Well, it's that time of the year again.....it's the fourth season of the Evergreen Football League. A few things have changed as we added some new teams to the league being the South Sound Shockers, Skagit Valley Lightning and the Bellingham Bulldogs. Last season I had a pretty good prediction record which was 27-9. This season is going to be much more difficult as the competition level has definitely gotten better.

Jerrid Edgington-EFL Commissioner

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"GAME OF THE WEEK"

These two teams have some serious history between them. The Stars lead the series 3-1 lifetime against the Rams. In 2006 the teams split the series with both games going into overtime & in 2007 the Stars won their lone meeting of the year very convincingly. This will be a true test for both teams as the Stars begin their new era without standout quarterback Brett Jay and the Rams begin their era without the ever so knowledgeable coach Paul Preston.

The Wenatchee Valley Rams may have lost one of the best in the coaching arena but they also got back a couple of great running backs. Mickey White will be the new head coach and he's sure to have his hands full his first season but he also has inherited a great team. Their will be a new play caller taking the snaps as Dave Mott has moved back to his natural position of tight end. They have had a very good offensive line and also a solid defense. 

The Blue Mountain Stars just had a "dream" season in 2007 where they not only won the EFL Championship but also the GNFA Regional Championship as well. The Stars have had the best offensive line two years running but have lost league MVP quarterback Brett Jay to retirement. Brandon Tate is back running the ball in which he amassed 161 yards on the ground with a touchdown in their pre-season victory over the Palouse Thunder. The Stars have a new head coach as well as quarterback this year.

Analysis-  History...history....history. That's all one can say when talking about this match-up. These two teams have had the best games against one another each and every year. The big key here is who can run the ball the best? Each team has a new quarterback but have solid running games. This game will come down to who can run the ball better. Whoever does that will win this game.

Prediction- Stars win at home.

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This game is going to be very interesting. We have the new kids on the block, Skagit Valley Lightning, and the most successful team in the EFL being the Tri-City Knights. I haven't had a chance to see the Lightning in action but they do have a solid management team in place and look to shake things up in the EFL. This should be a great game to watch for football lovers alike.

The Tri-City Knights are owners of two EFL Championships and three Championship appearances. The biggest factor in this game is the return of Scott Biglin at quarterback for the Knights (he hates me talking him up). Scott is also a head coach on the field as he is the Varsity football coach for Ki-Be. They have also added some great players to their roster from other teams which should give them a strong unit to play with.

The Skagit Valley Lightning are a new team in the EFL but have been playing in other leagues so they're not exactly brand new to football. They have a solid coaching staff in Brad Collins and most importantly, they love to play football. I really don't know much about them yet so this preview is going to be a little lacking. I do expect them to play hard to the final whistle.

Analysis- The one thing I do know is the Knights have a solid offense and an even better defense...on paper. They haven't played a pre-season game which will definitely be a disadvantage whereas the Lightning are one up on them with having played a game already. The big question is can the Lightning stop the Knights' offense? Historically the Knights have been predominantly a passing team which means if they're not firing on all pistons they Lightning could capitalize on a slew of possible turnovers.

Prediction- Knights win on the road.

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The Columbia Basin Riverhawks have moved their home field to Warden High School but have also put some new faces on the team. Last season they were in every game at halftime and were just missing the "it" factor being bodies to keep players fresh. The Bulldogs are an established team but have been given a proverbial face lift from top to bottom and are new to the EFL.

The Bellingham Bulldogs are one of the new teams to the league and I don't have a lot of information on them either. They had a preseason game last week in which they were victorious by a score of 28-6 over the Skagit Valley Lighting. The only thing I do know about them is they consider themselves the underdog of the league and look to raise some eyebrows each and ever week.

The Columbia Basin Riverhawks have a new solid core of players in which they feel the strength of their team is going to be their offensive line. They have a new quarterback but they still have standout wide receiver Emerson Fergueson who could look to move up the all time league leaders this season if he's able to post some solid numbers. They have a good head coach in Jim Whittaker who has been around football for a long time and they simply just love to play football.

Analysis- There are a lot of unknowns in this game which makes it difficult to analyze. Their are two advantages here. One being the Bulldogs have a game under their belt already but the other being distance. The Bulldogs are coming from Bellingham which gives the home team a bit of an advantage being how far they have to travel.

Prediction- Bulldogs win on the road.

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This is sure to be the most difficult game of this week to predict. These teams are evenly matched up and have great games each time they play one another. There are a few differences this time and that's personnel. The Commandos played a pre-season game against the Rams where they fell 37-6 and the Thunder played a game against the SaberCats and won 20-18. They each have played at least one game so they should be ready to look for their first league win in the very young 2008 season.

The Palouse Thunder had two pre-season games which they ended up 1-1. They were trailing Blue Mountain only 14-0 at halftime which is a great accomplishment in itself. They have a new quarterback who is very athletic and just needs more snaps to get his game fine tuned. The Thunder do have standout wide receiver Greg Frisbee and are looking for their go to guy at the running back position.

The Okanogan County Commandos also have a few new faces on their team. The biggest is Levi Heyen at quarterback and Jeff Nelson at running back. The Commandos have always been very strong defensively and have added another Keopke to their defensive line. As always defensive standout Shawn Townsend will be anchoring their defense.

Analysis- This is going to be a defensive battle. Both teams are looking to establish an offensive identity and this will be a good game to start that daunting task. It will come down to turnovers. Whoever wins the turnover battle will win this game.

Prediction- Commandos win at home.