The final score in the Vashon - Cedar Park Christian football game last Friday.

The Pirates took care of business last Friday, defeating Cedar Park Christian 59-6. Now comes the biggest game in recent Vashon football history.

On Wednesday the Pirates, 5-1 in Nisqually League, take on the Cougars of Cascade Christian, 6-0. The winner is the number one seed to State playoffs. If Vashon wins Cascade is number two. If the Cougars win the Pirates will likely be tied for second with Orting and Port Townsend, necessitating a mini-playoff for second and third seeds.

Quinn Holert reaches for the goal line on the way to one of his four touchdowns.

The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Sunset Chevrolet Stadium in Sumner, the Cougars’ usual home field, but could be moved to another stadium due to scheduling conflicts the final week of the regular season.

Games with playoff implications are often moved up to allow time for tie-breaker mini-playoffs before the full playoffs begin.

On Friday the Pirates got off to a slow start against the sixth-place Eagles. Vashon finally got a field goal from Nick Fox-Edele as the first quarter ended, then the flood gates opened.

Quinn Holert got four touchdowns, Nathan Betz had two and third-string quarterback Dan Lofland ran for two TDs in the fourth quarter. Fox-Edele kicked all eight extra points.

Pirate fans have a choice on Wednesday: follow the girls soccer team to their Tri-District playoff game or follow the football team to Cascade Christian. Check the VHS Web site for the locations of the games.

Nick Fox-Edele, 4, was perfect on Friday, kicking a field goal and eight extra points. Kyle York is the holder.

Olivia Andrus, 21, tangles with a Charles Wright player.

WARNING: People with a pre-existing heart condition or stress issues should consult a health care professional before watching Vashon Pirate girls soccer playoff games.

The Pirates have played two playoff games and won both 2-1 via the shootout.

On Saturday the Pirates went to neutral Orting Stadium to meet the Charles Wright Tarriers for the third time this season, the second time this week. The Tarriers won the first 4-2 in overtime. The Pirates won the second 4-0 on senior night, with the Tarriers missing some of their starters to the flu.

Saturday’s game was not only for bragging rights, very important in this intense rivalry, but for seeding to the Tri-District Tournament.

The Tarriers drew first blood when Valerie Rutan  beat Pirate keeper Sophie Nespor in the 10th minute.

Teal Sigler, a premier teammate of Tarrier keeper Natalie Powell, beat Powell after taking a feed from Carlyle Scott, making the score 1-1 at the end of the first half.

The tie held through the second half, thanks to Nespor’s save of a Tarrier penalty kick, and through two 5-minute sudden-death overtime periods, sending the game to the shootout.

In the shootout both teams converted their first three kicks. Vashon made kick number four while the Tarrier kicker missed.

Powell saved the Pirates’ fifth kick, leaving Vashon a 4-3 lead and Charles Wright with one more chance. The kick was on frame toward the top to Nespor’s right.

Nespor made a leap, getting both hands on the ball and knocking it away from the goal and the Pirates had won their second consecutive shootout.

Vashon the number three seed to Tri-District, plays the District 1 number two seed Wednesday at a District 1 site. The opponent has not been posted as of this writing.

Charles Wright plays Overlake at a District 2 site. If both Pirates and Tarriers win Wednesday, they meet again on Friday with the winner getting a state berth and the loser having to win on Saturday for the last state slot.

Wednesday’s games are loser out.

Vashon's starting defensive line kept Charles Wright frustrated for most of the game. From left, in green, are Anna Jones, Brooke Pringle, Kaija Reinelt and Katie Chale.

The Pirates sailed into Port Townsend last night and returned home with a 2-1 shoot out victory over the Redskins in an epic battle. The shoot out finish was only appropriate after the back and forth soccer game.

Vashon struck first when Teal Sigler took a feed from Cat Amick and found the back of the net in the seventh minute. Port Townsend did not even it up until the 77th minute when Khloe Frank converted a penalty kick.

Pirate goalkeeper Sophie Nespor was an overwhelming choice for player of the match with an amazing display of leaping and diving saves to shut down the relentless Redskin attack.

Regular time ended in a 1-1 tie. After two scoreless five-minute overtime periods the game went to the shoot out. Five players for each team alternate taking kicks from the penalty kick mark. If the teams are still tied the shoot out continues until one team misses and the other scores.

Vashon won 6-5 after each team took seven shots.

Vashon defender Katie Chale left the game with an injured arm in the 14th minute but returned early in the second half and eventually made the deciding kick in the shoot out.

Vashon went first. Port Townsend keeper Caroline Dowdle saved Brooke Pringle’s shot. Frank converted for the Redskins. Sigler made it for Vashon, Jennifer Grausberger for PT. Lena deGuzman hit for Vashon then Nespor saved Redskin Irina Lyons’ shot to even the count.

Amick, Carlyle Scott and Kaija Reinelt converted for Vashon and Brynne Gambill, Elena Akina and Dowdle made it for the Redskins.

Chale’s seventh-round shot hit the top bar and bounced to the ground and the assistant referee signaled that the entire ball had crossed the entire line for the goal. When PT’s Audrey McHugh shot just over the bar Vashon had the win.

The Pirates advance to the West Central District tourney with a 2 p.m. game Saturday at Orting Stadium. Vashon, the number four seed, plays Charles Wright, number three seed, for third and fourth seeds to regionals. Seattle Christian and Orting play at 4 p.m. for the first and second seeds to regionals.

While the boys and girls of the Pirate cross country teams prepare for the Westside Classic Meet (the state qualifier) at American Lake on Saturday, coach Laura Johnson sent some photos from the last two weeks.

Vashon's Ramsey Walker plays violin in the impromptu anthem band at the Nisqually League Championships.

Ramsey Walker played the violin in the impromptu band that played the Star Spangled Banner to open the Nisqually League Cross Country Meet at Spanaway Lake Oct. 22.

“He did not have his trombone, but offered to play the violin, as the Steilacoom coach’s wife (baritone player in picture) had a spare in her car. It was a wonderful touch, and Howard from Fife (AD there) said that next year he wants to try and get one player from each of the attending schools to be in the anthem band. Great idea!!” wrote Johnson.

Maddi Groen, Vashon’s only middle school runner, placed fourth of 29 girls in the annual middle school championships at Lincoln Park in West Seattle. Groen posted a time of 9:53.58 on the 1.5 mile course, a 6:36/mile pace.

Maddi Groen at the start of the middle school championship race.

Four of the high school girls went along to support Maddi and have fun with the five-mile relay hosted by Foster High School. American Studies homework kept the rest of the Pirate girls back on the VHS campus.

On Saturday the girls run at 11 a.m., the boys at 12:30 p.m. Vashon should have a few individual state qualifiers and both boys and girls teams could qualify with maximum effort and a little bit of luck.

We finally got the volleyball picture in focus. The Pirates play at Cascade Christian at 5:15 p.m. today, a makeup for the game that was postponed two weeks ago when the lights went out at the Puyallup school.

If  the Pirates beat the Cougars they then play Orting at 7 p.m., at Cascade, to decide who goes to Port Townsend tomorrow for the pigtail into sub-districts.

Good luck to the Pirates.

Pirate seniors, from left, Anna Jones, Kaija Reinelt,Teal Sigler, Sophie Nespor, Alissa Kimbrough, Katie Chale, coach Paul Beytebiere, Adria Englehard, Micaela Beytebiere, Chloe O'Neill, Brooke Pringle and Bailey Protzellor. Inset, Kiki Means, injured but there on the sidelines.

Victory is always sweet. Victory in the final home game of your senior season is sweeter. Victory over Charles Wright is as good as it gets.

Last night the Vashon High School girls soccer team defeated Charles Wright 4-0. Coach Paul Beytebiere played an all-senior lineup the entire first half and the final 10 minutes. And the 11 seniors got the job done.

Teal Sigler got the first goal unassisted in the 14th minute and the score stayed 1-0 for the first half.

Beytebiere inserted some underclassmen to start the second half, but it was the seniors who got the second goal in the 48th minute. Reversing the usual pattern, Carlyle Scott put the ball in the net with Sigler getting the assist.

Sophomore Cat Amick and Freshman Lena deGuzman teamed up for goals in the 55th and 69th minutes. Amick got both goals and deGuzman the assists.

Pirate seniors, in white, Anna Jones, left, and Adria Englehard, 18, along with a Tarrier defender and the goalkeeper, watch an incoming corner kick.

Goalkeeper Sophie Nespor and the Pirate defense completely shut down the Tarrier attack for the third shutout of the season.

The win made up for an overtime loss at Charles Wright Oct. 3.

To be fair, it must be noted that the Tarriers were playing without their all-star goalkeeper, a premier league teammate of Pirate Teal Sigler. Charles Wright coaches reported that 25 percent of their student body was absent with flu symptoms and the JV game was canceled, ended the season prematurely for Vashon’s JV, several of whom stayed to cheer their varsity teammates.

Vashon enters the playoffs tomorrow, Oct. 29, with a pigtail game at Port Townsend. The winner of that game continues with a game Saturday, the loser is done for the season.

Tomorrow’s game is at 5 p.m. at Jefferson County Memorial Stadium in downtown Port Townsend. Note the correct time is 5 p.m. Earlier schedules had showed an earlier kickoff.

The Pirates celebrate victory at home, the last time for the 12 seniors on the team.

Football: After last Friday’s 34-14 win, Steve Edele wonders when was the last time Vashon beat Orting on the football field. I’m not sure if it was the last time, but Vashon won at Orting in 1994.

Caleb Smith was a senior and my son, Andrew, was a junior.

At the time there was a low hanging electrical cable over the old Orting field about the 30-yard line. Smith punted the ball some time in the second half and it hit the cable and bounced back toward the Vashon line. One official was going to allow the play, treating it like a blocked kick and giving Orting excellent field position. Fortunately for the Pirates, another official called a penalty against the Cardinals, giving the ball back to the Pirates.

Vashon went on to win a a wild game.

It was a dark and stormy night at Mt. Rainier High School for the Vashon girls JV soccer team. The Pirates suffered their first loss of the season 6-0 to the Rams JV.

The rain poured down for most of the game, leaving one large corner of the field under water. With both teams ready, the referee wisely whistled the kickoff 20 minutes early. If he hadn’t the game would have finished in the dark.

The 10 Vashon girls who came to the game were no match for the fired-up Rams, with a full team and substitutes. It was the first win of the season for the 3A Mt. Rainier JV.

The day was not all bad, at least for me. I may not have paid full attention to the game at all times as I waited for bulletins on the birth of my first grandson.

Kellen Murphy Forschmiedt was born at 6:36 p.m. MDT in Salida, CO, weighing in at 9 pounds, 9.4 ounces, 21 inches long. Parents are Andrew Forschmiedt and Amy Bright.

The Pirate girls, varsity and JV, close the regular season with tonight’s Senior game at home. The 12 graduating Pirate seniors will be introduced and honored during the varsity game.

Charles Wright is the opponent. While the outcome will not affect standings or playoff seeding, the Pirates want to win this one for the seniors and for bragging rights in the intense rivalry between Pirates and Tarriers.

JV kicks off at 4 p.m., varsity at 6 p.m.

Varsity starts playoffs Thursday at Port Townsend. The game is a play-in to sub-district; winner advances, loser is out.

Other than the obvious for the Vashon v Cedar Park Christian football game this coming weekend, who to root for presents a dilema.

Do I want Orting or Cascade Christian to win? If Orting wins, and assuming Vashon wins, Orting, Cascade and Vashon will be 5-1 going into the final week. The winner of the Vashon-Cascade game would end up tied for first at 6-1 and the loser would be 5-2 and tied with Port Townsend for third place if PT takes care of Chimacum this week.

I think I will root for Cascade over Orting and Chimacum over PT. That way Vashon can tie with Cascade for first with a win in the final league game. Orting would have two losses and PT would be out of the way with three losses.

Of course if Cedar Park, Charles Wright or Life Christian pull off an upset or two everything changes.

Since I do not have the wisdom of a national magazine that predicts the winner of the Super Bowl before a single play has been run in the NFL season, and my crystal ball is all fogged up from the rain at homecoming, I guess I’ll just have to do it the old fashioned way: wait until the games are actually played.

Vashon 34, Orting 14 !!!!!

Cascade Christian 34, Chimacum 6.

Next week: Cedar Park Christian @ Vashon, Cascade Christian v Orting.

Thursday, Nov. 5: Vashon @ Cascade Christian. At the very least, the Pirates should tie for first place if they beat the Cougars.

I didn’t get to the game, just saw the result on Ch. 13’s game of the week. They showed Nathan Betz running for two TDs and Nick Fox-Edele running back an interception for another.