played together since age 10, when they played on a grade school team called the Grid Kids. They won their version of the "Super Bowl," 6-0, beating a team from Kennewick the year before they moved on to Housell Middle School.

The Mustangs have felt discounted at times. When Ballard of the Metro League visited Prosser two months ago, the Mustangs won 69-0. Ballard Coach Fred Sato left with some hard feelings, upset that Prosser was passing in the fourth quarter.

"When we played Ballard, we weren't just playing Ballard, we were playing everybody in that league," Moore said.

While in Seattle for last year's Kingbowl, the Mustangs felt somewhat maligned by the media, which Moore said portrayed his team as cocky, undisciplined and country bumpkins.

"At times it was just a blatant attack," Moore said. "To me discipline is something that happens when the ball is snapped."

Senior center Sam Korslund realizes his team has more to prove than O'Dea, which has been designated to win the state title since September. Prosser is not just representing the school, but its area code.

"If we do win, there will be more respect for East-side teams," Korslund said. "We're not concerned about who a bunch of people think is going to win."

Said Walker: "Last year, we were just shocked we were there. We were running all over the field. Now we've been there. We're not intimidated. I don't know what other people think, but our team has a good opinion of itself. That's all that matters."

-------------------------------------------------------- KINGBOWL XVI / Class AA

O'Dea vs. Prosser

-- WHAT - Class AA state football championship game.

-- WHERE/WHEN - Kingdome, Saturday, Dec. 5, 5 p.m.

-- NICKNAMES - O'Dea Fighting Irish; Prosser Mustangs.

-- COACHES - O'Dea, Monte Kohler, 11th season (66-11 record); Prosser, Tom Moore, seventh season (58-17 record).

. -- SEASONS:.

. O'Dea (12-0) Prosser (12-0). . . 37 Vancouver College 8 41 Eastmont 0. . 29 Garfield 2 55 Selah 0. . 41 Lakeside 6 52 Sunnyside 0. . 49 West Seattle 7 51 Grand View 7. . 42 Roosevelt 13 69 Ballard 0. . 34 Eastside Catholic 10 46 Hanford 14. . 42 Ballard 10 33 West Valley 14. . 28 Selah 7 46 Ellensburg 13. . 14 Franklin 0 77 Othello 0. . 28 Capital # 12 42 Hanford # 6. . 42 Kennedy # 27 21 West Valley # 14. . 45 Hazen # 10 38 Tumwater # 31.

# -playoff games.

-- PLAYOFF HISTORY - O'Dea beat Prosser 21-14 in Kingbowl XV to win the Class AA state championship. O'Dea has made the state playoffs nine times in the past 11 years. Prosser is 7-5 in the postseason (1-2 in Class A and 6-3 since moving to the Class AA ranks four years ago.)

-- O'DEA PLAYERS TO WATCH - The Irish have four players who can score from anywhere on the field. Quarterback James Jackson (5-10, 175, Sr.) will operate the option offense with what may be the best tailback tandem west of the Cascades. The running game has accounted for 2,932 yards of O'Dea's 3,419 total offense. Jovan McCoy has 882 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns and Kyle Patton has 923 yards and 14 TDs. McCoy is the fastest player on the team (4.45 seconds in the 40-yard dash) and last year Patton rushed for 120 yards in Kingbowl XV against Prosser. Receiver Charles Young has caught 18 passes for 490 yards and six TDs. Young averages 29 yards per reception. On defense, the Irish are led by defensive end Sekou Wiggs (6-5, 245 pound, Sr.) and linebacker Jayson Bass (6-3, 210 pound, Sr.) who average nine tackles a game. Cornerback Kyle Roberts (seven interceptions) leads an Irish secondary that has 23 interceptions. O'Dea's advantage is its speed and experience.

-- PROSSER PLAYERS TO WATCH - The Mustangs may have the most prolific backfield in the state with running backs Nick Shaw (1,194 yards rushing on 179 carries and 29 TDs and Randy Carter (1,124 yards rushing on 144 carries and 22 TDs). Shaw (5-10, 155, Sr.) leads the state in scoring (176 points) and Carter (5-10, 189, Sr.) averages nearly eight yards per carry. Prosser averages 236 yards rushing a game and has 5,126 total yards. Quarterback Neal Bybee (5-10, 180, Sr.) is a first-year starter and has completed 123 of 212 passes for 1,827 yards and 17 TDs. He didn't throw an interception in his first 10 games, but has thrown three in his last two games. Bybee favorite receiver is split end Jared Walker (6-1, 170, Sr.) who caught 51 passes for 715 yards and eight TDs. He averaged 14 yards a reception. Flanker Ryan McClure (also haulded in 15 passes for 198 yards. Carter added 284 yards receiving on 14 catches for the Mustangs. He also led the defense with five interceptions. Prosser recorded five shutouts this year due in large part to inside linebackers Robert Heard (5-11, 187, Sr.) and Adam Hale (5-11, 181, Sr.). Both players lead the team in tackles with 49 solos before last week's game against Tumwater.