What South Sound football coaches are saying about state championships moving to Seattle

The road to a high school football state championship will end at Husky Stadium in 2023.

After hosting the six state title games at three sites in Pierce County each of the past three seasons, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association has approved a one-year agreement with the University of Washington to hold the annual event in Seattle this December.

How have local high school coaches responded to the move?

The consensus seems to be excitement — for players, school communities and fans.

“The overall sentiment seems everybody’s excited,” said Graham-Kapowsin coach Jeff Logan, who is now entering his second season leading the program and was the Eagles’ offensive coordinator during their run to an undefeated Class 4A state title in 2021.

“ … I think it’s a step in the right direction. I think that it’s something that the state has wanted for a few years now, and hopefully we can kind of continue to grow and figure out what works and what doesn’t, and continue to make it a better event each and every year.”

Lakes coach Dave Miller agreed.

“I’m really excited for all the kids in our state to be able to play on that kind of stage,” said Miller, who is beginning his 24th season leading the program and has guided the Lancers to 18 appearances in the state playoffs, including several trips to the former semifinals and finals site at the Tacoma Dome.

“That kind of a game — the championship game — should be in that kind of a setting.”

Many have applauded WIAA’s decision to bring all six championship games back to one location and to one of Washington’s premier sports venues.

“They heard what the people wanted, and they made a move to make it happen,” said longtime Sumner coach Keith Ross, now entering his 23rd season leading the Spartans. “So that’s a move in the right direction.”

The high school football state championships games have long been a marquee event each school year in Washington.

The games were played at the Kingdome in Seattle from 1977-94. The annual event arrived at the Tacoma Dome in 1995 and was played there for 24 seasons, including hosting some semifinals games through 2015.

The last set of state championship games was played at the Tacoma site in late 2018 before the shift to the three high school venues in Pierce County — Sparks Stadium in Puyallup, Mount Tahoma Stadium in Tacoma and Harry E. Lang Stadium in Lakewood — was announced the following June.

Concerns about fan experience and cost at the Tacoma Dome were among the factors that prompted WIAA to change venues, but a move away from the site that became the end goal for programs to reach each December was an adjustment.

“To be able to try to end your season in the Dome was always a special deal that we started in the spring talking to the kids about,” Miller said. “All through weight training in the summer and everything — that was the focus.”

“Your goal all year was to get to the T-Dome,” Ross said. “That was the goal.”

The past three seasons in 2019, 2021 and 2022 — there were no state playoffs in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic — the championships were split between the three Pierce County venues.

The 4A and 1B games were played in Tacoma, the 3A and 2A games in Puyallup and the 1A and 2B games in Lakewood.

Fans packed the stands at many of the games, providing an electric atmosphere, but a return to a destination site similar to the Kingdome and Tacoma Dome was still the hope of many, with the college stadiums in the state and Lumen Field among ideas for a location.

WIAA’s one-year move to UW means programs will now strive to play the final game of their 2023 season at a Division I venue in Seattle.

“They’ve got a great surface and a great facility, and I think just talking to some of the coaches last night, everybody seems really excited,” Miller said.

“I think it’s an awesome opportunity,” Logan said. “Just trying to find a way to make this the most memorable experience for the kids that get that opportunity is really what I think is most important.”

Hosting the games at Husky Stadium also gives programs — especially in the South Sound — an opportunity to play at a site they likely would not play at during any other point in their season.

“That you have to do something special to be able to play in this venue is a pretty cool deal,” said Yelm athletic director Rob Hill, whose football program won the 3A state championship in a thriller last December.

“I think it definitely has that piece to it — to go somewhere that you would never get a chance to play if you weren’t in that game,” said Emerald Ridge coach Adam Schakel, who guided the Jaguars to a program-best appearance in the 4A state semifinals last fall.

For that venue to also be the home of a Power Five football program, where so many college and eventual NFL stars have played, only adds to the motivation to advance to the season’s final weekend.

“It’s kind of that crowning achievement,” Logan said.

The move to Montlake also returns the annual championship weekend to a familiar format — all six games played at one location.

“Growing up, my favorite day was the ‘Kingbowl’ day,” Ross said. “Dad would take me up there, and I’d sit and watch all the games in one day. … I think there should be a place where people can go watch the quality of football that we have here. It’s a great venue, and I think people are going to watch multiple games.

“I think it’s what everyone’s wanted. So, I’m excited. It was a good move by the WIAA.”

Before the state championship games left the Tacoma Dome, fans had the opportunity to watch all six — with two scheduled on Friday night, and four more during a full day Saturday.

The past three seasons, all games have been played Saturday at the three high school venues in Pierce County.

This December, the 1B, 1A and 3A games will be played Friday and the 2B, 2A and 4A games Saturday, again giving spectators a chance to attend every contest in full.

“I always thought that it was great how, at the Tacoma Dome, you could essentially make a day of it, and watch as much football as a person could handle over a 36-hour period between Friday night and all day Saturday,” said first-year Tumwater coach William Garrow, who was an assistant on the T-Birds’ staff during both of the program’s state championship appearances at Sparks Stadium in 2019 — when Tumwater won its sixth title — and 2021.

“That’s what’s cool about still going to the Dome and watching (state) basketball,” Schakel said. “Seeing all of the different championships. … I think people being able to go in and watch multiple games is going to be awesome.”

The return to two full days of football seems welcome and an opportunity to showcase the 12 teams around Washington that advance to the final weekend.

“It allows everybody around the state to see six of the top notch football games in the state, and really kind of uninterrupted,” Logan said. “You get to watch all of them, and be a part of a cool situation and a cool atmosphere.”