High School Sports Blog

Mason Kelley covers High School Sports for The Seattle Times. Sandy Ringer is also a frequent contributor to this blog.

October 27, 2009 at 4:45 PM

Bothell coach Tom Bainter talks about Skyline

Bothell coach Tom Bainter quickly put his team's matchup with Skyline in perspective when I caught up with him Tuesday afternoon.

Sure, the game is a dream pairing. It's No. 1 against No. 2 in 4A. It's a matchup of two teams with great offenses and defenses. It's a test of two teams with veteran leaders and D-I talent.

But, win or lose, the season continues. Because of that, Bainter is confident his players are content to enjoy the moment.

"How many players in the state of Washington never make it to the playoffs?" he said. "How many never make it to a big game? We're playing for a title against a team that's ranked in the nation and No. 1 in the state. You don't get that very often. We're just happy for the opportunity to be involved in something special."

The Cougars (8-0) and Spartans (7-1) meet up at 7 p.m. Thursday night at Pop Keeney.

"If we're as good as we think we are or hope to be, then we'll probably have to play them again in four weeks," Bainter said. "This is just what it is. It's a KingCo title game, a Week 9 crossover against a great, great team. Instead of fearing the outcome or worrying about the outcome, we're talking about what a great opportunity this is."

After stopping by Bothell practice Monday and Skyline on Tuesday, there is a mutual respect between these two teams. As they prepare for one of the most highly anticipated high-school matchups of the season, the coaching staffs and players have nothing but good things to say about the other side.

Now, the team that wins gets to play on its home field the first three weeks of the playoffs, so it would be nice. But a loss won't signal the end of the season for either team.

As I mentioned, I watched both teams practice this week and will have a post on Skyline in the morning and our top story in the notebook on Thursday will center on the game, so check back for more as we get closer.

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Bothell coach Tom Bainter talks about Skyline

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