My first thought after watching Skyline and Liberty battle back-and-forth Friday night was: Where does this game rank in the bigger picture?

While it might not go down as the best game I've ever seen, it was one of the most impressive.

Heading into the showdown people were curious about how Skyline sophomore Max Browne would handle his first varsity start.

He was taking over for Jake Heaps, who will see action against UW on Saturday. He was playing against a team that played for a Class 3A state title in 2009. And he was playing for a team looking to four-peat.

So how did he do?

Well, after being sacked on the first play of the game, he completed his first four passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. He threw four first-half touchdown strikes to Jordan Simone, who caught six passes for 207 yards before leaving with an injury.

Browne finished the game, completing 27 of 40 passes for 418 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.

That's an impressive debut.

But, while those numbers were impressive, Liberty's Trey Wheeler more than held his own, throwing for 331 yards. Joshua Gordon caught four passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns.

So, to sum it up, the two teams combined for 749 yards in passing yards alone.

It was nice to see last year's Liberty line leader Alex Kaser on the sidelines. He did a lot to set the tone for the Patriots' toughness in 2009, so it's impressive to see them keep it up this year.

It's only Week 1, but there's no doubt in my mind that these are two of the top teams in the state. The Patriots are going to be incredibly tough to beat. They finish games. They don't mind falling behind or losing one of their top players like Jake Bainton, who suffered a slightly separated shoulder and didn't return. Well, they mind, but they make do.

He said he's fine. He should be back next week.

Both teams made some first-game mistakes. The Spartans fumbled a snap in the second quarter that led to a touchdown and were stuffed at the 1 after having first-and-goal from that exact spot.

Liberty turned it over late in the game, giving Skyline one last chance, so it was a good first test for both teams, one that should only make each squad better.

Chandler Jenkins had a nice game for the Patriots, rushing for 130 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. He also caught three passes for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Liberty paid a lot of attention to Kasen Williams, who caught eight passes for 86 yards.

I could write about this game all night, but here's my game story. And now, on to the rest of the Friday night action.

Lakes 63, Clover Park 12

Cedric Dozier had 251 total yards and four touchdowns (one passing, three rushing) in the win.

Issaquah 41, Heritage (Vancouver) 13

Evan Peterson had 10 catches for 214 yards and touchdowns of 50 and 69 yards.

King's 55, Lakeside 7

Curtis Clauson returned a kickoff 88 yards for touchdown and had three scoring catches.

Bonney Lake 41, White River 0

Chris Brown completed 25 of 39 passes for 340 yards and four touchdowns.

Cedarcrest 55, Renton 34

Jared Klingenberg finished with 18 carries for 230 yards, three touchdowns.

Puyallup 58, Spanaway Lake 14

Erin Barber completed 17 of 31 for 372 yards and seven touchdowns. Don Holub had eight catches for 234 yards and four scores.

Cedar Park Christian 45, Ingraham 6

Zach Dinsmore had 19 carries for 165 yards, two catches for 39 yards. He had two touchdowns on offense and three Interceptions, including a 99-yard return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Mercer Island 19, Seattle Prep 15

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Lindbergh 46, Rainier Beach 0

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Marysville-Pilchuck 27, Jackson 22

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Auburn 28, Kentridge 14

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