In a matchup of two teams that always seem to reach the state playoffs, the Montesano Bulldogs will host the Freeman Scotties in a 1A State Tournament first-round game on Friday.

No. 11 Freeman at No. 7 Montesano

When and where: 7 p.m. Friday at Jack Rottle Field, Montesano

Players to watch: Freeman – Luke Whitaker QB, Kanoa Rogen RB, Cody Cayce LB. Montesano – Gabe Bodwell RB/DL, Cam Taylor OL/DL, Mason Rasmussen WR/LB, Peyton Damasiewicz OL/LB.

When talking about the Freeman Scotties, his team’s first-round state playoff opponent on on Friday, Montesano head coach Terry Jensen succinctly summed them up.

“Best team we have played to date,” he said.

When the No. 7 Bulldogs take on Freeman they’ll face what one would expect out of a state-qualifying team. The Scotties are filled with all-league standouts, can put points up on the board and feature a stout, quick defense.

“They’re solid everywhere, have good team speed and a big-play offense,” Jensen said. “We will have to play disciplined defense. They really take advantage of mistakes on the defense. They are always looking for the big play.”

The Scotties (7-3 overall) earned their spot in the state tournament with a 56-0 blowout over Quincy last week where Freeman racked up a balanced 480 yards of offense, 214 yards through the air and 266 rushing yards.

Dangerous with both his arm and legs, Scotties senior quarterback Luke Whitaker passed for three scores and ran for a 74-yard touchdown in the victory. Whitaker has over 2,000 passing yards this season and is his team’s second-leading rusher.

Running back Kanoa Rogen is also a frequently utlized weapon by the Scotties as the team’s leading rusher and receiver with big-play capability.

The Scotties also pose problems for opposing defenses by running a no-huddle offense Jensen said was “capable of going really fast.”

Defensively, the Scotties are led by 1A Northeast all-league linebackers Ethan Hernandez and Cody Cayce, each with over 110 tackles on the season.

“They really make their defense go. They play fast and downhill,” Jensen said of the duo before turning his attention to the Freeman defense as a whole. “The defense plays fast and pursues well. They make offenses earn everything.”

Montesano (10-0) has romped through its regular-season schedule to a 1A Evergreen League title and a sparkling undefeated season. Though they were ranked as the third-best team in the state for most of the season by state prep football polls, the Bulldogs received a No. 7 seed due in large part to a weak strength of schedule.

The Bulldogs’ opponents winning percentage – one of the key factors figured into the WIAA’s RPI calculation – is far below any of the other top 15 teams in the state at just 32.1%. The next lowest in that group is LaSalle at 40.4%.

Though this fact is out of Monte’s control, it didn’t help the Bulldogs earn a higher seed, especially when considering the top five RPI teams in the state are also unbeaten this season and sport much tougher strenth of schedules.

But this is likely of no concern for a Jensen-coached Montesano team as the Bulldogs’ only concern at any time throughout the season is the team in front of them that Friday, and they subscribe to the philosophy of playing every game as if it was for a state championship.

That mindset has led to outstanding seasons from 1A Evergreen League MVP Gabe Bodwell – who has rushed for 1,162 yards and 18 touchdowns this season – and a defense that has been dominant with 20 interceptions – four each from defensive back Toren Crites and linebacker Mason Rasmussen – 21 sacks and 11 recovered fumbles.

Linebackers Gabe Pyhala (107 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 INT) and league Defensive Player of the Year Peyton Damasiewicz (60 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries) lead a fundamentally sound and talented defense that also features league Lineman of the Year in 6-foot-3, 240-pound Cam Taylor (37 tackles, 4 sacks).

The Bulldogs defense has allowed just 27 points this season – an average of 2.7 points a game – and haven’t allowed a point since a 35-7 win over Castle Rock on Sept. 21.

Both teams feature plenty of state-playoff experience, with Montesano advancing to the state quarterfinals a season ago while Freeman reached the semis, with both teams losing to eventual state-champion Royal in the tournament.

“They are an experienced playoff team,” Jensen said. “They seem to be in the playoffs every year and they are well-coached.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Jack Rottle Field on the campus of Montesano High School.