Can Yelm go back-to-back? Tornados’ state 3A football title defense begins in September
Jason Ronquillo compared the Yelm High School football team’s current position to standing on top of a mountain.
“The air is super thin,” said Ronquillo, the Tornados’ 11th-year coach. “Everybody below you is shooting arrows at you, wanting you to fall.”
Perhaps a bit theatrical, but the point is well taken: after winning the program’s first Class 3A state championship last fall, Yelm is on top, and its peers in the 3A South Sound Conference and around the state would love nothing more than to knock the Tornados off.
Of course, that’ll be easier said than done. While Yelm lost TNT All-Area and all-state selection and “Swiss army knife” Kyler Ronquillo (Jason’s son) to graduation, the cupboard is far from bare for the reigning state champions, who are among the teams in contention for the title this fall once again.
Running back and linebacker Brayden Platt, the state’s top-ranked recruit, returns for his senior year. He was unstoppable last year, rushing for 1,242 yards and 24 Tds on 132 carries and catching 12 passes for 227 yards and another touchdown. At linebacker, he tallied 69 tackles, including five for loss, and had an interception.
“You’ve gotta work harder to stay on the top, so we’ve kept that in mind, kept working and trying to do our best,” Platt told the TNT at practice last week. “We definitely have improved, at least with my class, gelling together, definitely becoming more of like a team. Our defensive front has definitely gotten a lot better.”
He’s joined in the linebackers room by senior Isaiah Patterson, a UCLA commit who went from 195 pounds his sophomore year to 236 now, also shooting up three inches in that time span. Carrying that extra weight last season was a challenge for Patterson, but he feels used to it now.
“I feel much bigger, stronger, faster and have gotten much leaner,” he said. “Last year, I just wasn’t used to carrying the weight. This year, I’ve gotten exponentially faster. I feel just as fast, if not faster than I was at 195.”
Together, they form one of the state’s most intimidating linebacker duos. Senior quarterback Damian Aalona returns as a second-year starter, while reigning 3A SSC lineman of the year Landen Barger is also a senior. With Onyx Carter and Kenji Scanlan on the defensive line, the defense looks strong on paper. Yelm’s question mark will be on offense. Specifically, how do the Tornados replace the production of Kyler Ronquillo, who was as versatile an offensive weapon as there was in Washington last season?
“I think we have a few young receivers who can step into the role,” Platt said. “Not immediately fill the shoes completely but we can do other things.”
Senior receiver Marius Aalona figures to step into a larger role this season at receiver. Aside from replacing Ronquillo, Yelm’s biggest challenge will be finding new motivation. Last year’s run was fueled by bulletin board material, fiery speeches, pro-level trash talking from Ronquillo and a team-wide edge and a burning desire to make history and be the first group to ever win a title at Yelm. That carrot is no longer dangling in front of the Tornados.
“It’s super easy to fall into that trip, especially for the younger guys,” Patterson said. “You kind of feel like you’re on top of the world, you’ve won everything. At the end of the day, we still have a job to do. We’re gonna try to win another state championship. Making sure you’re holding each other accountable, showing up to workouts, grinding like you’re at the bottom of the mountain.”
The state championship trophy, by the way? It resides in Yelm’s weight room, a fitting setting for a program that prides itself on strength and conditioning. Yelm opens the season on the road against Camas on Friday, Sept. 1.
This story was originally published August 22, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
