TNT readers say this football team was best title-winning team in South Sound in 2022-23
The 2022-23 school year brought plenty of high school state championships to the South Sound, from the Yelm football team steamrolling its way through the state’s best competition last fall, to the Peninsula softball team hoisting the 3A state championship trophy this spring, and many others along the way.
Tacoma News Tribune readers voted for the Yelm High School Tornados football team as the best championship-winning team from the 2022-23 school year.
The Tornados won the program’s first state championship in unforgettable fashion, beating Eastside Catholic in the 3A state championship game, 20-13, thanks to a play from wide receiver Kyler Ronquillo that we’ll never forget. Yelm’s quarterback floated a pass into the hands of Eastside Catholic defender Tyson Weaver, before Ronquillo ripped the ball away and sprinted 28 yards into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.
The play made rounds on social media, even appearing nationally on SportsCenter. The championship capped off a perfect 14-0 season for Yelm, during which the Tornados led 3A in scoring average (49.7 points per game) and scoring average against (10.7), and piled up 449.4 yards of offense per game and 95 total touchdowns. Ronquillo, national recruit Brayden Platt and linebacker Ray Wright were named to TNT’s 2022 All-Area team.
Read about all of the local state championship teams from the 2022-23 school year, and find the final poll at the bottom of the list.
THE CONTENDERS
Yelm football (3A)
The Tornados won the program’s first state championship in unforgettable fashion, beating Eastside Catholic in the 3A state championship game, 20-13, thanks to a play from wide receiver Kyler Ronquillo that we’ll never forget. Yelm’s quarterback floated a pass into the hands of Eastside Catholic defender Tyson Weaver, before Ronquillo ripped the ball away and sprinted 28 yards into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.
The play made rounds on social media, even appearing nationally on SportsCenter. The championship capped off a perfect 14-0 season for Yelm, during which the Tornados led 3A in scoring average (49.7 points per game) and scoring average against (10.7), and piled up 449.4 yards of offense per game and 95 total touchdowns. Ronquillo, national recruit Brayden Platt and linebacker Ray Wright were named to TNT’s 2022 All-Area team.
Graham-Kapowsin volleyball (4A)
What a run for the 4A state tournament’s No. 7 seed, which raced through the bracket to win the state title behind the efforts of feared outside hitter and three-time TNT All-Area player of the year Hailey Brockway. In two Saturday contests, Brockway and the Eagles upset a pair of top-four seeds — first in the semifinals against No. 3 Mount Rainier and later over No. 4 Lake Stevens for the state title. Brockway stormed atop leaderboards amid her senior season and Graham-Kapowsin’s title run. Her 551 kills and 6.4 kills per set led all classifications, and her .342 hitting percentage ranked 13th in the state.
Tahoma girls cross country (4A)
The Bears won the second title in program history, and first since 2011, in November at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco. All seven Tahoma competitors finished in the top 65 overall, and the Bears were the only program with an average team time under 20 minutes at 19:57.2. Tahoma’s top five placers were all in the top 40, led by senior Kate Sanders, who finished 18th overall at 19:22.8. Senior Julia Stuard, junior Ashlyn Dary, senior Anika Nau and senior Kylie Castleman rounded out the top five for Tahoma, which posted a team score of 116. Senior Sara Sanders finished ahead of second-place Issaquah’s sixth runner, giving the Bears the eventual tiebreaker over the Eagles, who also tallied 116 points.
Central Kitsap girls cross country (3A)
Sophomore Clare Herring was second overall at 18:24.1, and each of Central Kitsap’s top five placers finished in the top 30 to lead the Cougars to the first championship in program history in November at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco, following a runner-up finish in the 3A team race in 2022. Freshman Audra Palmer, sophomore Taylor Palmer, senior Catherine Vlach and junior Camryn Bishoff rounded out the top five to give Central Kitsap a winning score of 70, ahead of 3A SSC rival Gig Harbor (89). All seven of Central Kitsap’s runners placed in the top 50 overall, with an average team time of 19:34.1.
Pope John Paul II girls cross country (2B/1B)
After winning titles in both 2019 and 2021, the Eagles topped the podium again in November at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco. Led by senior Moriah Steinbrecher, who placed 11th overall at 21:46.4, Pope John Paul II edged Garfield-Palouse, 48-47, in the team race to secure the program’s third consecutive championship and third overall. The Eagles’ top five placers, including Steinbrecher, sophomore Adeline Hecht, junior Taylor Ames, senior Bella Kondrat and sophomore Isabella Salvador all placed in the top 25 overall. Each of the Eagles’ seven competitors finished in the top 65.
Curtis boys basketball (4A)
The Vikings defeated 4A SPSL rival Olympia in the state championship game at the Tacoma Dome, 49-43, winning back-to-back 4A titles. Curtis superstar Zoom Diallo, TNT’s 2023 All-Area player of the year and state player of the year, scored a game-high 21 points in the title game. He averaged a tournament-best 21.3 points per game in Curtis’ three wins over Camas in the quarterfinals, Federal Way in the semifinals and Olympia in the championship game, on the way to back-to-back tournament MVP honors. Diallo averaged 20.2 points, 5.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals this season, also pacing the Vikings to back-to-back 4A SPSL tournament and 4A District 3/4 titles. He scored 1,405 career points in three seasons at Curtis. Point Loma-bound guard Tyce Paulsen, also a TNT All-Area selection, holds the career scoring record at Curtis, after piling up 1,506 points the past four seasons.
The championship was the fifth for Curtis coach Tim Kelly, who is one of eight boys basketball coaches in the state to win five state championships, guiding the Vikings to their past three (2023, 2022 and 2013) and Lincoln to 4A championships in back-to-back seasons in 2001 and 2002. It’s the last we’ll see of Diallo in a Curtis uniform — he recently announced he’s transferring to a prep school in California for his final high school season.
Orting boys wrestling (2A)
We saw the signs of a budding 2A dynasty a couple years ago and the Cardinals haven’t disappointed. In March, Orting repeated as the 2A wrestling state champion at Mat Classic XXXIV at the Tacoma Dome. Orting piled up 258.5 points to take first place, well ahead of the rest of the 2A podium programs in W.F. West (132), Othello (126) and Burlington-Edison (99.5). Orting coach Jody Coleman had a permanent seat at the edge of the 2A mat during the finals matches, as six Cardinals wrestlers — Dominic Thomas (106), Michael Fritz (113), A.J. Salguero (120), Quentin Harding (126), Bryan Dickerson (132) and Apollo Cruz (138) — won state titles. Salguero was also named to TNT’s 2023 list of Untouchables, the state’s most dominant high school wrestlers.
Curtis girls bowling (4A)
The Vikings won the 4A state bowling title at Bowlero South Seattle with a final pin score of 7,264. Senior Sienna Stoner led the Vikings in individual scoring, finishing in second place overall with a pin total of 1,139. Junior Megan Lelli finished just six pins behind her teammate at 1,133, good enough to tie for third place along with Wenatchee’s Ava Porter. Senior Brenna Winders took 22nd with a total of 948 pins.
Tumwater baseball (2A)
Brayden Oram delivered the game-winning walkoff hit against No. 5 Lynden in the 2A state championship game, sealing a 2-1 T-Birds win and back-to-back state titles for Tumwater. T-Birds’ coach Lyle Overbay was named TNT’s 2023 All-Area coach of the year, while his son, Alex Overbay, was a first-team selection. Alex Overbay, the 2A EvCo MVP and a UNLV commit, posted a 10-0 record and 0.66 ERA on the mound. He hit .388 with 20 runs scored, 10 doubles, five home runs , 25 RBI and eight stolen bases.
Peninsula softball (3A)
Alli Kimball was sensational in the postseason for the Seahawks, stifling Snohomish’s hitters in a 4-1 win in the 3A state championship game to deliver Peninsula’s first state softball title. She also provided the big blow offensively, too, hitting a three-run home run to put the Seahawks ahead for good. Kimball was named TNT’s 2023 All-Area player of the year after leading the Seahawks to a second consecutive 3A SSC title, a 3A District 3/4 championship and the first 3A state title in program history. She posted a 20-2 record and 1.07 ERA, striking out 250 batters across 143 1/3 innings. Also hit .552 with 25 runs scored, nine doubles, a triple, five home runs and 39 RBI. Outfielder Malia Coit was also a TNT All-Area selection, hitting eight of her 13 total home runs in the postseason. On the season, she hit .542 with 13 home runs, 14 stolen bases and 37 RBI.
Federal Way boys track and field (4A)
The Eagles swept the high jump, long jump and triple jump, and reached the podium in eight events to post a winning score of 79.5 and secure the fourth team championship in program history. A season after finishing runner-up to Lake Stevens on the final race of the three-day meet at Mount Tahoma Stadium in Tacoma, the Eagles led throughout this May, besting the Vikings (63 points), Kamiak (52) and 4A NPSL rival Kentridge (43) to add their fourth title in the past decade after also winning the 4A team championship in 2013, 2014 and 2016. Senior Roman Hutchinson reached the podium in four events, including winning both the long jump and triple jump. Senior Jaylon Jenkins won the high jump, and placed fourth in the long jump and second in the triple jump. Senior Andre Jordan also reached the podium in four events, including placing third in the 100, fifth in the 200 and third in the long jump. Senior Julian Gene Fortin placed third in both the high jump and triple jump. Freshman Alex Thach placed seventh in the 800 and junior Sam Wah eighth in the 110 hurdles. The Eagles’ 4x100 relay team of sophomore Austin May, Jordan, junior Xavier Garms-Huricks and Hutchinson placed third.
Emerald Ridge girls track and field (4A)
The Jaguars won the first team championship in program history in May at Mount Tahoma Stadium in Tacoma, posting 67 points to earn the title ahead of defending champion and 4A SPSL rival Curtis (50), Federal Way (46) and Skyline (44.5). Sophomore JaiCieonna Gero-Holt reached the podium in four events for the second consecutive season, won repeat championships in the 100 hurdles and high jump, added a title in the javelin to bring her career championship total to six, and placed second in the long jump. Senior Emme Bates placed second in the 800 and fourth in the 1,600. Junior Mikayla Gardley also reached the podium in the 300 hurdles (second), junior Emma Morrison in the shot put (eighth), junior Addison Ogden in the discus (seventh) and junior Grace Wesenberg in the high jump (fourth).
Yelm boys track and field (3A)
Four individual championships in field events paced Yelm to the second team title in program history, and first since 2002, in May at Mount Tahoma Stadium in Tacoma. The Tornados posted a winning total of 59 points — led by individual titles from senior Trevontay Smith (triple jump, 3A meet-record 50-4 1/2), junior Brayden Platt (shot put, back-to-back championships) junior Isaiah Patterson (discus) and junior Jordan Lasher (pole vault) — to best Mount Spokane (51.5 points), defending champion Walla Walla (42) and Bishop Blanchet (40). Smith also reached the podium in the long jump (second), Platt in the javelin (second) and Lasher in the 110 hurdles (sixth).
Tumwater girls track and field (2A)
Trailing by three points entering the final race of the three-day meet in May at Mount Tahoma Stadium in Tacoma, the T-Birds’ 4x400 relay team of freshman Cassidy Hedin, sophomore Ava Jones, sophomore Reese Heryford and junior Annabelle Clapp raced to a victory, giving Tumwater the needed points to secure a second consecutive team championship. The T-Birds tallied all 51 of their total points on the final day to win the second title in program history, besting Sehome (48), Bellingham (35) and Orting (35). Hedin, Clapp, Heryford and Jones also won a title in the 4x200 relay to open the final day of races. Clapp also won an individual title in the 400 and placed third in the 800, while Jones reached the podium in both the 100 (sixth) and 200 (second) and Heryford in the 400 (fifth).
Evergreen Lutheran boys track and field (1B)
The Eagles tied with Mary Walker at 56-56 to earn a share of the team title — the first in Evergreen Lutheran’s program history — in May at Zaepfel Stadium in Yakima. Senior Sam Plocher reached the podium in all four events he competed in, including winning individual championships in the 110 hurdles (1B meet-record 14.72) and 300 hurdles, and placing second in the high jump. Senior Jack Pittenger won the javelin, placed fourth in the triple jump and sixth in the 300 hurdles. Senior Ryan Henning placed eighth in the 1,600. The Eagles’ 4x100 relay team of sophomore Kaden Hintz, junior Collins Sugut, junior Nathan Grassell and sophomore Jace Lovely placed fourth, while the 4x400 relay team of Plocher, Hintz, senior Tadeus Doviak and Henning placed fifth.
Sumner boys golf (4A)
Spartans’ sophomore Ryan Takeshita birdied the par-5 18th at the Creek at Qulachan in Spokane to cap off a two-under-par day and seven-under-par tournament to win the 4A individual title, leading Sumner to the 4A team title, as well. It was the first state championship in the program’s history. Sumner’s Brock Maulding tallied seven birdies and posted a second-round 69 to finish in a tie for third. Kyle Martin (T41) and Delsyn Watkins (T28) fortified Sumner’s title win, a combined 17-shot victory (+5) over runner-up Bellarmine Prep (+22).
This story was originally published June 26, 2023 at 2:17 PM.
