Games to watch in Week 1 of high school football season in South Sound
We’re headed to Camas vs. Yelm this week, the winner of our Week 1 game of the week poll. Thanks to everyone who voted.
Read about the top five games of Week 1 below. The weekly poll opens at noon each Tuesday and closes at noon Thursday.
NOTE: If you aren’t seeing the poll at the bottom of the story, try opening the story in a different web browser, such as Safari or Chrome. To vote in the poll, you’ll need to enter “yes” into the field to validate you are a human. From there, proceed to cast your vote.
4A SPSL
Emerald Ridge Jaguars vs. Puyallup Vikings
7 p.m. Friday, Sparks Stadium, Puyallup
About the Jaguars: One of our picks of teams that could surprise some people this fall, Emerald Ridge returns junior quarterback Jake Schakel and a talented offense. The Jaguars return receiver Tony Harste, alongside Pierce Kelly and senior transfer Kai Olsen. With an experienced offensive line led by Danny Meade and Ezekyl Setefano. UW commit Jacob Lane is a stud at defensive end and will feature at tight end this fall, too. Emerald Ridge is looking for the school’s first state tournament appearance this fall. More immediately, the Jaguars want to prove they’re a contender in the 4A SPSL. A week one win over Puyallup — which is always solidly in the top tier of the 4A SPSL — would signal Emerald Ridge is for real.
About the Vikings: Puyallup has been a model of consistency year in and year out, advancing to the state playoffs each of the past four seasons. The Vikings finished 8-3 last season, losing only to Sumner and Graham-Kapowsin — the eventual 4A state champion — and then 4A GSHL power Camas in the first round. Puyallup brings back plenty of experience, returning five starters on offense and seven on defense. This looks like a strength-on-strength matchup against Emerald Ridge. E-R’s offense should be strong, and Puyallup has a legit defense that figures to be up to the task of slowing them down. Linebacker Wyatt Gordon, a first-team all-league selection last fall, returns for Puyallup. So too does defensive back Dane Parker, another first-team selection from 2021.
TNT pick: Emerald Ridge, 28-27
NONLEAGUE
Lakes Lancers vs. Kentwood Conquerors
7 p.m. Friday, French Field, Kent
About the Lancers: Lakes advanced to the first round of the 3A state playoffs last fall, where the program lost to eventual state champion Bellevue, and bring plenty of playmakers back from that team. The Lancers could challenge for the 3A PCL title this fall, and make another run at the 3A state bracket behind a pair of Division I commits in Leo Pulalasi (BYU) and David Wells (Oregon State). Pulalasi, a two-way standout, was the 3A PCL offensive player of the year in 2021, rushing for 931 yards and 13 touchdowns on 112 carries, and adding another 380 yards and five scores on 21 catches. He also added 28 tackles and an interception on defense, and was a first-team pick at linebacker. Wells, another two-way standout, was a firs-team selection at wide receiver, defensive back and kick returner catching 40 passes for 920 yards and nine touchdowns, adding 26 tackles, three interceptions and a fumble recovery on defense and finishing the season with 1,372 all-purpose yards.
About the Conquerors: In Matt Roth’s first season as Kentwood’s head coach, the Conquerors will again look to contend with three-time defending league champion Kennedy Catholic for the 4A NPSL title and return to the state playoffs. Kentwood advanced to the first round last fall, but the season ended there against eventual state champion Graham-Kapowsin. This season, the Conquerors bring back several key contributors, including sophomore running back Antoine Lee, who was a 4A/3A NPSL Red Division first-teamer as a freshman, the division’s defensive lineman of the year and a first-team pick on both sides of the ball in senior Zekiel Seaumalo and another standout in junior linebacker Jabez Tuaoa, among other all-league selections.
TNT pick: Lakes, 35-21
Camas Papermakers vs. Yelm Tornados
7 p.m. Friday, Yelm High School, Yelm
About the Papermakers: Perhaps the state game of the week, perennial 4A power Camas heads north to meet a Yelm team expected to challenge at the 3A state level in the season-opener for both programs. The Papermakers have been in the 4A state playoffs bracket in 10 of the past 11 seasons — winning undefeated titles in 2016 and 2019 — and could make another run this season after advancing to the quarterfinals last fall before losing to Kamiakin. The reigning 4A GSHL champions graduated several all-league selections from last year’s team — including co-defensive players of the year in linebackers Luke Jamison and Jairus Phillips — but do bring back first-team defensive end Holt Williams, and more playmakers who earned second-team honors, including quarterback Taylor Ioane and wide receiver Zach Blair, who is committed to Oregon State baseball.
About the Tornados: Yelm is the reigning 3A SSC co-champion, advanced to the 3A state quarterfinals last fall before losing to Marysville-Pilchuck, and is in position to make a run at topping the 3A bracket this fall. The Tornados bring back several key contributors from last season’s group, including the 3A SSC offensive most valuable player in wide receiver and defensive back Kyler Ronquillo, a Portland State commit, and the defensive most valuable player in linebacker Ray Wright. Ronquillo tallied 1,190 all-purpose yards last season and eight touchdowns, scoring in every phase, while adding 41 tackles and four interceptions. Wright led the Tornados with 129 tackles, 19 for losses and nine sacks. Yelm’s defense is loaded with talent, also returning two-way standout and Division I recruit Brayden Platt, who rushed for 1,152 yards and 15 touchdowns on 148 carries last season and added 78 tackles, five for losses, two sacks, two interceptions and two defensive touchdowns at linebacker. The Tornados also add another Division I recruit at linebacker this season in Skyview transfer Isaiah Patterson.
TNT pick: Yelm, 21-14
Auburn Riverside Ravens vs. Lincoln Abes
7 p.m. Friday, Lincoln Bowl, Tacoma
About the Ravens: The reigning 3A NPSL champions made an undefeated run through their league last fall before their season ended in Week 10 with a loss to Kelso in the district playoffs. Auburn Riverside will look to defend that league title in the weeks ahead, but opens the season with its first big test against another South Sound league champion. The Ravens graduated several playmakers, but also return key seniors like offensive lineman and WSU commit Nathan Pritchard and leading receiver Jace Villers (32 catches, 553 yards, 8 TDs last season), who were both 4A/3A NPSL White Division first-team picks last fall. Junior running back and linebacker Thyrou Umi-tuato’o, a first-team selection on defense last season, is set to take over in the backfield for his brother Thaddeus Umi-Tuato’o — last year’s division MVP in his final high school season — in Auburn Riverside’s backfield after rushing for 214 yards and five touchdowns on 32 attempts last fall.
About the Abes: The reigning 3A PCL champions are looking to reset with a season-opening win after last year’s postseason run ended in Week 10, when Stanwood shocked Lincoln in the district round, ending the Abes’ season short of the state playoffs for the first time since 2013. That was last fall, though, and this season’s team is set to begin its league title defense and make another run at the 3A state bracket behind an experienced group. Lincoln returns the state’s top-ranked quarterback and last season’s league MVP in Missouri commit Gabarri Johnson, who completed 62.8 percent of his passes last fall for 2,222 yards and 28 touchdowns to only two interceptions, while also rushing for 737 yards and a team-leading 15 scores on 118 carries. The Abes’ top rusher, junior Navarre Dixon, is also back after piling up 828 yards and five touchdowns on 117 carries last fall on his way to 3A PCL first-team honors before placing third in 3A in the 182-pound bracket at Mat Classic in the winter.
TNT pick: Lincoln, 42-35
Enumclaw Hornets vs. Peninsula Seahawks
7 p.m. Thursday, Roy Anderson Field, Purdy
About the Hornets: Don’t expect an air raid from Enumclaw. The Hornets run an old school, ground-and-pound offense and only throw when neccessary, or when the opportunity presents itself via play action. “It’s ball-control,” Enumclaw coach Mark Gunderson told The News Tribune this week. “Throw when you want to, not when you have to. We’re a physical brand of football that wants to punch you in the face.” It’s a philosophy that mirrors the town, in many ways: blue-collar and tough. “It fits around here,” Gundserson said. “This community … we’ve got hard-working people out here, you know. Blue collar. That’s what they like to come see.” Enumclaw has the personnel to pull it off, too. Returning all-SPSL running back Emmit Otero will run the football behind 2A SPSL lineman of the year, center Zeke Luchi and mates that include guard Ryan Fehr and big tight end Austin Paulson. Enumclaw returns seven starters on offense and eight on defense, including first-team defensive linemen Keanu Lafaele and Fernando Reyes. Enumclaw finished runner-up to Steilacoom in the 2A SPSL last fall and advanced to the 2A state tourmament quarterfinals, beating Hockinson in the opening round before falling to Tumwater.
About the Seahawks: Death, taxes and Ross Filkins’ Peninsula football teams competing for league titles. This year should be no different. Gonzaga baseball commit Payton Knowles will play quarterback for the Seahawks and has a big arm. Senior running back Brady Laybourn and junior running back Connor Burton should have holes to run through behind a typically strong Peninsula offensive line, led by three-year starters Grady Johnson and Tanner Staben. Peninsula’s balance always makes the Seahawks a difficult matchup for opposing defenses. Expect Knowles to comfortably air it out to his receivers, led by 6-foot-3 senior Dane Meddaugh. Johnson called his quarterback a “gunslinger” during The News Tribune’s preseason practice tour. “(Payton’s) a baseball player, so he’s got a really good arm,” he said. “He’s going to bring a change in our quarterback role from last year.” Peninsula was the co-league champion last year, sharing the title with Yelm. The two teams were unable to meet because of covid issues. The Seahawks lost to Rainier Beach in the opening round of the 3A state tournament.
TNT pick: Peninsula, 24-21
This story was originally published August 30, 2022 at 12:30 PM.
