Islanders Football vs Ferndale: Preview and Ticket Info

For the first time since the year 2000, the Mercer Island High football team has reached the 3A state playoffs, and they'll enjoy a friendly home crowd to cheer them on.

The post-season game takes place this Friday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m., when the Islanders face the #2-seed Ferndale Golden Eagles (Overall 5-4; NW Conf. 4-2) in their first round playoff game this Friday at Islander Stadium.

The tenth-ranked Islanders will be facing an unranked opponent in Ferndale, although the Islanders lost to unranked Lake Stevens during their last playoff berth in 2000 during the first round (the Islanders were ranked eighth).

The Islanders have not won a playoff game in 23 years, and 219 games. The last playoff victory was in 1988 against Puyallup (24-21) when the leading receiver on that 1988 team was Brett Ogata, the current head coach. Mercer Island is hoping their high-powered offense — which broke the school record for points in a season by amassing 358 points in 9 games — will overcome their Northwest Conference playoff opponents.

Ferndale hasn't had the best of seasons but has the ability to run up the score on opponents with running backs Tanner Dawson and Alex Conley, who leads the team in total scoring with 16 touchdowns. The Golden Eagles are also no stranger to the postseason. Ferndale has reached the playoffs 14 times in the past 15 years. In both 2004 and 2005, they went to the state championship game. In 2004, they lost to Bellevue by a 46 yard field goal, the current record.

Most recently, in 2005, the team won it all, going 14-0 and beating Prosser in the title game 47-12, led by their quarterback, Jake Locker. Locker was not the only talented QB in the game, as Prosser was headed up by now-Heisman-trophy-candidate Kellen Moore.

The game will be the first ever home playoff game in the Islanders’ 56 year history.

Tickets will be available at the gate, and also in advance. Unfortunately, Season’s Passes and Booster Club passes will not be valid for playoff games. Tickets are $7 for adults and students without a valid ASB card, but reduced rates of $4 per ticket apply to high school students with valid ASB cards, youth grades K-8, and senior citizens age 65 and over. Tickets will be sold in advance of game night: Wednesday, Nov. 2, 5:30 – 7 p.m. at Islander Stadium, and Thursday and Friday, Nov. 3 and 4, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the MIHS Commons.

(Update: This article is updated with new ticket price information Monday evening from the MIHS Athletic Deptartment.)