Prep football season kicks off

The sun sets behind French Field in Kent, a glowing ball of orange blinding fans on an idyllic autumn evening.

Ah, prep football.

And such scenes are just around the corner — it's a mere four days until the Kentwood Conquerors of Covington begin their quest for another state playoff berth. The team, featuring one of the state's top running backs in Washington-bound Demetrius Bronson, will be the first to test the stadium's new artificial turf as they face South Kitsap High School of Port Orchard in a nonleague contest Thursday at 7 p.m.

I can't wait.

It's been a long layoff since the Gridiron Classic early last December, and I'll welcome that first whistle as much as anyone.

In many ways, this is one of the most enjoyable times of the season. Every team is unbeaten and upbeat about the possibilities. Nearly everyone has visions of league titles and even state championships.

Why not?

We've been spoiled in this neck of the woods, with Southeast King County teams traditionally fairing well. The South Puget Sound League (SPSL) has a rich tradition at the Class 4A level, and last season Auburn did the new 3A version proud, going 12-0 before losing to eventual-champion Bellevue in the state semifinals.

Yet the playoffs were a bit of a bust for area 4A teams. Kentwood and Kentridge both were eliminated during the qualifying round of 32, marking the first time since 1998 that Kentwood failed to reach the final 16. Tahoma of Covington survived the qualifying round to run its record to 10-0, then had its title hopes quashed by Mariner of Mukilteo.

So, will 2007 be heaven for some Southeast football squad? Could be. Check out The Seattle Times' special section on Thursday for details. One hint: Plenty of fingers are pointed at Kentridge, ranked in the top 10 in some early polls.

Kentridge's coach Marty Osborn says the Chargers expect big things, starting with their first South Puget Sound League North Division title since 2002.

"I think we should be competing for the championship," he said.

Kentridge plays a spotlight opener Saturday, taking part in the Emerald City Kickoff Classic at Qwest Field with a 5:30 p.m. showdown against Inglemoor of Kenmore.

Kentwood has high hopes as well, but let's not forget Tahoma, which has won or shared the past three division crowns. Sure, the Bears lost a bevy of talent — they do not have one returning starter on offense. But they have tradition and a group of guys eager to prove they learned from the seniors ahead of them.

"They're feeling like it's their turn," Tahoma coach Tony Davis said. "They haven't had the opportunity to do their thing on Friday nights, but they're looking forward to it."

That's the sentiment at Auburn as well. The Trojans lost a ton of talent to graduation, most notably do-everything Kellen Kiilsgaard but are still projected to battle experienced Franklin Pierce of Tacoma for the SPSL 3A title. Enumclaw has playoff potential as well.

The Seamount League again appears to belong to Kennedy of Burien and Evergreen of White Center, which finished No. 1 and No. 2 last season and are 3A top-10 teams this season. But three Renton schools — Hazen, Lindbergh and Renton — should battle for the remaining two playoff spots.

Buckle up. We should be in for a good ride in Southeast King County this fall.

Sandy Ringer: 206-718-1512 or sringer@seattletimes.com