Week 3: What we learned from this week’s high school football games in the South Sound
Week 3 of the high school football season is in the books. TNT high school sports reporters Jon Manley, Lauren Smith and Tyler Wicke discuss what stood out from this week’s action.
What’s your biggest takeaway from Week 3?
Manley: While I was watching Enumclaw’s 42-0 rout of Steilacoom on the road, I wondered: Can Mark Gunderson and his crew bring the hog trailer to Husky Stadium? Enumclaw looks the part of 2A state title contender and the undefeated Hornets put together their most complete performance of the season so far in Friday night’s win. They win up front, have several physical running backs, QB Gunnar Trachte finds WR Karson Holt often in the passing game and their defense flies around. Enumclaw was frustrated last year; the Hornets felt snubbed by the state tournament seeding committee, which moved North Kitsap ahead of them at the eleventh hour. If Enumclaw keeps playing like this, it’ll be tough to ignore them this time around.
Smith: The 4A SPSL continues to deliver must-watch games week after week. In Week 2, Curtis upended defending league champion Sumner to establish the Vikings as a 4A SPSL title contender. In Week 3, Emerald Ridge rallied from an early 14-point deficit against the Spartans in another tough matchup to remain undefeated. Curtis, Emerald Ridge and perennial power Graham-Kapowsin are all 3-0, and still don’t count out Sumner with six regular season games remaining. Curtis hosts Emerald Ridge on Friday. Graham-Kapowsin visits Sumner in Week 5 and Curtis in Week 6. Emerald Ridge hosts Graham-Kapowsin in Week 8. All of these are can’t-miss contests in the 4A SPSL title race. Keep an eye on the 3A PCL standings, too. The league gets three postseason spots, and several programs could contend. Bonney Lake upset league power Lakes on Friday, while Mount Tahoma picked up a win over Spanaway Lake to open 3A PCL play. Two-time defending 3A PCL champion Lincoln begins league play with a key matchup on the road Friday at Mount Tahoma.
Wicke: There’s parity everywhere, and it appears a handful of league trophies are up for grabs in 2023. Lauren mentioned wild rides in the 4A SPSL and 3A PCL, and she’s right — but the 3A NPSL feels wide open after Auburn took down Auburn Mountainview (don’t forget about Auburn Riverside), and the 2A SPSL may very well come down to this week’s clash between Enumclaw and Orting.
Which team impressed you most in Week 3?
Manley: Again, Enumclaw, but I’ll mention a couple others. I liked Emerald Ridge’s 42-28 win over reigning 4A SPSL champion Sumner, mostly because of how the game shook out. Trailing by a couple TDs early, QB Jake Schakel and co. never wavered, chipping away at the deficit before an eventual comfortable win. I thought it showed poise from a senior-heavy, veteran group. Being able to dig out of an early hole should serve the Jaguars well in the postseason. I was also impressed by Cascade Christian’s 26-0 shutout of Eatonville in a 1A clash on Saturday. The Cougars were really balanced, led by RB Jack Tangen’s 84 yards and two TDs and WR Jackson Almond’s 74 receiving yards. Eatonville hadn’t been shut out since it lost to Royal in the 2021 state championship game. Cascade Christian looks like the area’s best 1A team this year.
Smith: Gig Harbor ending a seven-game losing streak in the annual Fish Bowl rivalry game with a 21-20 comeback win over Peninsula. The Tides trailed 14-0 at halftime, and 20-7 midway through the fourth quarter, but rallied with a pair of touchdowns inside the final five minutes. Backup QB Benji Park, who plays TE for the Tides and took over at QB following an injury to Gig Harbor’s starter, threw a pair of TD passes to Ryland Geldermann (65 yards) and Liam Green (27 yards) in the second half, and added the game-tying 1-yard rushing TD with one minute to play. Kicker Boone Leverett’s PAT was the decisive point in Gig Harbor’s first win over the Seahawks since 2015.
Wicke: A pair of run games impressed me in Week 3: Auburn graduated much of its NPSL-title team from 2022, but the Trojans piled 262 rushing yards and WR Luvens Valcin grabbed two touchdowns in a statement win over rival Auburn Mountainview on Friday night. More than the numbers, it keeps the Trojans in control of its destiny for a repeat. Bonney Lake’s run game, meanwhile, put the Panthers on the 3A radar with four rushing touchdowns in a comeback-win over Lakes.
Which Week 3 result was the most surprising?
Manley: I’m not shocked Gig Harbor beat Peninsula. We picked Peninsula in a close one, but it was a game that I felt could go either way. That being said, the longer rivalry winning streaks go, the more of a mental hurdle it can become. Peninsula had won seven straight in the Fish Bowl series over their crosstown rivals and has been a model of consistency. Credit to TE Benji Park, who stepped in at QB after an injury to starter Koi Calhoun. Trailing late, Park led two TD drives in the final six minutes of the game, delivering a 21-20 win for the Tides. That’s a big-time clutch performance.
Smith: Key win for Bonney Lake to open 3A PCL play. The Panthers led early, but trailed by a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter before Marcus Lloyd’s 20-yard rushing score late lifted Bonney Lake to a 29-26 win over perennial 3A state contender Lakes. QB Brayden Palmer also rushed for two TDs in the victory. The win was Bonney Lake’s first over the Lancers since the 2016 season.
Wicke: Emerald Ridge’s win over Sumner wasn’t the surprise — it was how the Jaguars did it, totaling 554 yards of offense after trailing by two touchdowns. Sumner took nearly the entire first quarter to score on their opening drive, but Emerald Ridge QB Jake Schakel brushed off the dust and threw four touchdowns in a 4A SPSL-shootout. It’s one of several South-Sound leagues that feel up for grabs with several state hopefuls.
Which team should be on every opponent’s radar moving forward?
Manley: For me, it has to be Gig Harbor. The 34-12 win over Bonney Lake in Week 2 looks even better after Bonney Lake beat Lakes this week. The Tides are 2-1 with a pair of quality wins and all the momentum in the world. Gig Harbor faces Capital next week and a game against Timberline on Sept. 29 looms large.
Smith: Bonney Lake has a 2-1 record and now a signature win over 3A PCL power Lakes. The league gets three postseason spots, and the win over the Lancers could prove pivotal in the standings in the weeks ahead. Mount Tahoma also picked up a 26-14 win over Spanaway Lake to open 3A PCL play after a pair of close nonleague losses to returning state playoffs teams the first two weeks, and has a key meeting with defending league champion Lincoln next week. Gig Harbor is 2-1 following a 22-point win over Bonney Lake in Week 2 and the rivalry victory over Peninsula to begin 3A SSC play. Orting is one of two 2A SPSL programs still undefeated three weeks into the season following a 42-14 win over White River. The other? Defending league champion Enumclaw, which travels to Orting on Friday.
Wicke: By now, I can’t imagine any 2A program without Enumclaw on their radar. These Hornets look downright unstoppable, with 35 first-half points on Steilacoom in a game that was all-Enumclaw in every way. Jon: I’d say the hog trailer in Husky Stadium is a safe bet.
Which individual performance stood out most in Week 3?
Manley: Mount Tahoma RB Brison Bailey has gotten off to a huge start this season. He kept it rolling in a win over Spanaway Lake in Week 3, rushing 27 times for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Emerald Ridge WR Gio Kafentzis was also great, racking up 167 yards and three touchdowns on nine receptions.
Smith: Yelm QB Damian Aalona and WR Marius Aalona posted big numbers again in the Tornados’ 3A SSC opener. Damian completed 23-of-27 passes for 383 yards and five TDs in the 56-6 rout of Central Kitsap, while Marius hauled in nine catches for 220 yards and three TDs. This after Damian was 26-of-32 passing for 290 yards and four TDs last week in a win over Union, and Marius caught 11 passes for 138 yards and three scores.
Wicke: Gig Harbor’s Benji Park began Friday night’s Fish Bowl rivalry at TE, only to finish it as the fill-in QB that led the game-winning drive over Peninsula in the fourth quarter. Tides QB Koi Calhoun exited with an injury, but Park’s heroics helped snap a seven-game losing streak against the crosstown-Seahawks — a storybook finish to a game both programs circle on their calendars each season. Graham-Kapowsin WR Malachi Durant, an Oregon State commit, posted another monster game in a win over Olympia — seven receptions for 126 yards and three touchdowns.
This story was originally published September 18, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
