High school football roundup: Park leads Gig Harbor comeback over Timberline, Curtis rolls
Results, recaps and more from Week 5 high school football contests around the South Sound will be posted on this page Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Find Week 5 scores from games across Washington on our statewide scoring sheet, which will be updated live throughout the weekend.
FRIDAY’S RESULTS (SEPT. 29)
GIG HARBOR 17, TIMBERLINE 14
Benji Park, the comeback king. First, it was in the Fish Bowl against crosstown rival Peninsula in mid-September, when Park came in at quarterback for Gig Harbor’s injured starter and led the Tides to a come-from-behind win.
Then on Friday night at South Sound Stadium in Lacey against a physical, athletic Timberline defense, Park did it again. Down 14-10 with 2:02 to play, Park led the Tides methodically down the field and connected with Matthew Ehler for the game-winning score, sealing Gig Harbor’s 17-14 road win in the 3A SSC.
“I gotta be better in the first half, but when the pressure’s on, I just relax, I trust my reads and I know what’s going to be there,” Park said. “I know what I’ve seen all game. There’s no doubt, cause we’ve gotta go win the game.”
It’s like a switch flipped, thought Gig Harbor coach Darrin Reeves.
“Just his demeanor changed,” Reeves said. “You saw it in the team. That’s crazy, that’s amazing.”
Park, who finished 18-of-35 passing for 190 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, completed 6-of-7 passes on the game-winning drive. He connected three times with Drake Matthies, who led the Tides with 58 yards and a touchdown on six catches.
Offense was tough to come by for both teams. Not finding much success against Timberline’s front — Blazers’ lineman Ty Evans and linebacker Darrell Gipson were everywhere — momentum flipped when the Tides converted a fake punt by Henry Blake, who got to the edge and ran for 21 yards and a first down. Gig Harbor went on to score two plays later.
“That was huge,” Park said. “That was a great job by Henry. He just saw it and took it.”
Added Reeves: “Our back three did a great job sealing the edge and that was an amazing play, probably the play of the game right there,” he said. “They’re freaking good. That’s a good team. That offense, they’re physical. We knew it was going to be a battle.”
Gig Harbor now has wins over Timberline and Peninsula and is in prime position to snag the league’s second playoff bid.
“It’s huge,” Park said. “We want to keep rolling, be in a league championship in our final game, host a playoff game and just keep winning.”
CURTIS 42, BELLARMINE PREP 17
Curtis’ offense posted another stellar performance, piling up 400-plus yards and six touchdowns to keep the Vikings (5-0) undefeated with a 42-17 victory over Bellarmine Prep on Friday night in Tacoma.
“We’ve come together as a team, four years coming now,” Curtis quarterback Rocco Koch said. “ … Our team is getting better and better every day.”
The win sets up a 4A SPSL showdown with perennial state contender Graham-Kapowsin — also 5-0 following an overtime win against Sumner on Thursday — next week in University Place.
The winner of that contest will be alone at the top of the 4A SPSL standings with three regular season games left to play.
The Vikings scored on each of their first four drives Friday, building a double-digit lead they never lost by halftime, to make certain next week’s matchup would be a meeting five-win teams.
Bellarmine took the game’s first lead, completing a game-opening, 11-play drive with a 23-yard field goal from Jacob Hundven, but the Vikings responded less than four minutes later on an 18-yard scoring pass from Koch to Parker Mady, and led the rest of the way.
Koch connected with Joseph Costanti on a 5-yard touchdown on Curtis’ next drive, and the Vikings recovered a fumbled snap on the Lions next play, setting them up at the 50.
Koch tossed a 49-yard pass to Mady, and then rushed for a 1-yard score for the program’s second touchdown in 42 seconds.
The Lions needed one play to answer, with a 56-yard touchdown pass from Dawson Hedrick to Joey Bambrick to cut the lead to 21-10 moments later, but Curtis extended the lead back to three possessions on the next drive.
Koch connected with Mady again, this time for a 30-yard touchdown, and the Vikings took a 28-10 lead into the break.
They pushed the lead to 42-10 late in the third quarter, scoring on each of their first two drives of the second half on a 3-yard run from Koch and 36-yard pass from Koch to Xavier Ahrens.
Birk Johnston added a 1-yard rushing touchdown for the Lions midway through the fourth.
Koch completed an efficient 22-of-26 passes for 352 yards and four touchdowns, and added the two rushing touchdowns.
Ahrens led the Vikings in receiving with 11 catches for 162 yards and the 36-yard score, and finished with nearly 300 all-purpose yards, adding 120-plus yards on kickoff and punt returns, and a second quarter interception.
Mady added five catches for 149 yards and the two touchdowns.
Bambrick led the Lions in both rushing (13 carries, 49 yards) and receiving (three catches, 73 yards), and had the 56-yard receiving touchdown.
Bellarmine (2-3) travels to play South Kitsap in another 4A SPSL contest next Friday, while Curtis hosts Graham-Kapowsin.
TUMWATER 55, W.F. WEST 20
Revenge claimed: Tumwater dominated W.F. West in the trenches and toppled its 2A-EvCo rival in an annual meeting that typically carries league-title weight.
But Friday night’s contest meant much more than usual — last Sept. 30, Tumwater watched as the Bearcats celebrated an upset win at Tumwater Stadium that pushed W.F. West to a league title in 2022, 28-7.
“For our kids, (tonight) meant an awful lot. For our coaches, it meant an awful lot,” Tumwater coach William Garrow said. “It’s tough to lose at home and watch a team celebrate the way they did [last year].”
Not again.
QB Ethan Kastner found WR David Malroy for a 20-yard touchdown on the opening drive, and Tumwater piled seven rushing touchdowns to cement a statement win.
“(We) took it personally,” Garrow said.
Constant pressure from Tumwater’s D-line and an increasing deficit forced W.F. West into pass-mode. Bearcats QB Gage Brumfield threw a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter that cut Tumwater’s lead to 13.
But Tumwater’s imposing offensive line was the engine for a 15-play opening drive in the second half that resulted in a three-yard touchdown by Derek Thompson. Tumwater led by 20.
Tumwater’s Kooper Clark scored three rushing touchdowns, including a 35-yard burst in the fourth quarter that gave the T-Birds a 55-20 lead.
LAKES 42, SILAS 0
Lakes piled 450 yards of offense and six total touchdowns in a runaway win over Silas at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood.
Lancers QB Exavier McChristian completed 10-of-12 passes for 263 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He spread his passing scores to three Lakes receivers in each of the first three quarters, helping initiate the running clock before the fourth.
Silas tried and failed to establish its run game, totaling three yards on 22 carries. Game script quickly forced the Rams to pass, which ultimately led to a pair of Lakes interceptions by DBs Sean Debleick and Tyrone Jones.
Meanwhile, Lakes’ rushing attack flourished — three Lancers totaled 46-plus rushing yards. Leading-rusher Toetu Molga (62 yards) earned most of his yardage on a 61-yard touchdown burst that gave Lakes a 42-0 lead in the third.
Lancers RB Tupualii Saleaumua gave Lakes the lead with a nine-yard touchdown run in the opening quarter. RB Christian Macon added a 15-yard touchdown run.
Lakes WR Elijiah McChristian grabbed five receptions for 145 yards and a 51-yard touchdown.
WR Jameson Stevens logged two catches for 25 yards and five-yard touchdown. Debleick added two receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown.
AUBURN RIVERSIDE 43, KENTLAKE 0
Auburn Riverside’s star-studded defense was again on full-display — Isaac Mospanko snagged an interception and the Ravens forced six fumbles (one recovery) in a shutout.
Ravens QB Andrew Wold totaled five touchdowns (four pass, one rush) and Kentlake countered with three total passing yards in a one-sided contest from kickoff.
Auburn Riverside established the run early and often, good for 195 rushing yards on 38 team carries. RB Thyrou Umi-Tuato’o took the bulk of the work (16 carries, 99 yards), but Ravens QBs converted both of the team’s rushing scores.
Wold completed 10-of-17 passes for 162 yards with four touchdowns and an interception; he added a three-yard touchdown rush in the opening quarter that gave Auburn Riverside a 13-0 lead.
WR Andrew Shrader logged team-highs in receptions (five), receiving yards (105), and touchdowns (three).
Sophomore QB Anthony Marchetti added a 19-yard touchdown scamper in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
ENUMCLAW 70, FOSS 0
One of the state’s premier 2A programs provided one of Friday night’s most-lopsided decisions.
The running clock, meant to expedite the remainder of the game once a team builds a 40-point lead, was in effect before the end of the first quarter. The score after the opening period: Enumclaw 42, Foss 0.
The Hornets (4-0, 3-0) control their 2A SPSL destiny with four games remaining on the regular-season slate; Foss (0-4, 0-4) still searches for their first win.
THURSDAY’S RESULTS (SEPT. 28)
GRAHAM-KAPOWSIN 38, SUMNER 31 (OT)
Graham-Kapowsin had a gameplan. They had prepared all week for the different looks they thought Sumner’s defense was going to give them on Thursday night at Sunset Chev Stadium.
Then Sumner came out in a three high safety look from the beginning and everything the Eagles prepared for flew out the window.
“We go through as a staff, we make a play sheet and a gameplan and really, we crumple that sh*t up and throw it out the door the second we see three high safeties,” said G-K coach Jeff Logan, laughing.
Luckily, senior quarterback Daveon Superales is happy to adapt. Sumner’s defensive look put the brakes on G-K’s high-flying passing attack — most of Superales’ 199 passing yards came on short flips to Jabez Woods on sweeps — so the Eagles took what the defense was giving them.
Superales racked up 140 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, Alele Fa’apito rushed for 70 yards and a pair of touchdowns and the Eagles escaped with a 38-31 overtime road win to remain undefeated.
“We expected a totally different defense,” Superales said. “It’s hard to switch up your offense when you prepare for a defense a whole week. But our coaches are really good at adjusting. We found what worked and what didn’t and we just kept doing it. They couldn’t stop it and we just kept doing it.”
The teams traded scores until Graham-Kapowsin took a 31-28 lead late in the fourth quarter on a Fa’apito run. Then Sumner kicker Austin Ferencz converted a 45-yard field goal to send the game to overtime.
Graham-Kapowsin scored easily in overtime on a 5-yard run from Superales, then held the Spartans to close out the win.
It’s been an emotional couple weeks for coach Keith Ross and the Sumner program. First, the Spartans lost reigning league MVP Matthew Spurbeck for the season to a knee injury. And last Friday, Ross’ mom, Linda, died.
Linda attended every Sumner football game.
“I thought we could get this one for her, but she would’ve been proud,” Ross said. “We competed, we never gave up, we kept the juice on.”
LINCOLN 42, BONNEY LAKE 28
The Abes posted touchdowns on each of their first five possessions, led by as many as 27 points in the second half and picked up their first 3A PCL victory of the season Thursday night in Tacoma over visiting Bonney Lake.
The convincing 42-28 victory at Lincoln Bowl was the program’s first since a season-opening road win against Auburn Riverside on Sept. 1, and follows close losses to Oregon 6A program Tualatin, 4A state power Camas and 3A PCL rival Mount Tahoma the past three weeks.
“It feels really good to get this win, and just get it going,” Lincoln coach Masaki Matsumoto said. “We said, ‘Hey, let’s go five in a row and see what happens.’ And this was a good start.”
The Abes scored what turned out to be the game’s decisive touchdown less than two minutes into the game.
After causing and recovering a fumble on the Panthers’ first offensive play, Lincoln’s offense set up at the Bonney Lake 28-yard line. Three plays later, freshman quarterback Sione Kaho tossed a 9-yard slant to Jemani Teplasy for a touchdown with 10:49 left in the first, and the Abes led the rest of the way.
The Panthers turned the ball over on downs on their next possession, and Lincoln scored again three plays later on a 26-yard pass from Kaho to Sebastian Esekielu.
Bonney Lake answered with a five-minute drive, completed by a 1-yard scoring run from Kyler Gillette, and cut the lead to 14-8, but the Abes scored twice more before the break.
Maurice Gosby ended Lincoln’s next drive with an 8-yard scoring run, and later added a 1-yard touchdown run with 19.1 seconds to go in the second quarter to give the Abes a 28-8 halftime lead.
Bonney Lake never cut the lead closer than 20 points after that. The Abes opened the third quarter with another quick scoring drive, with Immanuel Jordan rushing three times for 48 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown.
The Panthers answered with touchdowns on their next two possessions — scoring on a 1-yard run by Marcus Lloyd on third-and-goal, and another 1-yard run by Lloyd on fourth-and-goal — to make it 35-21 with 9:46 to play.
But, the Abes answered with a 10-play drive that took more than five minutes off the clock, and pushed the lead back to three possessions on a 14-yard pass from Kaho to Teplasy.
Bonney Lake scored once more on a 7-yard pass from Brayden Palmer with 2:17 to go to make it 42-28, but the Abes ran out the clock from there.
“A lot of confidence,” Abes receiver Jemani Teplasy said of the confidence this win gives Lincoln moving forward. “A lot. But, we know that we’ve still got to keep it moving and just keep going.”
Kaho was 18-of-22 passing for 269 yards and the three touchdowns, while Teplasy led Lincoln with six catches for 121 yards and two scores. Esekielu added six catches for 86 yards and a touchdown, and Gosby and Kanoa Teplasy each had three catches for 31 yards.
Jadeon Scranton paced the Abes in rushing with 63 yards on 13 carries, while Jordan had three carries for 48 yards and one touchdown and Gosby 10 carries for 45 yards and the two scores.
Palmer finished 15-of-21 for 208 yards and the one touchdown for the Panthers, while adding 83 rushing yards on 13 carries. Lloyd rushed for 30 yards and the two scores on 16 carries, and paced Bonney Lake in receiving with nine catches for 129 yards.
Bonney Lake (3-2) hosts Mount Tahoma in a 3A PCL contest next Friday, while Lincoln (2-3) continues the league schedule with a road trip to Stadium.
ORTING 27, FRANKLIN PIERCE 8
The Cardinals needed a rebound performance, and they got it. The Orting Cardinals, that is.
A week after being run out of its home Cardinal Stadium by Enumclaw, Orting came up with a huge defensive effort and beat visiting Franklin Pierce, 27-8, to grab the inside track to second place in the 2A SPSL.
Sure, there are four weeks left in the regular season. But Orting’s only loss in league is to first-place Enumclaw. Franklin Pierce, along with Steilacoom, were the other projected teams expected to compete for the next spot in the standings behind the Hornets.
“Enumclaw is so good,” Orting coach Tom Bannan said. “To come in here against another really good team is a real confidence boost. We told them, this will probably be the second most physical team you play.”
Franklin Pierce did not throw a single pass – except for Sam Foust’s two-point conversion throw after the visiting Cardinals quarterback broke free on the second play of the fourth quarter for 56 yards and his team’s only touchdown of the game.
That made the score 13-8 with 11 minutes, 23 seconds to go. But it was the only time all night of Franklin Pierce’s 11 possessions that the visitors gained more than 28 yards on a drive.
Orting responded with a big kickoff return then went 48 yards in eight plays, capped by Kaiden Whitaker’s five-yard run with 8:03 left to extend the margin back to two scores. One drive later, Aiden Mendenhall picked up a Franklin Pierce fumble and returned it 29 yards for another score and Orting was on its way.
“Preparation all week,” Mendenhall said. “The scout team did a great job showing us their offense. We knew where they were going with the ball.”
The fumble return was Mendenhall’s second touchdown of the game. He opened the scoring with a 23-yard pass reception score from Zach Gemar with 8:58 to go in the first quarter, after Franklin Pierce’s first turnover of the game.
YELM 58, NORTH THURSTON 7
Yelm’s high-powered offense scored a flurry of first-half touchdowns, and its defense steamrolled North Thurston (nine total yards) in a rout.
Yelm QB Damian Aalona threw four touchdowns, completing 7-of-10 passes for 151 yards without an interception.
WR Jacob Ford tallied two receptions (both touchdowns) for 76 yards. WR Marius Aalona took another pair of receptions for 34 yards and two touchdowns.
But Yelm began Thursday’s dominance on the ground: RB Brayden Platt ripped off 45- and nine-yard touchdowns that opened scoring in the first quarter — his only two carries of the game.
Ford took two carries for 58 yards and a touchdown (three total).
LB Anthony Kiamco returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown, which handed Yelm a 51-point lead before halftime.
Yelm LB Isaiah Patterson logged a team-high nine tackles and three tackles for loss. DL Chris Hauss tallied five tackles and a sack.
North Thurston totaled 26 passing yards and -17 rushing yards. In the fourth, Rams DB Jason Donaldson Jr. scooped a Yelm fumble and dashed 29 yards for a touchdown that denied the Tornados a shutout.
EMERALD RIDGE 55, SOUTH KITSAP 0
QB Jake Schakel threw six touchdowns and Emerald Ridge amassed 457 total yards in a dismantling of 4A SPSL-rival South Kitsap on Thursday night.
Perhaps more impressive than Schakel’s six touchdowns was his efficiency, doing so on just eight completions and 10 pass attempts. He threw for 219 yards.
The Jaguars stacked 196 rushing yards; RB Navarre Dixon took eight carries for 83 yards (10.4 YPC) and a touchdown.
WR Tony Harste snagged five receptions for 135 yards and three touchdowns.
STEILACOOM 28, MEADOWDALE 22 (OT)
Faced with a 16-point halftime deficit, Steilacoom revived its run game in a comeback win that shocked Meadowdale in overtime.
Shon Nelson’s four-yard touchdown in added time was the game-winner.
Meadowdale failed to score in the second half, and Steilacoom’s rushing attack pounced on the opportunity. Nelson scampered for a 31-yard touchdown in the third, plus a two-point conversion that cut the deficit to eight.
RB Jaycion Cain punched home a four-yard touchdown with 43 seconds left in regulation, adding his own two-point conversion that tied the game.
Steilacoom QB Drew MacDonald threw one touchdown — a 68-yard pass to Cain in the first quarter.
This story was originally published September 28, 2023 at 11:18 PM.
