Prep football roundup: Cascade Christian rebounds, Puyallup 4A teams struggle
It was one of those high school football weeks where blowouts came in bunches. After Saturday’s games wrapped up, five out of the seven local games were lopsided, with the winning team earning the victory by an average margin of 30 points.
Graham-Kapowsin 56, Emerald Ridge 0
The Jaguars felt the sting of the Eagles on both sides of the ball as Graham-Kapowsin (3-0, 1-0 league) railroaded their league rivals after being upset by Emerald Ridge (0-3, 0-1) last year.
“We have to get better,” Jaguar co-coach Brian Anderson said after the game. “We don’t have a choice.”
For the second consecutive week, Emerald Ridge’s line couldn’t handle its opponent’s attack. Even without highly touted recruit Foster Sarell at left tackle, Graham-Kapowsin’s offensive line consistently created gaping holes for senior running back Kobe Meriweather to sprint through.
“We have a great line — I give it all to our line,” Meriweather said of his three-touchdown, 110-yard night at Art Crate Stadium in Spanaway.
It was the same for the Jaguars’ offensive line, as quarterback Logan Skoda was harassed all game long. Skoda was sacked five times and hit eight times before going out with a stinger in the fourth quarter.
“He’s alright — he’s tough,” Anderson said of his junior quarterback. “He should be back (this) week.”
Winless in the first three games, Emerald Ridge will need to make a quick turnaround to salvage any hopes of making the postseason.
Sumner 35, Enumclaw 7
This was the same matchup where junior running back Connor Wedington broke out last year at the Enumclaw Expo Center. With this year’s game at Sunset Chev Stadium, Wedington felt this was going to be another big day for him.
“I circled this game before the season,” Wedington said before Friday night’s showdown. “I feel like the game last year is where I was able to show what I was capable of doing.”
There must be something about Enumclaw (1-2, 0-1) as Wedington finished with two touchdown runs (10 and 34 yards) on his way to a 100-plus yard night.
“We tried putting Connor in some different spots just to see what they (Enumclaw) would do,” Sumner coach Keith Ross said.
The concentration on Wedington allowed Josh Riley to have a big day, too, as the split back finished with a game-high in 150 yards rushing, including a 51-yard touchdown run, in the Spartans’ rout of the Hornets.
Bethel 47, Puyallup 41
The Vikings could not handle the slugfest in their league-opening meeting with Bethel (3-0, 1-0) at Sparks Stadium.
Quarterback Nathaniel Holcomb’s big day (four touchdowns) nearly helped Puyallup (0-3, 0-1) pull off a comeback, but Bethel’s Bryce Missey sealed the win when he found Seth Smith on a seven-yard TD pass in the fourth.
Camas 57, Rogers 7
Last year, the Papermakers railroaded the Rams, 68-0, so there was some semblance of progress in this season’s matchup.
Rogers (1-2, 0-1) is the only local 4A team with a victory this season, and the Rams will look to add to on Friday against Bethel at Art Crate Stadium. Either Puyallup or Emerald Ridge will get a win this weekend as the two teams square off in the first of three crosstown games.
Auburn Mountainview 48, Bonney Lake 21
The Lions rode a 41-7 halftime lead to open up their league season with a win over the Panthers. Bonney Lake (1-2, 0-1) will travel to Enumclaw on Friday.
Cascade Christian 42, Nooksack Valley 0
The Cougars bounced back from last week’s loss in a big way as they went up to Everson, just east of Lynden, and took it to the Pioneers. Cascade Christian (2-1) will have a tough matchup this week when the Cougars travel to Renton to play Lindbergh (3-0, 2-0) at Renton Memorial Stadium.
Ocosta 33, Chief Leschi 30
The Warriors got their offense going against the Wildcats, but it just wasn’t enough as Ocosta (1-2, 1-1) slipped past Chief Leschi (0-3, 0-2) in a league meeting.
This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 9:32 AM with the headline "Prep football roundup: Cascade Christian rebounds, Puyallup 4A teams struggle."