Week 8: High school football games of the week in the South Sound

Week eight of the high school football season is here, with plenty of great games to follow this week. Here are a few of the top games being played this week in the South Sound.

No. 3 Lincoln (5-2 overall, 5-0 PCL 3A) vs. No. 6 Lakes (5-1, 4-1)

7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25 at Harry Lang Stadium

About the Abes: As top-heavy as the 3A PCL is, there isn’t much depth beyond Lincoln, Lakes and Bethel this year, and the No. 3 Abes have cruised through league play so far after non-league losses against Camas and Lake Stevens, both top-five undefeated teams in Class 4A this season. Lincoln has outscored 3A PCL opponents 253-7 this season, pitching four shutouts in five contests.

Now comes the tougher part. Lincoln will duke it out with last year’s 3A PCL champion Lakes this week before a showdown with No. 4 Bethel next week, which beat Lakes already this season. Few teams in the area can match Lincoln’s raw star power, with four-star do-it-all junior recruit Julien Simon leading the way for the team at receiver, nickel and even some running back this season. Simon leads the Abes with 584 yards and six touchdowns on 51 receptions this season.

Quarterback Caden Filer, a senior, passed the 2,000-yard mark last week and has completed 172-of-244 passes for 2,007 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Senior Abner Sio leads the Lincoln rushing attack with 626 yards and ten touchdowns on 42 carries. Boise State commit Donovan Clark recently made his return at corner after missing some of the season with an injury, complemented by three-star recruit Jaylen Clark at the other corner position.

About the Lancers: A win is a win, they say. But the Lancers won’t get any style points for a 12-7 victory last week over Spanaway Lake, in which the offense struggled to find its footing. Lakes’ running backs combined for 259 yards and two touchdowns and the defense did the rest, but the Lancers will likely need a complete performance in the passing game to compete with a loaded Lincoln team this week.

Look for sophomore Devon Nofoa-Masoe to get more involved this week, as he’s the team’s receptions leader with 286 yards and three touchdowns on 16 catches. Lakes’ defense is as physical and talented as they come, so if the offense can churn out a better performance, this will be a dog fight.

TNT pick: Lincoln, 35-24

Peninsula (5-2 overall, 5-0 SSC 3A) vs. Gig Harbor (6-1, 4-1)

7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25 at Roy Anderson Field

About the Seahawks: Last week’s 31-28 win over Yelm put the Seahawks in control of their destiny in the 3A SSC, as Ross Filkins’ squad looks for back-to-back 3A SSC titles with a win this week in the annual Fish Bowl rivalry game against Gig Harbor. Peninsula has a typically good rushing attack, led this season by junior Sean Skladany, who has 91 carries for 11 touchdowns and 549 yards. He’s complemented by Shawn Leonard, more of a shifty back, compared to Skladany’s power running style. Leonard has 280 yards and four touchdowns on 77 carries for the Seahawks. The defense is typically disciplined and opportunistic and the trio of Isaiah Juvik, Chase Wittmers and Sean Skladany can get after the quarterback.

About the Tides: Outside of a lopsided loss to Yelm, Gig Harbor has been dominant this season. Quarterback Cade Dessert has grown more comfortable in the position in his first season as the full-time starter, and Gig Harbor’s line, anchored by Oregon State commit Samuel Peacock and tackle Brenden Rivera, has proven too much for most defensive lines to match up against this season. Griffin Sparrow and Zane Skansi provide reliable options for Dessert in the passing game, while Gig Harbor has a stable of running backs who rotate in and are productive for the Tides.

TNT pick: Peninsula, 31-28

Kentwood (6-1 overall, 4-0 NPSL 4A) vs. No. 2 Kennedy Catholic (7-0, 4-0)

5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Highline Memorial Stadium

About the Conquerors: Kennedy has grabbed the majority of the headlines this season from the 4A NPSL, but Kentwood has been quietly putting together a strong season, with its only loss coming in a non-league game to a good Mount Si side, 28-20. The Conks have outscored NPSL opponents 201-68 this season, including a 34-24 win over Tahoma last week, in which running back Gabe Johnson rushed 27 times for 277 yards and a touchdown, also catching a 70-yard touchdown pass. Against a Kennedy Catholic defense that is massively improved this season but showed plenty of vulnerability a season ago, being able to successfully run the football could be a major key in this league championship matchup on Saturday evening.

About the Lancers: Kennedy Catholic has lived up to the hype this year, with an undefeated record and an offensive as explosive as any in the state, led by junior UW commit Sam Huard at quarterback. The Lancers are averaging 46 points per game this year, but the biggest reason the Lancers are now a legitimate Class 4A title contender is the revamped defense, which is holding opponents to just 11 points per game this season. Senior defensive end Sav’ell Smalls is a wrecking crew for the Lancers and has been a matchup issue for opposing tackles and quarterbacks all season long, bringing an attitude to the Kennedy defense and making his teammates better around him in the process.

TNT pick: Kennedy Catholic, 49-28

Charles Wright (7-0 overall, 3-0 Nisqually 1A) vs. No. 8 Cascade Christian (6-0, 3-0)

8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Sunset Chevrolet Stadium (Sumner)

About the Tarriers: Charles Wright is averaging 43.6 points per game this season, led by junior running back Colin Nelson, who has rushed 89 times for 755 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. Senior quarterback Dane Jacobson has completed 114-of-158 passes for 1,385 yards, 18 touchdowns and two interceptions. And the Tarriers have four receivers with over 200 yards on the season, led by senior Jon Mayer, who has 19 receptions for 400 yards and six touchdowns, good for a team-high 21.1 yards per catch.

About the Cougars: Quarterback Parker Johnson, a Yale commit, is having a big season, completing 69-of-100 passes for 1,631 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions. His favorite targets are the Zetterberg cousins: Senior Conner Zetterberg leads the team with 710 yards and seven touchdowns on 20 catches, while Isaiah Zetterberg has racked up 462 yards and three touchdowns on 25 receptions.

TNT pick: Cascade Christian, 42-35

This story was originally published October 24, 2019 at 6:00 AM.