High school football season preview: 4A South Puget Sound League
High school sports have returned in the South Sound. After a shortened spring football season, we’re back to a normal calendar in 2021, with the fall football season kicking off this week. The News Tribune is previewing different high school football leagues around the area as games approach. Up next: The Class 4A South Puget Sound League.
WHO’S THE FAVORITE?
Graham-Kapowsin, which posted a 6-0 record last spring and won the 4A SPSL. The Eagles won every game comfortably, including a 35-17 win over runner-up Puyallup and a 34-14 win over Sumner. The bad news for the rest of the league? Pretty much everyone is back from that team.
In his 26 seasons as a high school football coach, this might be the deepest team Eric Kurle has ever had. The Eagles have dominant, physical line play, anchored by UW commit Vega Ioane, a 6-foot-5, 315-pound left tackle. Twin brothers Hunter and Curtis Hill — both committed to Idaho State — are maulers on the line. Dual-threat quarterback Joshua Wood (57-of-88 passing, 989 yards, 11 TD, one interception) enters his senior season and his second season as the starter, joined in the backfield by bruising running back Jalen Davenport (52 carries, 321 yards, three TD), who will also be featured at linebacker this year. Receiver Julian Mason (28 catches, 500 yards, six TD), another Idaho State commit, is dynamic on the outside.
Couple that with a talented defensive backfield and an impact Eastside Catholic transfer in Andrew Savaiinaea — a tight end/defensive end who holds offers from Oregon, UCLA and others — and this team is not only the favorite to win the 4A SPSL, it’s the favorite to win the 4A state title, too.
WHO ELSE COULD BE A CONTENDER?
Sumner and Puyallup will be in the mix. Sumner returns the reigning 4A SPSL MVP in running back/linebacker Peyton Wing, who led the league in rushing and tackles last spring. Wing ran for 716 yards on 71 carries and scored 11 total touchdowns. He averaged more than 10 yards per carry and on defense, he tallied 68 tackles at linebacker. Sumner was up and down last spring in part because starting quarterback Bo Carlson suffered a broken thumb, which kept him out of half the team’s games. In his three appearances, he had a 75 percent completion percentage, throwing for 342 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Air Force commit Andrew Tillett is a load on the defensive line and Arizona State commit Tristan Dunn will be flying around at safety. And don’t forget about All-Area kicker Wyatt Redding, who can nail field goals from 50+ yards.
Puyallup’s big unknown is with quarterback Micah Balzarini, who steps into the starting role to replace Luke Holcomb, who started the past two seasons for the Vikings. We’ll have to wait and see how Balzarini performs as the starting QB, but the junior couldn’t ask for a softer landing. Oregon commit Dave Iuli and senior all-league selection Tyler Lawrence are going to open up plenty of holes for all-league running back Ziere Ford, who rushed for 564 yards and nine touchdowns a season ago. At receiver, Jordan Dwyer gives Balzarini a legitimate weapon on the outside. He caught 36 passes for 558 yards and eight touchdowns in the spring. Puyallup will have to find a way to replace the production of Sermon Wilson, who was a one-man wrecking crew on the Viks’ defensive line in the spring, leading the league in both tackles for loss (16, for losses of 32 total yards) and sacks (seven, for losses of 57 total yards).
SAVE THE DATE
Sumner at Puyallup, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m.
Graham-Kapowsin at Puyallup, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.
Graham-Kapowsin at Sumner, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.
20 PLAYERS TO WATCH
WR Denzel Boston, Emerald Ridge, sr.
QB Bo Carlson, Sumner, sr.
RB Jalen Davenport, Graham-Kapowsin, jr.
QB Gabe Downing, Olympia, jr.
S Tristan Dunn, Sumner, sr.
WR Jordan Dwyer, Puyallup, sr.
RB Ziere Ford, Puyallup, sr.
OL Curtis Hill, Graham-Kapowsin, sr.
OL Hunter Hill, Graham-Kapowsin, sr.
OL Vega Ioane, Graham-Kapowsin, sr.
OL Dave Iuli, Puyallup, sr.
OL Tyler Lawrence, Puyallup, sr.
QB Isaac Looker, Rogers, sr.
WR Julian Mason, Graham-Kapowsin, sr.
K Wyatt Redding, Sumner, sr.
DE Andrew Savaiinaea, Graham-Kapowsin, sr.
DL Andrew Tillett, Sumner, sr.
QB Tristan Warner, Bellarmine Prep, sr.
RB Peyton Wing, Sumner, sr.
QB Joshua Wood, Graham-Kapowsin, sr.
PROJECTED ORDER OF FINISH
Graham-Kapowsin, Sumner, Puyallup, Bellarmine, Emerald Ridge, Olympia, Curtis, Rogers, Bethel
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
