EVERETT — As the downpour over Terry Ennis Stadium started to clear up behind him, Archbishop Murphy football coach Joe Cronin gathered the team in front of the locker room door. The on-field portion of Monday’s practice would just be a walk-through, as the team started its week-long preparation for its 2A State semifinal matchup against Northwest Conference foe Anacortes.

However, a lighter workload in practice did not equate to lower intensity. The opening kickoff is not until Saturday afternoon at Goddard Memorial Stadium, but for the top-seeded Wildcats, the matchup already started.

“We got to be better than Anacortes every day,” Cronin told his players, setting the stage for a rematch against the two-time defending state champion Seahawks.

After warmups, the different position grou

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