Wesco 3A South football is back, and the division looks slightly different after the Wesco realignment ahead of the 2026 season. Everett and Monroe departed the league to drop the total teams from eight to six, giving each program more freedom in scheduling their non-league bouts.
Defending the league title will be Mountlake Terrace, which went 6-0 in the south with an 8-2 mark overall.
Here’s how the league looks ahead of the 2026 campaign, set to kick off on Friday night.
COACHES POLL
The predicted order of finish, as voted on by the league’s coaches. Included is the average placing for each team with the number of first-place votes in parentheses.
1. Mountlake Terrace (4) — 1.4
2. Edmonds-Woodway (2) — 2.4
3. Meadowdale — 2.6
4. Shorewood — 2.8
5. Shorecrest — 3.8
6. Lynnwood — 5.0
NOTE: Coaches weren’t allowed to vote for their own teams. All six coaches participated in the voting.
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EDMONDS-WOODWAY
Last season: 5-5 overall, 4-3 league
Coach: Joe Roth (2nd season)
Offense: Spread
Defense: 4-2-5
Returning starters: 4 on offense, 4 on defense
Key players: Nate Schlack, sr., RB/LB; Jesse Ray, sr., RB/LB; George Gizzi, jr., QB; Brady Sargent, jr., TE/DE; Alex Archie, sr., OL/DL; EJ Manning, sr., QB/S; Joaquin Escandon, jr., WR/DB; Max Eldridge, sr., OL/DL.
Overview: The Warriors come into 2026 garnering some first-place votes from area teams, as Edmonds-Woodway looks to lean on its senior experience.
Senior RBs/LBs Nate Schlack and Jesse Ray will be tasked with following up an All-Wesco 3A/2A South first-team performance from graduated senior RB Carmelo LaRocca. The good news is the pair of runners will have another all-league offensive lineman in senior Alex Archie to run behind. On the defensive end, E-W allowed 17 points per game in league contest and returns one first-team selection in Schlack on that end.
As far as coaching goes, skipper Joe Roth is entering his second season with the team. Over the summer, the Warriors appreciated having some continuity in their coaching.
“I’m just excited… this is our second year with the same coaching staff and same plays, because a few years ago we didn’t have that,” Schlack told The Herald in August.
Roth is keeping it simple for his team.
“We’re not reinventing the wheel or anything,” Roth said. “We’re lifting four days a week in the summer, just being consistent with it… football’s been around for a long time, so we’re just trying to do things that work.”
The Warriors kick off their season Sept. 4 at Stanwood.
LYNNWOOD
Last season: 1-9 (all non-league)
Coach: David Harris Jr. (4th season)
Offense: Power run
Defense: 4-2-5
Returning starters: 6 on offense, 7 on defense
Key players: Hannibal Bendawi, sr., RB/LB; Elijah Howell, sr., LB/TE; Easton Webb, sr., QB; Ty Jensen, sr., RB/DB; Juston Young Jr., sr., RB/DB; Nedim Husic, sr., OL/DL; Elijah Ndamale, sr., OL/DL; Rhythm Karki, jr., RB/DB.
Overview: Lynnwood is looking to build something after notching its first and only win of last season in November.
Second-team All-Wesco linebacker Hannibal Bandawi highlights the defense after first teamers Donovan Golston and Jaceer Brooks graduated from the unit. Fellow senior linebacker Elijah Howell combined with Bandawi for 65% of the Royals’ tackles last season, as the tandem will have one more run together. Senior QB/LB Easton Webb will also be running the offense one more time for Lynnwood.
With 14 seniors moving on after last season, Harris is intent on seeing who will stand out early in 2026. During the summer, however, he wanted to help the team be intentional in molding its identity.
“During July, we spent that as a time for guys to kind of recalibrate for what we want to do this season and who we want to be,” Harris said. “We had some gatherings as a team to kind of come up with our non-negotiables… the kids really bought into that and they got the moment to define what those were.”
Webb summed up those culture non-negotiables succinctly.
“One thing we want for our new kids is to not just be a part of a team, but be part of the community,” Webb said. “Pretty much be part of a place where they don’t have to be judged… and be able to play one of the best sports in the world.”
The Royals start the season against Marysville Getchell on Sept. 4 at Edmonds-Woodway H.S.
MEADOWDALE
Last season: 7-3, 4-2
Coach: Antwoine Gamble (3rd season)
Offense: Multiple/Pro style
Defense: Multiple (3-4/4-2-5)
Returning starters: 9 on offense, 8 on defense
Key players: Kaimi Kaalekahi, sr., OL; Jamier Perry, sr., OL/DL; Cayden Rivera, sr., RB; Nolan Swanson, sr., OLB; Zekiah Gamble, sr., QB; Jack Baker V, sr., KR/DB; Taylor Brown, jr., S; Alexander “AJ” Wilson, jr., CB.
Overview: With 17 returners between both sides of the ball, the Mavericks hold the most continuity of any team in the league and should be among the few teams looking to knock Mountlake Terrace out of its perch.
Three 2025 all-league first-teamers in OL Kaimi Kaalekahi, OL Jamier Perry and RB Cayden Rivera headline an offense that averaged 23 points per league game. All-league second-team QB Zekiah Gamble will lead the team once again.
Kaalekahi says his squad will be leaning on its continuity when the season starts.
“We had to struggle a little bit, having the young dudes come up playing varsity,” Kaalekahi said. “Having a lot of returning players will be good. You know, the bonds were strong enough… we’ve been doing a lot of things together.”
“We’re doing our player-led practices and stuff after weight room. I feel like that brings out like a better connection with each other,” Gamble added.
On the defensive side, Perry is also an all-league lineman while the team returns second-team LB Nolan Swanson and second-team DBs in Taylor Brown and AJ Wilson.
The Mavericks will be back to action on Sept. 4 at Mount Vernon.
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE
Last season: 8-2 overall, 6-0 league
Coach: Archie Malloy (6th season)
Offense: Pro style
Defense: 4-2-5
Returning starters: 6 on offense, 6 on defense
Key players: Mason Wilson, sr., QB/LB; Owen Boswell, sr., RB/LB; Colin Bellecourt, sr., OL/DL; Andrew McBride, sr., WR/DB; Cian Harney, sr., K/LB; Jackson Wallis, jr., TE/DE; August Berg, jr., OL/DL; Jasiah Hatfield, so., WR/DB.
Overview: The Hawks are looking to defend a Wesco South title, just five seasons removed from a one-win season. Mountlake Terrace dominated last season en route to a 6-0 league record, winning by just under an average of 35 points.
Head coach Archie Malloy returns a 2025 league player of the year in QB/LB Mason Wilson, as well as Wesco 3A/2A South first-team RB/LB Owen Boswell. With six returners on either side of the ball, Wilson is confident there will be carryover in the Hawks’ ability to reproduce its perfect league campaign from last season.
“We’ve already built a culture about the way we work, about the way we act in our community, about the way we practice,” Wilson said. “We just kind of have to maintain the culture.”
Junior tight end Jackson Wallis, who made the league first-team as a defensive lineman last season, will be filling in for graduated all-league tight end Nate Brown, meanwhile.
Malloy, who won 2025 league coach of the year honors, knows what his team has built.
“We understand the standard of play that’s expected when you play Hawk football, and we were able to extend that brand of play for the first eight weeks,” Malloy said. “Why not us?”
The Hawks will start their season on the road in Arlington against Lakewood on Sept. 4.
SHORECREST
Last season: 4-6, 2-6
Coach: Brandon Christensen (16th season)
Offense: Pro style
Defense: 3-4
Returning starters: 6 on offense, 7 on defense
Key players: Jacob Rigsby, jr., TE/LB; David Telling, sr., QB; Isaiah Blidchenko, sr., RB/S; Cade Nevens, jr., TE/OLB; Owen Nasvik, sr., LB; Aram Suleimon, sr., OL/DL.
Overview: The Scots will look to put an injury-filled 2025 season behind them, relying on a junior class this season that was put into action ahead of schedule last year.
Senior QB David Telling will return after playing just four games in 2025 due to injury, and he’ll have all-league first-team tight end Jake Rigsby at his disposal while being protected by all-league OL Aram Suleiman. All-league LBs Cade Nevens and Owen Nasvik highlight the defense while all-league honorable mention RB/S Isaiah Blidchenko returns for his senior campaign. Junior RB/DB Isaiah Mark will slot into the backfield as well.
For veteran coach Brandon Christensen, 2026 presents a chance to build something with a healthy team. After five straight losses in the middle of last season, the Scots rolled out more reserves for the final three games — players who will figure heavily into this season.
“Our biggest edge is trying to keep that consistency… really use the last three weeks of our season last year, the players that saw the repetitions, worked out over the summer,” Christensen said. “Find that continuity, consistency that we finished the year with to start off with it this year.”
The Scots are back to action at Mariner on Sept. 4.
SHOREWOOD
Last season: 7-3, 4-2
Coach: Rob Petschl (6th season)
Offense: Multiple
Defense: 4-3
Returning starters: 5 on offense, 5 on defense
Key players: Kyson Vanne, sr., QB/S; Max Uckun, sr., WR/OLB; Eddie Hensel, sr., WR/DB; Brody Schmidt, sr., OL/DL; Justin Agbayani, sr., OL/DL; Reid Williams, jr., OL/LB; Hensley Javorsky, jr., OL/DL; Julien Woodruff, jr., QB/RB/DB.
Overview: Head coach Rob Petschl is expecting his Stormrays to build on two winning seasons in the league, and he’s looking for his skill positions to once again step up in 2026. First-team all-league receivers Finn Bachler and Lukas Wanke graduated, and Petschl expects seniors Max Uckun (all-league second-team as a LB) and Eddie Hensel (second team as DB) to slot into those spots.
The offense will have the advantage of returning its starting QB in senior Kyson Vanne, but junior Julien Woodruff will also get reps in according to Petschl. Meanwhile, the defense graduated all-league DL Kyson Castellano, LB Cole Petschl and DB Jack Gallagher.
For Shorewood, the answer to following a season where the team averaged over 34 points in all contests could lie in the individual development of his returners.
“Skill-group-wise, they’re taking a big step forward in terms of things like route-running,” assistant coach Edward Zeigler III said. “They’re starting to come together as a team.”
The Stormrays start their season hosting Cedarcrest on Sept. 4.
