High school football roundup: Enumclaw steamrolls, Gig Harbor snaps Fish Bowl streak
Results, recaps and more from Week 3 high school football contests around the South Sound will be posted on this page Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Find Week 3 scores from games across Washington on our statewide scoring sheet, which will be updated live throughout the weekend.
FRIDAY’S RESULTS (SEPT. 15)
ENUMCLAW 42, STEILACOOM 0
The scoreboard malfunctioned just before Enumclaw scored its fifth touchdown of the first half on the road against Steilacoom on Friday night. For a moment, the scores vanished.
But as much as the home fans probably wished otherwise, flickering lights couldn’t erase the all-too-real thumping happening on the field. The final: Enumclaw 42, Steilacoom 0.
In every way possible, Enumclaw looked the part of a 2A state title contender. Dominant line play, physical running backs, explosive plays in the passing game and a lockdown defense all add up to one question: can Mark Gunderson’s crew bring the hog trailer to Husky Stadium?
“It was huge,” said Enumclaw quarterback Gunnar Trachte, who completed 12-of-14 passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns. “It was a fun game. … Every week is just a test of what we’re about. Tonight I really feel like we showed what our offense is about.”
Enumclaw’s 35 first-half points were confirmation the offense was clicking. The Hornets backed off the gas in the second half. Receiver Karson Holt led the Hornets with 72 yards and a touchdown on six catches. Every Enumclaw running back who touched the ball had success behind a physical Hornets’ offensive line.
“We’ve kind of been off to a slow start the first two weeks, but we were definitely able to just put the pedal to the metal today and we didn’t give up at all,” Holt said. “The defense was able to hold the donut the whole game.”
Steilacoom was largely without its three best skill position players, surely contributing to the lopsided result and struggles on offense. Running back Jaycion Cain tried to give it a go, but was clearly hurt. Receiver Vince Foster was out with an injury, while receiver Jaydus Green still hasn’t played this year, but is nearing a return in coming weeks.
Enumclaw felt snubbed by the state tournament seeding committee last year. If they keep playing like this, it’ll be hard to ignore the Hornets again this time around.
“They’ve gotta be able to look at us for real now,” Holt said.
Enumclaw moves to 3-0 on the season and will face a resurgent Orting squad next week.
GIG HARBOR 21, PENINSULA 20
Gig Harbor’s Tides could have folded as they watched their starting quarterback lay motionless for 30 minutes on the turf at Roy Anderson field. Koi Calhoun had just thrown his second interception of the game and downfield from the actual play, Calhoun took a vicious hit from a Peninsula defender.
Thirty minutes later, paramedics finally got the junior onto a board, lifted him to a stretcher, and got him off the field.
The Tides could have given up when Landon Watson pushed in from one yard away to give Peninsula a two-score lead in the 45th annual Fish Bowl game.
Instead, backup quarterback Benji Parks, a senior who began the year as the starting tight end because college coaches want to see him play there, led two touchdown drives in the final six minutes as Gig Harbor erased the deficit for a 21-20 victory.
It is the first win for the Tides in the series in eight years.
“I was ready,” Parks said. “I knew I was the backup tonight.”
Parks is the third quarterback in two games that Gig Harbor has had to use. A week ago, Calhoun came in for an injured Tyler Stowers and led the Tides to a non-conference victory over Bonney Lake. Friday, it was Parks’ turn to come in in relief to earn a win in both teams’ South Sound Conference opener.
“Facing an injury on that, on a play like that, shouldn’t happen,” Gig Harbor coach Darrin Reeves said. “But our guys rallied and played for each other. I hate to see a guy hurt, but I think it helped us to realize we have to play to protect each other. They weren’t going to lose.”
Gig Harbor got the comeback started by partially blocking the extra point try after Watson’s TD run. Parks then completed three consecutive passes to lead Gig Harbor 65 yards in 1:01, culminated by a 27-yard touchdown strike to Liam Green with 4:54 to go.
The Tides then forced a three-and-out from Peninsula, getting the ball back at the Seahawk 44-yard line with 2:57 left. Five plays later, Parks did it himself with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:00 left on the clock.
Lucas LaFaive paid it off with the point after touchdown kick. Peninsula advanced to midfield in the final minute but couldn’t pull off the miracle. Parks completed 9-of-11 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown. The senior also carried it three times for six yards and the game-winning score.
“I couldn’t say enough about Benji, the kid he is,” Reeves said. “He’s a good quarterback as you saw tonight. He’s a great athlete. We’re trying to play him as a tight end mainly, really for his future.”
EMERALD RIDGE 42, SUMNER 28
Emerald Ridge rallied from an early two-touchdown deficit, piled up 554 yards of offense, and held off the Spartans late in a key 42-28 victory at Sparks Stadium to remain undefeated in 4A SPSL play.
“This was huge,” Jaguars receiver Gio Kafentzis said. “I know that last year we went down there, we beat them, and this year they were going to have a chip on their shoulder. Especially after losing to Curtis. … (Being down) 14-0, it definitely hit, but we’ve been through that.
“So, we just kept grinding. We knew that we needed this, and with all of these players we’ve got, we can do it.”
Sumner opened Friday night’s contest in Puyallup with a 17-play scoring drive that took nearly eight minutes off the clock. Quarterback Tristen Rebar connected with tight end Carter Cocke for a 14-yard touchdown to give the Spartans the game’s first lead.
Three minutes later, after a quick Jaguars punt, Rebar found Braylon Pope for a 39-yard score to push Sumner’s lead to 14-0 by the quarter break.
But, the Jaguars evened the score by halftime. Jake Schakel tossed a short pass to Kafentzis near the sideline, and Kafentzis dove for the pylon to get Emerald Ridge on the board with 10:35 to play in the second.
Schakel added another 4-yard passing touchdown to Kajon Babcock on Emerald Ridge’s next drive, and a pass to Kafentzis on the two-point try made it 14-14.
The Jaguars took their first lead on the opening drive of the third quarter, when Schakel again connected with Kafentzis for a 5-yard score, but Sumner took the lead back minutes later on a 1-yard keeper by Rebar.
Emerald Ridge didn’t take the game’s final lead until the 2:14 mark in the third on a 3-yard run by Navarre Dixon. Sumner punted on the ensuing drive, and Kafentzis gave the Jaguars a 35-21 advantage early in the fourth on a 29-yard swing pass from Schakel.
The Spartans answered with a quick four-play drive and 14-yard scoring run by reigning 4A SPSL MVP Matthew Spurbeck to make it 35-28 with 8:41 to play, but were shut out from there.
Following a Jaguars fumble with 2:07 to play, Sumner drove as far as the Emerald Ridge 21, but Sean Tutty intercepted a pass in the end zone with 1:11 left. Kafentzis then hauled in a short pass from Schakel on the next play, and took it 79 yards to the Spartans 1. Dixon rushed for the 1-yard score moments later to close out the 42-28 victory.
Schakel completed 22-of-32 passes for 396 yards and the four touchdowns, while Tony Harste led the Jaguars with eight catches for 179 yards and Kafentzis had nine receptions for 167 yards and the three touchdowns. Dixon added 20 carries for 123 yards and the two scores.
Rebar was 11-of-22 for 149 yards and the two passing touchdowns, and added seven carries for 41 yards and the one rushing touchdown. Spurbeck led Sumner with 14 carries for 142 yards, while Steele Isaacs added 98 yards on 19 attempts.
The Spartans (1-2) have now lost their past two, including Friday night’s loss and last week’s to Curtis, following season-opening shutout of Bellarmine Prep. Sumner hosts valley rival Puyallup next Friday.
“As long as we keep getting better, we’ll be fine,” longtime coach Keith Ross said. “There’s been a lot of teams that have come out of our league 7-2 or 6-3 and done a lot of damage. I think we proved tonight that we’re as good as anybody out here.”
Emerald Ridge (3-0) remains undefeated in 4A SPSL play, and travels to play another undefeated program in Curtis next Friday.
YELM 56, CENTRAL KITSAP 6
Damian Aalona’s five passing touchdowns and Yelm’s 598 yards of total offense lifted the Tornados to a rout over Central Kitsap on Friday night.
Yelm’s QB1 was efficient, accurate, and effective — Aalona completed 22-of-27 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns. Yelm added 200 rushing yards.
Three of Aalona’s five passing scores went to brother Marius, who posted a monster 9-220-3 line as Yelm’s WR1.
And all five of Aalona’s touchdowns came in the first half, as Yelm soon turned to backup-QB Parker Myers. Aalona also found Onyx Carter for an 8-yard touchdown in the first, and hit Jacob Tracy for a 20-yard score in the third.
Brayden Platt ripped off a 24-yard touchdown to open scoring.
Anthony Kiamco did it all — he took three carries for 52 yards and a touchdown, grabbed four receptions for 65 yards, and posted a team-high eight tackles as a Yelm LB.
Yelm’s Arlo Henderson added an interception.
GRAHAM-KAPOWSIN 27, OLYMPIA 13
Daveon Superales threw three touchdowns to Malachi Durant, and Graham-Kapowsin handled Olympia in a 4A SPSL-clash on Friday night.
Superales completed 30-of-44 passes for 313 yards with three scores, and RB Alele Fa’apito-Leao took 12 carries for 38 yards and a touchdown.
Durant, an Oregon State commit, grabbed seven receptions for a team-high 126 yards and three touchdowns.
WR Jabez Woods logged 56 yards on seven receptions, four for first downs.
DE Levi Turner posted a team-high 7.5 tackles.
BONNEY LAKE 29, LAKES 26
Marcus Lloyd’s last of 13 carries was the dagger — a 20-yard touchdown run that gave Bonney Lake a fourth-quarter comeback and victory over Lakes at Harry Lang Stadium on Friday night.
A contest with five total lead changes ultimately fell Bonney Lake’s way.
Panthers QB Brayden Palmer rushed for three touchdowns and torched the Lancers on the ground much more than through the air (86 passing yards). Lloyd’s 20-yard scamper was Bonney Lake’s fourth, enough for a road win against a state-caliber Lakes team.
Bonney Lake’s defense surrendered only 45 rushing yards. Lakes QB Legend Galeai completed 10-of-22 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns, both to Julian Leblanc.
Palmer scored twice in the second quarter, from 4 and 11 yards. His third rushing touchdown went for 19 yards and gave Bonney Lake a fourth-quarter lead.
Lakes’ E’lijah McChristian then found Exavier for a 60-yard touchdown, but the lead slipped away when Lloyd took his 20-yarder to the house.
AUBURN 33, AUBURN MOUNTAINVIEW 30
Auburn churned 262 rushing yards, and WR Luvens Valcin posted a 5-81-2 line in a victory over rival-Auburn Mountainview.
The win keeps Auburn in control of its destiny for a 3A NPSL title repeat. Five league contests remain, including a regular-season finale with Auburn Riverside (Oct. 27) that could become the de facto title game.
Trojans QB DJ Bielza completed 9-of-15 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns, both to Valcin.
Auburn Mountainview QB Elijah Baird went 17-of-32 for 205 yards. The Lions never established the run game, held to 39 total rushing yards on 25 carries.
THURSDAY’S RESULTS (SEPT. 14)
MOUNT TAHOMA 26, SPANAWAY LAKE 14
After two weeks of playing quality opponents to within one score but coming up short, the Mount Tahoma Thunderbirds found the answers to open their 3A PCL schedule.
Mount Tahoma scored on its first three possessions against host Spanaway Lake, another perennial power, and withstood a comeback attempt to record a 26-14 victory at Art Crate Field on Thursday.
Brison Bailey’s second touchdown run of the game, with 11 minutes, 53 seconds to play, gave Mount Tahoma (1-2) a two-score advantage for the third time in the game and the T-Birds shut down the Sentinels (1-2) offense over the entire second half.
“You know, for us it was a hurdle,” T-Birds coach Keith Terry said. “For us to play the right way, after the 0-2 start. We played two very good opponents and it prepped us for this.”
Mount Tahoma lost by three, 24-21, to 2A powerhouse North Kitsap, then hosted 4A Eastlake and played to a 35-28 loss.
The experience paid off against Spanaway Lake. Mount Tahoma put together drives of 63, 49 and 65 yards over the first 15:03 of the game to take a 20-7 lead on Bailey’s first score, a 2-yard plunge, with 8:57 left in the first half.
Only the single big run of the game from D’Aryhian Clemons interrupted the run. Clemons went 65 yards for the Sentinels first score with 41 seconds left in the first quarter to make it a 14-7 game.
Mount Tahoma led it 20-14 at the half.
“It just feels great to get a win,” Bailey said. “My first three years, it was like losing seasons so it feels great to win.”
Bailey carried the ball 27 times overall for 178 yards and those two touchdowns. Clemons had 86 yards and the long touchdown on just eight touches.
CURTIS 35, BETHEL 20
Curtis quarterback Rocco Koch added five more touchdowns to bring his season tally to 16, and paced the Vikings to a third consecutive 4A SPSL win Thursday night in University Place.
The Vikings are now 3-0 for the first time since 2018, following a statement win over Sumner last week and a convincing victory over Olympia in Week 1.
But Bethel’s defense kept the Vikings out of the end zone on their first three drives, and for nearly three minutes into the second quarter Thursday.
The Bison took the game’s first lead with 10:27 to play in the second on a 9-yard run by Roy Lockley III, but Curtis, following two punts and a turnover in the first quarter, answered with the tying score less than a minute later.
The Vikings scored on back-to-back possessions in the second — on a pair of touchdown passes from Koch to Micah Yanos (44 yards) and Xavier Ahrens (11) — to take a 14-7 lead they never lost into the break.
“Second quarter, started to turn it up, got more energy with the guys,” Koch said.
The Vikings scored on each of their first three drives in the second half, eventually leading by as many as 21.
Koch connected with Ahrens again on a 17-yard touchdown pass midway through the third, and added a 39-yard rushing score on Curtis’ next possession.
Bethel responded with a 23-yard scoring pass from Vashon Igitol to Zaydrius Rainey-Sale midway through the fourth to make it 28-14, but Curtis pushed the lead back to three touchdowns seven plays later on an 8-yard pass from Koch to Parker Mady.
Lockley added a 3-yard scoring run on Bethel’s next drive, but the Vikings’ lead was out of reach by then.
Koch paced Curtis in both passing and rushing, completing 10-of-14 passes for 198 yards and four touchdowns and adding 157 yards and another score on 22 carries.
Ahrens had six catches for 73 yards and the two touchdowns, and Mady added three catches for 72 yards and the score. Yanos and Kane Able added interceptions for the Vikings on defense.
Lockley (25 carries, 134 yards) and Elijah Pula (nine carries, 100 yards) led a Bethel rushing attack that piled up 259 yards. Rainey-Sale led the Bison with two catches for 41 yards and the touchdown, and caused a fumble on defense.
Bethel (1-2) travels to play Rogers in another 4A SPSL contest next Friday, while Curtis hosts another league title contender in Emerald Ridge.
BELLARMINE PREP 27, ROGERS 3
Bellarmine Prep’s defense kept Rogers out of the end zone, a devastating performance in their 27-3 win over the Rams on Thursday night.
The Lions took a one-possession lead into halftime and tacked on touchdowns in each of the third and fourth quarters.
In wins over Bethel and Rogers over the last seven days, the Lions surrendered only three total points — their victory over the Bison last Friday came via 3-0 shutout.
PUYALLUP 17, SOUTH KITSAP 0
The Vikings posted a shutout, and a pair of rushing touchdowns pushed Puyallup over South Kitsap on Thursday night.
Mason Grant (3 yards) and Ty Balzarini (1 yard) scored in the second and third quarters, respectively, and Luke Faccone added a 30-yard field goal.
Freshman quarterback Brayden Paulino completed 15-of-20 passes for 150 yards, while leading receiver Nick Neil grabbed six passes for 88 yards.
AUBURN RIVERSIDE 34, THOMAS JEFFERSON 14
The Ravens piled 230 rushing yards to Thomas Jefferson’s 12 — a nod to Auburn Riverside’s deep linebacking core in a contest that soon turned one-sided.
Ravens quarterback Andrew Wold threw three touchdowns on just 14 passes, an efficient showing despite Auburn Riverside’s commitment to the run. Four Ravens tallied 35-plus rushing yards: Kyree Wright (91), Mika Petaia (45), Thyrou Umi-Tuato’o (40), and Jonathan Epperson (35). Wright paced the group with nine carries.
Wold found wide receiver Cole Svendsen for 18- and 12-yard touchdown passes in the first quarter.
Andrew Shrader hauled in a 21-yard touchdown from Wold in the final minute of the first half.
Auburn Riverside’s Anthony Marchetti took his lone carry for an 11-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Umi-Tuato’o soon added the dagger with a 37-yard rushing score.
ORTING 42, WHITE RIVER 14
Orting’s run game again asserted its dominance — three Cardinals scored touchdowns on the ground to help trounce White River in a 2A SPSL showdown on Thursday night.
Orting running backs Shiron Seniours and Kaiden Whittaker scored two rushing touchdowns apiece, Carson McCall tallied two total touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving), and quarterback Zach Gemar threw a touchdown pass in a contest that soon turned all-Orting.
Midway through the fourth quarter, and ahead 35-0, the Cardinals pulled their starters.
“The way we swarm-tackled … we have this philosophy, and our guys were reacting really well,” coach Tom Bannan said. “One guy would get there, and then four more would tack on.”
The Cardinals are 3-0, emerging as a true contender in the 2A SPSL. Defending league champion Enumclaw still stands in their way, but the Cardinals get their chance to knock off the state contender next Friday night in Orting.
“I think both of our teams are similar in terms of their tenacity and toughness,” Bannan said. “Those Enumclaw boys are just tougher than nails. Physical, they come after you. And I feel like we’re kind of the same thing.”
SATURDAY’S RESULTS (SEPT. 16)
CASCADE CHRISTIAN 26, EATONVILLE 0
Cascade Christian will enter 1A Nisqually League play next week still undefeated following another convincing victory Saturday night at Sunset Chev Stadium.
The Cougars (3-0) scored the eventual game-winning rushing touchdown in the first quarter, and added three more in a 26-0 shutout of Eatonville to close out their nonleague schedule with a third consecutive double-digit victory. They also have earlier wins over Cedar Park Christian (34-18) and Elma (40-20).
Cascade Christian opened scoring in Saturday’s victory in Sumner with 3:52 to play in the first quarter, capitalizing on a Cruisers fumble at their own 18 with a quick four-play drive completed by Jack Tangen’s 6-yard rushing touchdown.
The Cougars pushed their lead to 13-0 less than four minutes later, when Byson Vasquez completed another quick drive with a 26-yard rushing touchdown at the first quarter buzzer.
Tangen added another 3-yard rushing touchdown on the opening possession of the third quarter, and Kai Mingming added a fourth Cougars score on a 5-yard run midway through the fourth to close out the win.
Meanwhile, Cascade Christian’s defense kept the Cruisers out of the end zone throughout the contest, limiting them to 113 yards of total offense and causing three turnovers and three turnovers on downs.
“We challenged our defense all week,” Cougars coach Devin Snyder said. “We knew it was going to come down to them and how physical they could be, and man they set the tone the first couple drives and we just built off of that.”
Tangen paced the Cougars in rushing with 15 carries for 84 yards and the two touchdowns, while Mingming added 75 yards and the fourth-quarter score on 14 carries. Jackson Almond led Cascade Christian in receiving with eight catches for 74 yards, and had an interception on defense.
“A lot of those same guys play both sides of the ball, so when they set the tone on defense, that momentum just swung right over to the offense,” Snyder said.
Cascade Christian hosts East Jefferson next Saturday to open 1A Nisqually play, while Eatonville (1-2) travels to play Bellevue Christian in another nonleague game next Saturday.
This story was originally published September 14, 2023 at 11:26 PM.
