WA State Football Scores: Why Most Fans Miss the Real Story

WA State Football Scores: Why Most Fans Miss the Real Story

If you spent your Friday nights this past fall huddled under a stadium umbrella or refreshing a glitchy scoreboard app, you know the vibe. Washington high school football isn't just about the numbers on the screen. It's about that specific brand of Northwest chaos where a sea-level fog can turn a 4A playoff game into a defensive grind-fest. Honestly, keeping up with wa state football scores feels like a full-time job lately, especially with the way the 2025-2026 season just wrapped up.

We saw some absolute titans fall. We saw programs like Archbishop Murphy and Sumner prove that they aren't just local powerhouses—they're basically machines at this point. If you’re looking for a simple recap, you're in the wrong place. We're talking about the grit that defined the WIAA championships and why the college circuit in Pullman and Seattle had us all biting our nails until the very last whistle of the bowl season.

The WIAA Breakdown: WA State Football Scores That Shook the Rankings

The high school playoffs are where dreams go to live or die, and the 2025 postseason was particularly brutal. You’ve got to look at the 4A landscape first. Sumner ended their season at 11-3, but don't let those three losses fool you. They were battle-hardened. When they met Lake Stevens—who sat at a daunting 13-1—in the WIAA 4A Final on December 7, 2025, the air in the stadium was electric. Sumner pulled off a 41-35 stunner that people in Pierce County will be talking about for a decade.

It wasn't just the big schools, though. The 2A final featured a defensive masterclass. Archbishop Murphy finished a perfect 13-0 season by taking down Tumwater 35-20 on December 18. Tumwater is a legacy program, but Murphy’s speed was just too much. It’s rare to see a team go undefeated in the 2A Northwide region these days. Usually, someone trips up in October. Not the Wildcats.

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Down in the 3A division, O’Dea and Mount Tahoma gave us a finale that felt more like a heavyweight boxing match than a football game. Mount Tahoma has been on a meteoric rise, finishing 13-1. But O'Dea is O'Dea. Even though the final scoreline showed a 13-1 record for the Irish, the way they controlled the trenches in the championship game was a reminder of why they are a perennial fixture in the wa state football scores headlines.

  • 4A Champions: Sumner (Defeated Lake Stevens 41-35)
  • 3A Champions: O'Dea (Held off Mount Tahoma in a defensive struggle)
  • 2A Champions: Archbishop Murphy (Finished 13-0 after beating Tumwater)
  • 1A & Lower: Royal continued their dominance, finishing 13-0 yet again. It's getting ridiculous at this point.

The Apple Cup and Beyond: Saturday Scores in the 2025 Season

College ball in this state went through a weird transition year. Let's be real: the Apple Cup on September 20, 2025, was a bit of a blowout. The Washington Huskies walked into Pullman and put up a 59-24 score on the Cougars. It was one of those games where if you blinked, Demond Williams Jr. was already ten yards downfield.

But Washington State University (WSU) didn't just roll over for the rest of the year. They showed some serious backbone. They finished 7-6, which sounds mediocre until you look at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on December 22. They took down Utah State 34-21 in the freezing cold of Boise. Zevi Eckhaus and Kirby Vorhees really stepped up when the season felt like it was sliding away.

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Meanwhile, over in Seattle, the Huskies had a roller-coaster Big Ten debut. They beat Purdue 49-13 and stomped UCLA 48-14, but they hit a wall against the heavy hitters. Losing to Oregon 26-14 on Senior Day stung. Badly. However, they ended on a high note, crushing Boise State 38-10 in the L.A. Bowl on December 13. Demond Williams Jr. ended the year with over 3,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. Not bad for a freshman leading a team through a new conference gauntlet.

Surprising Stats from the 2025 Season

  1. Lance McGee (Sumner): Rushed for a staggering 2,489 yards.
  2. Brady Jay (Moses Lake): Threw for 4,207 yards, leading the state in passing.
  3. The Royal Knights: They finished 13-0. Again. Their win streak is becoming the stuff of legend in Eastern Washington.
  4. UW'. Defense: They recorded 5 interceptions in their bowl game alone.

Why Keeping Up With Scores Is Getting Harder

Honestly, the way we consume wa state football scores has changed. You can't just wait for the Saturday morning paper anymore. Most fans are glued to MaxPreps or the WIAA Live app, but even those have lag times that can drive you crazy during a two-minute drill.

There's also a weird gap in coverage between the I-5 corridor and the rest of the state. You’ll hear everything about Bellevue or Eastside Catholic, but try finding a live update for a 1B 8-man game in Okanogan or Liberty Christian. Those kids are playing some of the most exciting football in the Northwest, often putting up 70+ points in a single afternoon. For example, Neah Bay dropped 76 points on Oakville back in November. Seventy-six! That’s a basketball score.

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The 2025 season also highlighted some serious officiating shortages. Several games had to be moved to Thursdays or Mondays because there just weren't enough zebras to go around. This messed with the rhythm of the Friday night lights tradition, but hey, more football on more nights isn't the worst thing for a fan.

Actionable Steps for the 2026 Off-Season

If you’re a parent, player, or just a die-hard fan, the work for the next season of wa state football scores starts now. Don't wait until August to get back into the loop.

  • Track the Transfer Portal (High School Edition): It’s not just for colleges anymore. Keep an eye on the big moves in the Metro and KingCo leagues; one star QB moving schools can shift the entire 4A power balance.
  • Attend Spring Showcases: Most big programs hold their "Spring Ball" in May and June. It’s the best way to see who the new starters are before the hype train leaves the station.
  • Bookmark Reliable Sources: Move beyond the basic scoreboard apps. Follow local beat reporters on social media—they often have the "real" score (and the injuries) ten minutes before the official sites.
  • Support the Lower Classifications: If you’ve never seen a 2B or 1B game, make it a goal for 2026. The atmosphere in small towns like Royal City or Napavine is something every football fan needs to experience at least once.

The 2025 season is in the books. The trophies are in the cases, and the turf is being cleared of the last bit of January frost. But in Washington, football never truly sleeps. We’re already looking at the rosters for August.

Keep your eyes on the rising juniors. Based on the 2025 stats, the 2026 season is going to be dominated by the ground game. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, start watching the film on the incoming linemen now—that's where the next round of championships will be won.