Week 4: What we learned from high school football games in the South Sound
Week 4 of the high school football season is in the books. TNT high school sports reporters Jon Manley and Tyler Wicke discuss what stood out.
PHOTOS: Lincoln Abes roll Tides, 26-6
BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM WEEK 4
Manley: As we approach the midway point in the season, league title races are starting to take shape. Kennedy Catholic is going to run through the 4A NPSL untouched, like it always does. Sumner is the favorite in the 4A SPSL and looks like it’ll face the winner of Graham-Kapowsin and Yelm in the South in the league championship game (but Olympia might have something to say about that; more on that in a moment). With early-season wins over Enumclaw and Federal Way, Decatur will win the 3A NPSL. Lincoln remains the favorite in the 3A PSL Narrows division with a convincing win over Gig Harbor last week, and Lakes is going to be hard to beat in the Nisqually division. Franklin Pierce is now in the driver’s seat to win the 2A SPSL after a blowout win over Orting. Tumwater, of course, will win the 2A EvCo.
Wicke: If 2A SPSL Power Rankings existed, Franklin Pierce would be at the top of this week’s list. Trevor Hanson’s Cardinals just walked into Orting Stadium and beat Orting at their own game, 36-8, in a statement win over the presumptive favorite. Four yards per carry in OC Cary Nagel’s Power-T is a win, says their head coach, “because we’re gonna move the chains, get first downs and move down the field. It’s about ball control.” Franklin Pierce (2-0) won a physical battle inside the trenches, and three Cardinals halfbacks logged at least 14 carries, 80 yards and one touchdown; leading rusher Bryson Allen averaged 9.5 yards per carry and went for 152 yards and a score on 16 totes. They join Steilacoom and Eatonville atop the standings as the league’s remaining unbeatens. Franklin Pierce’s next two opponents? The Sentinels and Cruisers, of course. We expect both one-loss Orting (1-1) and Fife (1-1) to make competitive pushes for the postseason, too. Check back in two weeks.
WHICH TEAMS IMPRESSED MOST?
Manley: It has to be Olympia. The Bears have played in some close games against Bethel the past few seasons, with Bethel finding ways to win every time. Not this year. Olympia dominated in a 37-10 win and look like a real contender with QB Cameron Downing and No. 1 wide receiver Harper Hejtmanek (167 yards, two touchdowns against Bethel). Olympia is now 4-0, should win its next two games against Bonney Lake and Spanaway Lake and then faces Graham-Kapowsin and Yelm in the final two weeks of the season. Olympia gets G-K at home and the Eagles have looked more vulnerable than in years past. Is there a potential upset bid there? Bears’ coach Nick Mullen has talked for years about Olympia being a sleeping giant. Maybe this is the year the giant wakes up. I also thought Enumclaw looked great against Federal Way. It was a typical Enumclaw win: dominate the line of scrimmage, pound the football, hit some explosive plays in the passing game and take advantage of man coverage in the red zone. Enumclaw coach Mark Gunderson felt the Hornets left a lot on the table in a Week 1 loss to Decatur. I don’t think many teams are going to be excited about seeing Enumclaw when the postseason rolls around.
Wicke: Remember when Tumwater head coach Willy Garrow promised a steady rotation of six running backs in its unfailing Wing-T? Well, here’s a stat from @TBirdFootball that’s too good not to share: In the T-Birds’ 49-12 win over Nooksack Valley last Friday, 14 different backs recorded a rushing attempt and combined for 382 yards on the ground. Jaylin Nixon, the leading rusher, had 80 of those yards. Nine different T-Birds RBs have scored a varsity touchdown through four weeks. It’s nearly unheard of. Another impressive performance: Olympia QB Cameron Downing sparkled with 300 passing yards and five touchdowns on a stout Bethel defense that features the state’s top overall recruit in LB Zaydrius Rainey-Sale. The Bears (4-0, 1-0) finish their league slate with Graham-Kapowsin (Oct. 18) and Yelm (Oct. 25), where plenty could be on the line.
WHICH WEEK 4 RESULT WAS MOST SURPRISING?
Manley: Central Kitsap beating Mount Tahoma, especially the way it happened. Mount Tahoma had a big lead late before the Cougars scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to stun the T-Birds, 21-20. Mount Tahoma drops to 1-3 with the loss and things don’t get any easier this week with a game against Lincoln, which will be eager for revenge after last year’s loss. Mount Tahoma has winnable games down the stretch against Bellarmine, Gig Harbor and Silas, and I still think it’s a talented team, but the loss to Central Kitsap definitely stings.
Wicke: Expecting a step back was natural after Emerald Ridge graduated All-Area QB Jake Schakel and returned just five varsity starters — but the Jaguars are playing inspiring defense under former coordinator and first-year head coach Torey Donovan. Emerald Ridge quieted Puyallup’s offense packed with skill-position standouts in Friday night’s 29-19 win at Sparks Stadium and have yet to allow more than 21 points in a game this season. Franklin Pierce’s defense deserves another shoutout. It kept Orting QB Zach Gemar and workhorse RB Carson McCall off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter. What’s even more surprising than Franklin Pierce’s road win at Orting? The 36-8 margin of victory.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE STOOD OUT MOST IN WEEK 4?
Manley: Give me Capital running back Blake Ostrander. He’s been a workhorse running back for the Cougars this year and again put the team on his back in a 24-21 win over Peninsula last week, rushing for 162 yards on 16 carries and adding five receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. Capital looks like a playoff team this year, and Ostrander is a major reason why.
Wicke: Here’s a stat I keep thinking about: Life Christian QB Jabez Boyd averaged an absurd 31.7 yards per attempt in a blowout win over East Jefferson, completing eight of his nine passes for 285 yards and six touchdowns in the 87-0 rout. Dave Miller’s Lakes Lancers ran away early over North Thurston, 56-14, but don’t overlook LB Michael Pulalasi’s performance, who tackled 15. “(Michael’s) going to be a D-I linebacker… He’s a dawg,” Miller told us last week. “He just loves to play football.”
WHICH OF THE REMAINING UNDEFEATED TEAMS HAD THE BEST PERFORMANCE IN WEEK 4?
Manley: I already mentioned Olympia, so I’ll go with Franklin Pierce in the 2A SPSL, which beat Orting soundly, 36-8. It’s all about the run game for Franklin Pierce; Byson Allen rushed for 152 yards on 16 carries (9.5 yards per carry) while Junior Teregeyo added 123 yards on 14 carries. Equally impressive, though, has been Franklin Pierce’s defense during its 4-0 start. The Cardinals have outscored opponents 208 to 28, allowing just seven points per game. Three more good tests coming up: Eatonville, Steilacoom and a road game at Fife.
Wicke: It’s got to be Franklin Pierce’s complete, top-to-bottom performance in its 28-point victory over Orting. 4A Olympia’s win over Bethel puts it in 4A SPSL contention, and QB Cameron Downing can keep the Bears rolling with a win over Rogers this weekend. And, of course, Tumwater. Sure, we know they’re a 2A power, but 14 running backs used in a 49-12 win? Come on.
WHICH MATCHUP ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST IN WEEK 5?
Manley: I’ve had Graham-Kapowsin at Yelm circled on my calendar since before the season began when the trash talk started at a 4A SPSL Media Day at The Ram restaurant on Ruston Way. I know coaches Jeff Logan and Jason Ronquillo have a lot of respect for each other. I also know how much this game means to both teams. Graham-Kapowsin has long been one of the top dogs in the 4A SPSL, and Yelm would love nothing more than to stake its claim in the first year as members of the league. This will be fun in front of a packed house in Yelm.
Wicke: We’ve advertised Graham Kapowsin vs. Yelm as perhaps the South Sound’s Game of the Year — we still think it is — but there’s another Tacoma rivalry this weekend that we marked on our calendars months ago: Lincoln at Mount Tahoma. The T-Birds recovered a last-gasp onside kick and miraculously rallied to upset the Abes last year, 24-20, for the first time since 2011. We’re expecting another thriller in the storied rivalry. Lincoln QB Sione Kaho looks more comfortable both in the pocket and as a runner, and RB Jadeon Scranton posted a monster rushing line (26-159-3) in Friday night’s 26-6 win over Gig Harbor. We’re excited to see how Mount Tahoma’s defense, led by national DB/WR recruit Elijah Durr, counters Lincoln’s 1-2 punch in Kaho and Scranton.
This story was originally published September 30, 2024, 2:16 PM.
Jon Manley
The News Tribune
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