Top performers, upsets in the first round of the high school football state playoffs
The first round of the high school football state playoffs in Washington delivered big individual performances, convincing wins and a handful of upsets.
Here’s a bracket-by-bracket glance at some of the highlights from the first round, and a look ahead to the quarterfinals.
CLASS 4A
FIRST ROUND SCORES
No. 6 Graham-Kapowsin 42, No. 11 Skyview 28
No. 3 Sumner 31, No. 14 Woodinville 0
No. 10 Gonzaga Prep 40, No. 7 Kamiakin 27
No. 2 Lake Stevens 42, No. 15 North Creek 27
No. 5 Skyline 30, No. 12 Federal Way 27
No. 4 Kennedy Catholic 46, No. 13 Richland 35
No. 8 Emerald Ridge 21, No. 9 Eastlake 9
No. 1 Chiawana 49, No. 16 Sunnyside 20
UPSET ALERT
No. 10 Gonzaga Prep’s vaunted rushing attack was up to the challenge on the road against No. 7 Kamiakin. Lilomaiava Mikaele — the Bullpups’ top running back all season — rushed 30 times for 190 yards and three touchdowns in the win, sending Gonzaga Prep to the 4A state quarterfinals for the second consecutive season. It sets up a rematch between Gonzaga Prep and No. 2 Lake Stevens, which eliminated the Bullpups in the quarterfinals last season.
TOP PERFORMERS
RB/LB Xe’ree Alexander, Kennedy Catholic, sr.
13 carries, 252, 2 TDS
RB/LB Jayden Limar, Lake Stevens, sr.
24 carries, 189 yards, 3 TDs; 4 catches, 57 yards, TD
RB/LB Logan Lisherness, Emerald Ridge, sr.
16 carries, 94 yards, TD; 5 tackles, 2 TFL, INT, fumble recovery
RB Lilomaiava Mikaele, Gonzaga Prep, sr.
30 carries, 190 yards, 3 TDs
RB/DB Ian Mohl, Chiawana, sr.
16 carries, 122 yards, 3 TDs
DID YOU KNOW?
▪ The 4A SPSL sent three teams — No. 2 Sumner, No. 6 Graham-Kapowsin and No. 8 Emerald Ridge — to the state bracket this season, and all three posted double-digit wins in the first round. League champion Sumner piled up 318 total yards — led by RB Matthew Spurbeck (29 carries, 152 yards, TD) — and hauled in four interceptions on defense in a shutout of Woodinville. Defending 4A state champion Graham-Kapowsin collected 350 total yards to upend Skyview, which beat 4A SPSL program Puyallup in the district round the week before. Emerald Ridge’s offense scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to top Eastlake, while the defense limited the Wolves to 138 yards of offense and caused four turnovers. Sumner hosts Graham-Kapowsin in the quarterfinals this weekend. The Spartans won the league meeting with the Eagles, 34-31, in September.
▪ Emerald Ridge made program history Saturday night at Sparks Stadium, appearing in the state playoffs for the first time since the school opened in 2000. The Jaguars now head to the state quarterfinals for the first time following the win over Eastlake, and travel to play the only remaining undefeated team in 4A in the bracket’s top seed and MCC champion Chiawana. Emerald Ridge is the only program in the 4A bracket that has not appeared in a state title game in its history.
▪ Three of the eight programs advancing to the quarterfinals — No. 2 Lake Stevens, No. 4 Kennedy Catholic and Emerald Ridge — are still looking to win a state championship for the first time in school history. No. 5 Skyline has the most titles of any program in the 4A bracket with seven, while No. 10 Gonzaga Prep has three, Sumner has two and Chiawana and Graham-Kapowsin, last season’s 4A champion, each have one.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The 4A state quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at sites around the state.
No. 6 Graham-Kapowsin (9-2) vs. No. 3 Sumner (10-1)
7 p.m. Friday, Sunset Chev Stadium, Sumner
No. 10 Gonzaga Prep (9-2) vs. No. 2 Lake Stevens (9-2)
4 p.m. Saturday, Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens
No. 5 Skyline (8-2) vs. No. 4 Kennedy Catholic (10-1)
7 p.m. Friday, Highline Memorial Stadium, Burien
No. 8 Emerald Ridge (9-2) vs. No. 1 Chiawana (10-0)
1 p.m. Saturday, Edgar Brown Stadium, Pasco
CLASS 3A
FIRST ROUND SCORES
No. 11 Stanwood 24, No. 6 Mount Spokane 14
No. 3 O’Dea 42, No. 14 Peninsula 28
No. 7 Ferndale 44, No. 10 Kelso 14
No. 2 Eastside Catholic 29, No. 15 Spanaway Lake 0
No. 5 Bellevue 41, No. 12 Mead 10
No. 4 Lincoln of Tacoma 49, No. 13 Monroe 16
No. 9 Kennewick 9, No. 8 Rainier Beach 7
No. 1 Yelm 51, No. 7 Southridge 7
UPSET ALERT
No. 11 Stanwood traveled east of the mountains and delivered a 10-point win over No. 6 Mount Spokane. RB Ryder Bumgarner rushed for two touchdowns in the win — Stanwood’s first state win since reaching the 2A semifinals in 1996. The challenge now gets bigger for the Spartans, who face a perennial 3A powerhouse in No. 3 O’Dea next. Elsewhere, No. 9 Kennewick edged No. 8 Rainier Beach in a 9-7 defensive battle. Kennewick will be a heavy underdog in its quarterfinals game, facing top-seeded Yelm.
TOP PERFORMERS
RB/DB Ryder Bumgarner, Stanwood, sr.
32 carries, 233 yards, 2 TDs
RB/DB Ishaan Daniels, Bellevue, sr.
6 carries, 124 yards, 2 TDs
RB/LB Sirkeenan Hart, O’Dea, jr.
9 carries, 188 yards, 2 TDs
QB Gabarri Johnson, Lincoln of Tacoma, sr.
18-of-28 passing, 219 yards, 4 TDs; 14 carries, 98 yards, TD
WR/DB Kyler Ronquillo, Yelm, sr.
7 carries, 126 yards, 2 TDs; 5 catches, 143 yards, 2 TDs; 3 tackles, INT; 2-pt conversion run
DID YOU KNOW?
▪ The 3A bracket is still loaded with star power heading into the quarterfinals. Seven of the remaining programs have at least one Power 5 commit or recruit with multiple Power 5 offers listed on their roster.
▪ No team in any classification has put up more points this fall than No. 1 Yelm. The Tornados are averaging 55.6 points per game through 11 weeks, and are the only program that has eclipsed 600 points this season, with 612 at this point. Yelm’s 51-7 win over Southridge was the ninth consecutive game in which the Tornados have scored at least 50 points. Yelm’s 83 points allowed through 11 games — 7.5 per contest — are the fewest in 3A this season.
▪ Half of the teams remaining in the 3A bracket — Yelm, No. 4 Lincoln, No. 9 Kennewick and No. 11 Stanwood — are still seeking their first championships in program history. No. 5 Bellevue, the defending 3A champion, has the most of any program in any of the state brackets with 11 (not including two vacated titles), while No. 2 Eastside Catholic and No. 3 O’Dea each have four in their histories, and No. 7 Ferndale has one.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The 3A state quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at sites around the state.
No. 11 Stanwood (10-1) vs. No. 3 O’Dea (9-1)
1 p.m. Saturday, Memorial Stadium, Seattle
No. 7 Ferndale (9-2) vs. No. 2 Eastside Catholic (10-0)
4 p.m. Saturday, Memorial Stadium, Seattle
No. 5 Bellevue (8-2) vs. No. 4 Lincoln of Tacoma (11-0)
2 p.m. Saturday, Lincoln Bowl, Tacoma
No. 9 Kennewick (9-2) vs. No. 1 Yelm (11-0)
1 p.m. Saturday, Yelm High School, Yelm
CLASS 2A
FIRST ROUND SCORES
No. 6 Anacortes 28, No. 11 West Valley of Spokane 14
No. 3 North Kitsap 31, No. 14 Fife 7
No. 10 Sedro-Woolley 30, No. 7 Tumwater 22
No. 2 W.F. West 29, No. 15 Ephrata 28
No. 5 Othello 49, No. 12 Washington 12
No. 4 Enumclaw 55, No. 13 Olympic 0
No. 8 Highline 30, No. 9 Washougal 27
No. 1 Lynden 54, No. 16 Black Hills 7
UPSET ALERT
No. 10 Sedro-Woolley held off No. 7 Tumwater’s fourth-quarter comeback bid to complete a 30-22 upset on the road. All 30 of those Sedro-Woolley points came in the first half, and the Cubs just needed to hang on from there. Tumwater made it interesting, but ultimately ran out of time. Cubs QB Carsten Reynolds led an offense that scored touchdowns on all four of their first-half possessions. Sedro-Woolley faces another 2A EvCo team next, hitting the road again to play league champion W.F. West. Sedro-Woolley’s upset win snapped a streak of nine consecutive trips to the state quarterfinals for the T-Birds. The last time Tumwater’s season ended in the first round was 2011.
TOP PERFORMERS
RB/LB Brock Beaner, Anacortes, soph.
25 carries, 213 yards, 2 TDs
RB/LB Tucker Land, W.F. West, soph.
23 carries, 107 yards, 3 TDs
RB/DB Emmit Otero, Enumclaw, sr.
13 carries, 172 yards, 2 TDs; 2 tackles
QB Carsten Reynolds, Sedro-Woolley, jr.
5-of-12 passing, 81 yards, TD; 12 carries, 120 yards, TD
WR/DB Logan Sloman, North Kitsap, jr.
2 carries, 23 yards; 5 catches, 94 yards, 2 TDs; 5 tackles, 2 INT
DID YOU KNOW?
▪ No. 3 North Kitsap continues to limit opponents on defense. The Vikings’ 31-7 victory over Fife marked the 10th consecutive game in which the program has allowed an opponent seven points or less. The 41 points North Kitsap has allowed this season — 3.7 per game — is the fewest any program in the state has given up this fall.
▪ No. 4 Enumclaw’s shutout of Olympic was one of five across the six brackets in the first round, and the Hornets’ 55 points scored in the rout were the most of any 11-man program last week. Enumclaw has piled up 569 points through 11 weeks — the Hornets are averaging 51.7 per game — which leads 2A. The only other 11-man teams to score 50-plus points in the first round were defending 2A champion No. 1 Lynden (54) and Yelm (51) in 3A.
▪ No. 8 Highline picked up its first state win in program history, edging visiting No. 9 Washougal on Friday night at Highline Memorial Stadium.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The 2A state quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at sites around the state.
No. 6 Anacortes (9-1) vs. No. 3 North Kitsap (10-1)
6:30 p.m. Friday, North Kitsap High School, Poulsbo
No. 10 Sedro-Woolley (8-2) vs. No. 2 W.F. West (9-1)
1 p.m. Saturday, Tiger Stadium, Centralia
No. 5 Othello (9-1) vs. No. 4 Enumclaw (11-0)
3 p.m. Saturday, Pete’s Pool, Enumclaw
No. 8 Highline (10-1) vs. No. 1 Lynden (10-0)
6 p.m. Friday, Civic Stadium, Bellingham
CLASS 1A
FIRST ROUND SCORES
No. 11 Cashmere 22, No. 6 La Center 17
No. 3 Nooksack Valley 37, No. 14 Riverside 13
No. 10 Mount Baker 37, No. 7 Tenino 26
No. 2 Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls 33, No. 15 Bellevue Christian 6
No. 12 Freeman 28, No. 5 King’s 13
No. 4 Eatonville 28, No. 13 Zillah 0
No. 8 Montesano 24, No. 9 Toppenish 22
No. 1 Royal 41, No. 16 Cascade Christian 7
UPSET ALERT
The three upset wins in 1A were the most in any classification in the first round. The biggest upset was No. 12 Freeman knocking off No. 5 King’s by two touchdowns. Scotties QB Boen Phelps threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another to stun the Knights. Freeman, the lowest remaining seed in any of the six brackets, will travel to play Eatonville in the quarterfinals. Elsewhere, No. 11 Cashmere beat No. 6 La Center and No. 10 Mount Baker upset No. 7 Tenino. RB Marcques George ran for 165 yards and three touchdowns in the win for Mount Baker. Tenino was without standout RB Dylan Spicer much of the way, per reports.
TOP PERFORMERS
QB Joey Brown, Nooksack Valley, jr.
14-of-24 passing, 145 yards, TD; 11 carries, 117 yards, TD
RB/LB Marcques George, Mount Baker, sr.
21 carries, 165 yards, 3 TDs
RB/LB Kaleb Hernandez, Royal, sr.
11 carries, 90 yards, TD; 2 catches, 39 yards, 2 TDs; 3 tackles, TFL
WR/DB Ky Nation, Eatonville, soph.
5 carries, 95 yards, TD; 2 catches, 100 yards, TD
QB/LB Boen Phelps, Freeman, sr.
3 passing TDs; rushing TD
DID YOU KNOW?
▪ No. 1 Royal is the only two-time defending champion in any of the state brackets. The Knights rolled to 14 wins in both 2019 and last fall to secure undefeated 1A titles. Royal has 10 state championships in its history, including five in the past six tournaments.
▪ No. 4 Eatonville has now won four consecutive 1A state playoff games at Art Crate Field in Spanaway, dating back to last season’s run. In those four games, including Friday’s 28-0 shutout of Zillah, the Cruisers have outscored opponents, 159-12.
▪ The four remaining teams on the bottom half of the 1A bracket — Royal (10), Eatonville (three), No. 8 Montesano (three) and No. 12 Freeman (one) — have 17 total state titles in their histories, while No. 11 Cashmere (two) is the only team on the top half of the bracket that has won a championship. No. 2 Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls, No. 3 Nooksack Valley and No. 10 Mount Baker are all seeking their first state titles.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The 1A state quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at sites around the state.
No. 11 Cashmere (9-2) vs. No. 3 Nooksack Valley (8-2)
3 p.m. Saturday, Civic Stadium, Bellingham
No. 10 Mount Baker (7-4) vs. No. 2 Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls (10-0)
4 p.m. Saturday, Union Stadium, Mead
No. 12 Freeman (8-2) vs. No. 4 Eatonville (9-2)
2 p.m. Saturday, Art Crate Field, Spanaway
No. 8 Montesano (9-2) vs. No. 1 Royal (9-1)
1 p.m. Saturday, Royal High School, Royal City
CLASS 2B
FIRST ROUND SCORES
No. 6 Raymond-South Bend 22, No. 11 Goldendale 7
No. 10 Onalaska 30, No. 7 Coupeville 14
No. 5 Toledo 48, No. 12 Kittitas-Thorp 21
No. 8 Liberty of Spangle 28, No. 9 River View 14
UPSET ALERT
No. 10 Onalaska upset No. 7 Coupeville behind a three-touchdown game from RB Rodrigo Rodriguez. The Loggers hit the road again in the quarterfinals to meet undefeated No. 2 Okanogan.
TOP PERFORMERS
RB/LB Geoffrey Glass, Toledo, sr.
25 carries, 155 yards, 3 TDs
RB/LB Jake Jeske, Liberty of Spangle, sr.
2 rushing TDs; passing TD
RB/DB Ferrill Johnson, Raymond-South Bend, sr.
15 carries, 107 yards, TD; tackle, 2-pt conversion run, 2-pt conversion catch
RB/LB Tyler Reidinger, Raymond-South Bend, sr.
28 carries, 158 yards, TD; 17 tackles, 4 1/2 TFL, sack
RB/DB Rodrigo Rodriguez, Onalaska, soph.
17 carries, 80 yards, 3 TDs; INT
DID YOU KNOW?
▪ This 2B classification is the only classification that does not have a defending state champion in the bracket. Kalama, last season’s 2B winner, and winner of three of the past four 2B state championships, dropped a season-ending overtime loss to Raymond-South Bend in the district round.
▪ Southwest District 4 has five representatives in the bracket, including No. 1 Napavine, No. 3 Pe Ell-Willapa Valley, No. 5 Toledo, No. 6 Raymond-South Bend and No. 10 Onalaska.
▪ The top four seeds in the bracket — Napavine, No. 2 Okanogan, Pe Ell-Willapa Valley and No. 4 Chewelah — begin their state playoff runs this week after receiving first-round byes.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The 2B state quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at sites around the state.
No. 6 Raymond-South Bend (9-2) vs. No. 3 Pe Ell-Willapa Valley (7-3)
7 p.m. Friday, Montesano High School, Montesano
No. 10 Onalaska (5-5) vs. No. 2 Okanogan (10-0)
Noon Saturday, Apple Bowl, Wenatchee
No. 5 Toledo (9-1) vs. No. 4 Chewelah (7-2)
3 p.m. Saturday, Lions Field, Moses Lake
No. 8 Liberty of Spangle (8-2) vs. No. 1 Napavine (11-0)
1 p.m. Saturday, Tumwater District Stadium, Tumwater
CLASS 1B
FIRST ROUND SCORES
No. 6 DeSales 54, No. 11 Quilcene 14
No. 7 Wellpinit 26, No. 10 Pomeroy 22
No. 5 Liberty Bell 62, No. 12 Muckleshoot Tribal 0
No. 8 Naselle 64, No. 9 Almira-Coulee-Hartline 6
UPSET ALERT
The only bracket that didn’t have an upset in the first round, each of the four higher-seeded 1B programs advanced to the quarterfinals.
TOP PERFORMERS
QB/LB Joe Baffney, DeSales, sr.
11-of-17 passes, 259 yards, 5 TDs; 119 rushing yards, 3 TDs
TE/LB Colin Hughes, Wellpinit, sr.
223 receiving yards, 4 TDs
RB/DB Luke Johnson, Naselle, sr.
5 carries, 178 yards, 4 TDs
WR/DB Jack Lesko, DeSales, sr.
4 receiving TDs
RB/DL Kolten Lindstrom, Naselle, sr.
12 carries, 196 yards, four TDs; 14 tackles
DID YOU KNOW?
▪ The 1B classification will have a new winner this season after defending state champion Almira-Coulee-Hartline was routed by Naselle, 64-6, in the opening round last weekend in South Bend.
▪ 1B Southeast programs No. 3 Liberty Christian and No. 6 DeSales will meet again Saturday in the quarterfinals. The two teams played a league contest Nov. 4, with Liberty Christian earning a 14-8 victory. The meeting is one of three meetings of league rivals in the six brackets this week. 4A SPSL rivals Sumner and Graham-Kapowsin also play again this week, after the Spartans won the late September meeting, 34-31. 2B Central North programs Pe Ell-Willapa Valley and Raymond-South Bend meet again following a 28-14 Pe Ell-Willapa Valley win in October.
▪ The top four seeds in the bracket — No. 1 Odessa, No. 2 Neah Bay, Liberty Christian and No. 4 Mossyrock — begin their state playoff runs this week after receiving first-round byes.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The 1B state quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at sites around the state.
No. 6 DeSales (9-1) vs. No. 3 Liberty Christian (9-0)
1 p.m. Saturday, Hanford High School, Richland
No. 7 Wellpinit (9-1) vs. No. 2 Neah Bay (9-0)
1 p.m. Saturday, Forks High School, Forks
No. 5 Liberty Bell (9-2) vs. No. 4 Mossyrock (10-0)
5 p.m. Saturday, Tiger Stadium, Centralia
No. 8 Naselle (10-2) vs. No. 1 Odessa (9-0)
Noon Saturday, Lions Field, Moses Lake
This story was originally published November 15, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
