Week 4: What we learned from high school football in South Sound
The fourth week of this pandemic-shortened high school football season in the South Sound offered its share of highlights.
Here are five takeaways from the week:
1. Huard continued his run at the state’s all-time passing record in Kennedy’s 4A NPSL opener
How did Kennedy Catholic wash away the sour taste of a stunning 4A quarterfinal loss to Woodinville in 2019?
With a 49-14 rout in its season opener Friday night against Tahoma.
The Lancers ran a trick play they call “Baseball” to open their first offensive series: a double reverse with a throw back to five-star quarterback Sam Huard, who then found Reed Shumpert for a 46-yard pitch and catch. They found the end zone four plays later on a 6-yard toss from Huard to Shumpert, and never looked back.
“I’m really proud of my teammates,” Huard said. “We just put in the hard work the entire time, and just took the opportunity to get better. Even though it was a long wait and we had to wait a long time watching other states play, we finally got the opportunity, and we were really prepared.
“I think that’s just a reflection on all the hard work and staying committed as a team and just staying together through these hard times.”
Huard, a Washington signee, impressed as usual, finishing 26-of-35 passing for 495 yards and seven touchdowns. He threw for 341 yards and five scores in the first half alone.
He remains on state record watch, now only 805 yards away from surpassing Shadle Park’s Brett Rypien as the state’s all-time passing leader. Rypien, now with the Denver Broncos, threw for 13,044 yards in 39 games from 2011-14.
Huard has thrown for 12,240 yards through 33 games, and remains in fourth place on the all-time list after his season opener, behind DeSales’ Brian Lindgren (12,575 yards), Skyline’s Max Browne (12,953) and Rypien.
He is on pace to pass Rypien in Kennedy’s Week 3 meeting with Kentwood.
2. Graham-Kapowsin and Puyallup clashed in an annual meeting of 4A SPSL powers
The 4A SPSL title has come down to these two powerhouse programs each of the past three seasons.
Graham-Kapowsin won an undefeated league title back in 2019, and handed the Vikings their lone league loss.
Puyallup ran the table the two seasons before that, winning back-to-back unbeaten crowns while twice edging out the Eagles.
These two clashed again Thursday night in what may ultimately decide the league title for a fourth consecutive season.
The result this time? A 35-17 win in favor of the Eagles.
Puyallup built a quick lead with scores on its first two drives — quarterback Luke Holcomb was 4-of-6 for 119 yards and a touchdown in that span — to make it 10-0.
But, the Eagles then ripped off four touchdowns — including three consecutive to open the second half — before the Vikings scored again in the fourth quarter.
A 2-yard touchdown run by Ziere Ford did cut the lead to 28-17 with about five minutes to play, but Graham-Kapowsin easily recovered the onside kick attempt, marched down the field again, and Jonas Waugh iced the game with a 1-yard scoring run.
Holcomb finished 25-of-39 passing for 296 yards and a 30-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Dwyer, who led the Vikings in receiving with 118 yards on nine catches.
In his third varsity start, Eagles quarterback Joshua Wood finished 14-of-24 passing for 263 yards and a 29-yard touchdown pass to Julian Mason, who collected 204 receiving yards on nine catches.
Jalen Davenport rumbled for a game-high 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries for the Eagles.
“This is what we were looking forward to all season,” Mason said of the win over another perennial 4A powerhouse. “During practice, 100% effort, all of the running — it was all for this for sure. I’m just proud of my brothers, man. It was awesome.”
Graham-Kapowsin’s run at a second consecutive undefeated league title isn’t secure quite yet, though.
The Eagles still have to run the gauntlet of two more upper-tier teams in the league in the final two weeks. Next they host undefeated Peninsula — which joined the 4A SPSL temporarily along with Gig Harbor this season — then wrap up their season on the road against an always-tough Sumner program.
3. Steilacoom put the South Sound on notice with a statement win over Lincoln
This rare meeting of two South Sound powers certainly lived up to the billing Friday night in Steilacoom.
The Abes are the defending 3A Pierce County League champion and advanced to the 3A semifinals last season — their best finish in school history.
The Sentinels swept the 2A SPSL a season ago and played for the 2A state title — also a program-best finish.
What happened when these two programs finally met? Plenty of highlight-reel plays from both high-flying offenses, and an eventual 37-27 statement win for the Sentinels, who remain undefeated.
“In this area, the Tacoma area, being the little 2A school, we wanted to come out and represent today,” Steilacoom coach Colby Davies said. “This is a statement game to put everyone on notice around the area that, ‘Hey. We can play.’
“We’re not just 2A runners up. This team can play with anyone and they proved that today. It was fun. A lot of fun out there.”
Steilacoom led wire-to-wire after Western Kentucky signee Chance McDonald hooked up with Central Washington signee Logan Brady on a 15-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter.
But the Abes, despite special teams woes that led to three Steilacoom touchdowns, stuck around until late in the fourth.
Four-star sophomore quarterback Gabarri Johnson found LaRon Monroe for a 36-yard score to cut the lead to 37-27 midway through the fourth, but the Sentinels chewed up more than four minutes of clock before turning the ball over on downs, and the Abes ran out of time.
“We were a few plays away I thought,” Lincoln coach Masaki Matsumoto said. “ … We just came up short.”
McDonald finished 22-of-39 passing for 314 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions for Steilacoom.
Brady was Steilacoom’s top receiver with 144 yards and the one score on 12 catches, while Arizona signee D.J. Fryar had 79 yards and four touchdowns. Cole Miller hauled in the longest touchdown pass of the night at 57 yards.
Johnson finished 21-of-49 passing for 330 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions, and led the Abes in rushing with another 43 yards on 12 carries.
Joziah Nixon led the Abes with 123 receiving yards and a touchdown on six catches, while Monroe had 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns on five catches. UW commit Chance Bogan also hauled in a touchdown pass.
Lincoln’s Ace Falenofoa and Rajzon Foster both recorded picks for Lincoln. Steilacoom’s Tre Horner, an Air Force signee, also logged an interception. Brady’s pick in the end zone stalled an Abes red zone drive early in the fourth quarter.
“It’s a huge confidence boost for the team,” Brady said of the win. “Everyone in that locker room is really excited, and I think they’re going to bring that on to the next game.”
4. Steilacoom and Tumwater — both undefeated — will meet next week in a replay of last season’s 2A championship game
Speaking of the Sentinels’ next game, it’s against the program that handed them their only loss a season ago — defending 2A state champion Tumwater.
The T-Birds won the championship game meeting, 48-34, back in 2019.
Tumwater capped a perfect 14-0 season with the win, setting a 2A state title game record with 422 rushing yards, led by Dylan Paine (21 carries, 228 yards, three TDs), who is now at WSU.
McDonald, meanwhile, set records for passing yards in the 2A title game (479), passes attempted (70) and completions (48), with reigning TNT All-Area player of the year Emeka Egbuka (18 catches, 163 yards, four total TDs), who enrolled early at Ohio State, as his top target.
So, there’s some fun history heading into the rematch.
“We’re excited,” Davies said. “We love playing them. We scrimmaged them earlier this year so we’ve seen each other. We’re very familiar with each other.”
Here’s a quick recap of each program’s season so far:
▪ Steilacoom opened with an impressive 14-7 win over Enumclaw — which joined the 2A SPSL this season after spending the past four seasons in the 4A NPSL — before routing White River 44-7 the following week. The statement win over the Abes gives the Sentinels momentum heading into this meeting with Tumwater.
“Huge confidence,” Fryar said. “But, we also know we have to come in and still work hard this week.”
▪ Tumwater has thumped each of the four opponents it has played this season, beginning with a 64-0 shutout of Rochester. The T-Birds then shut out Aberdeen, 57-0, before heading east and routing Prosser, 48-10.
Saturday in Chehalis, Tumwater recorded its third shutout of the season, stomping W.F. West, 41-0. The T-Birds scored 34 points in the first half, and ignited the running clock midway through the third quarter. Quarterback Cody Whalen threw four touchdown passes in the win.
5. Need a receiver? Take your pick of these talented pass catchers
This was the week of the wide receiver in the South Sound.
Here are some of the top performances:
▪ Fryar entered this season expecting to be a playmaker for the Sentinels on both sides of the ball, but a left shoulder injury sidelined him in the second quarter of their season-opener against Enumclaw.
Davies said Fryar struggled with range of motion in practice during the week, and was tender trying to catch the ball, but he certainly showed up for the meeting with the Abes ready to play.
Fryar caught four passes against Lincoln — and all four of them were four touchdowns.
His final — and longest — touchdown of the night came in the fourth quarter, when he caught a short pass from McDonald along Steilacoom’s sideline, and bounced away from three defenders to find the end zone.
He also caught touchdown passes of 19, 11 and 14 yards.
“I felt great,” Fryar said. “Honestly I was just coming back to do whatever I can to help the team out.”
▪ Brady posted his third consecutive 100-plus yard game, and now has 438 yards and four touchdowns on 19 catches this season.
“Logan’s so steady, so consistent,” Davies said. “When we want to take a shot or we want to get yards after catch, we usually go to DJ, but if we’re calling a concept and we need a route run or a double move, it’s Logan Brady.
“He’s the best route runner on our team and the hands are great. We know we want to go to him on third and fourth down when we really need it.”
▪ Mason’s 204-yard performance was a career-high, and he kept Puyallup’s secondary on its toes throughout the contest. Perhaps his most impressive grab of the game came on a 31-yard diving catch on fourth-and-7 in the first quarter that set up the Eagles’ first touchdown. Mason’s touchdown came on a 48-yard catch-and-run in the third. He broke two tackles before scampering into the end zone.
▪ Dwyer’s 118 yards receiving for Puyallup gave him his second consecutive 100-plus yard receiving game following a season-high 126-yard performance against Sumner.
▪ Three Pac-12-bound receivers from Kennedy caught passes from Huard on Friday. WSU-bound Shumpert led the Lancers in receiving with 144 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches, UW signee Jabez Tinae had 108 yards and two touchdowns on four catches, and Arizona State signee Junior Alexander had 96 yards and two touchdowns on four grabs.
▪ Eatonville’s Job Kralik finished with 146 yards and two touchdowns on four catches — a 36.5 yards per catch average — in a win over Fife on Saturday, while also returning a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown. Kralik’s quarterback Caden Jumper, who signed with UW as an athlete, was 9-of-12 passing for 203 yards and the two touchdown passes, and added another 103 yards and three scores on nine carries.
Aaron Lommers contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 14, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
