SOUTH WHIDBEY — The Cougars secured the No. 2 spot for this week’s winner-to-state game by jumping all over the Falcons.

In the 40-21 win over South Whidbey Oct. 28, Lakewood avoided what would have ended up being a three-way tie for the No. 3 spot, and could have resulted in a Kansas City tie-breaker to be played two days later.

“We came out early and stuffed them on defense and were able to get a few quick touchdowns,” said Lakewood coach Dan Teeter. “It’s nice to be able to play another one at home and focus on the playoffs.”

The Cougars (7-2 overall, 4-2 Cascade Conference) draw Burlington-Edison (6-3, 5-2 Northwest Conference) for a winner-to-state game Nov. 3. While Lakewood has the home field advantage, B-E isn’t a team to be taken lightly, as the program has been to the state semifinals two out of the past three years.

“They are a physical team with a winning tradition,” said Teeter. “It’s going to be difficult. Their defense plays aggressive and likes to send a lot of guys to put pressure on you.”

Offensively, the Tigers feature a wishbone set and are likely to want to hold onto the ball.

“If everything goes right for them, they’ll want to run the ball as much as they can and then lull you to sleep so they can take their chance deep,” Teeter said.

And they have the kind of receiver that can hurt most defenses in senior Jammerick Cavitt, who averages 27 yards per catch, and has scored eight touchdowns this season.

While cautious about the Tigers, Teeter also felt confident in his team’s ability to handle them.

“I think if we play our game, we’re a pretty good team too,” he said.

The Cougars showed that much against South Whidbey, piling up 392 yard of offense. Justin Lane and Justin Peterson each threw a pair of touchdowns, while Donovan Evans led the team in rushing with 11 carries for 67 yards.