Week 5: What we learned from this week’s high school football games in the South Sound
Week 5 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 5?
Manley: The contenders are starting to separate themselves and we’re getting a pretty clear picture of which games will decide league title races. At this point, the leagues that seem pretty obvious to me: 4A NPSL (Kennedy Catholic), 3A SSC (Yelm), 2A SPSL (Enumclaw), 2A EvCo (Tumwater) and 1A Nisqually (Cascade Christian). The rest still feel up for grabs. The top tier of the 4A SPSL is some combination of Graham-Kapowsin, Curtis and Emerald Ridge, with Sumner playing all those teams tough. The league title could be decided when Graham-Kapowsin and Curtis meet next week. The 3A NPSL looks like it’ll come down to the final two weeks, when Auburn Riverside plays Auburn Mountainview and Auburn. Mount Tahoma is in the driver’s seat in the 3A PCL after beating Lincoln two weeks ago, but several tests remain, including Bonney Lake and Lakes.
Smith: Several South Sound programs still look like state contenders — including four top-tier programs in the 4A SPSL. Curtis and Graham-Kapowsin are both undefeated at 5-0, and meet in a pivotal game this week that will give the winner a path to the league title with three games to play. Curtis already has signature victories over defending 4A SPSL champion Sumner and Emerald Ridge, while the Eagles bested the Spartans in overtime last week. Emerald Ridge’s only loss through five games is to Curtis — the Jaguars have double-digit victories over their other four opponents — and an important league matchup with Graham-Kapowsin is still ahead in Week 8. Sumner is 2-3, but the Spartans’ three losses to Curtis, Emerald Ridge and Graham-Kapowsin weren’t decided until the fourth quarter or later. Following so many tough regular season tests, all of these teams will surely be ready by the time the postseason arrives in Week 10.
Wicke: The South Sound is stacked with contenders in every classification, meaning local high school football fans spoiled with meaningful, high-quality games each weekend. Next Friday’s 4A clash between Curtis and Graham-Kapowsin may be the best example of the entire season, which figures to put the winner on a path to a 4A SPSL title. In 3A, reigning state champion Yelm again looks the part of a title favorite. And in 2A, Enumclaw and Tumwater have emerged as powerhouse unbeatens.
Which team impressed you most in Week 5?
Manley: Everyone kind of did what they were supposed to. The heavy favorites all posted blowout wins against overmatched opponents and it’s tough to glean much from those. I liked seeing Tumwater avenge last season’s loss to reigning 2A EvCo champion W.F. West, putting together a thorough 55-20 win on the road. Tumwater’s offense piled up seven rushing TDs in the win. Lincoln coach Masaki Matsumoto celebrated his birthday last week. He had no interest in a cake — he just wanted an Abes win. He got that in an impressive 42-28 bounceback from the Abes against a solid Bonney Lake team. Lincoln’s defense has been waiting for its offense to catch up to it. If the Abes can consistently put together that type of offensive performance going forward, Lincoln could be a dangerous postseason team again.
Smith: Lincoln posting a convincing 42-28 win over Bonney Lake for the program’s first 3A PCL win of the season. Lincoln played a tough nonleague schedule, opening the season with a 14-6 win over 3A NPSL title contender Auburn Riverside before a pair of losses to Oregon 6A program Tualatin (17-14) and perennial 4A state power Camas (21-7). The Abes then lost their league opener against Mount Tahoma (24-20) in another close contest that wasn’t decided until the final moments. Less than a week later, though, Lincoln rallied with a 400-plus yard performance and season-best six touchdowns (three rushing, three passing) against the Panthers to get back in the win column. Bonney Lake has impressed early with wins over Tahoma, Lakes and Spanaway Lake, so a key victory for the defending 3A PCL champion Abes as they look to stay in the league title conversation with four regular season games to play.
Wicke: Tumwater had Friday night’s rematch with W.F. West circled on its calendar for a year. Last Sept. 30, the Bearcats upset the T-Birds in a contest that determined the 2A EvCo champion. Not this year: Tumwater’s run game piled seven touchdowns and QB Ethan Kastner battled through an illness to help claim convincing revenge, 55-20. Tumwater now controls its league-title destiny and figures to be a perennial powerhouse in the state bracket. In the 3A NPSL, Kent-Meridian made a statement in a 64-26 rout of rival-Auburn Mountainview.
Which of the remaining undefeated teams had the best performance in Week 5?
Manley: Again, a lot of them won big in games that were over by halftime. I’ll mention the game I covered on Thursday night: Graham-Kapowsin hanging on to beat Sumner on the road in overtime. I think G-K’s defensive performance left a bit to be desired, but that’s always a difficult game and I was impressed with how Jeff Logan and the Eagles adapted to the 3 High Safety look Sumner was showing them. It took away everything G-K’s explosive passing offense wanted to do downfield, so the Eagles adjusted with a heavy dose of fly sweeps to Jabez Woods and QB Daveon Superales taking off and running. Logan told me after the game that Superales reminds him more and more of Joshua Wood, who led G-K to the 2021 state title. He’s now playing for Fresno State. I can see it.
Smith: Graham-Kapowsin. The annual 4A SPSL showdown between the Eagles and Sumner is consistently a matchup of state contenders, and delivers thrilling contests year after year. Graham-Kapowsin had to switch up its game plan on offense in this season’s meeting with the Spartans — the Eagles rushed for four touchdowns in the game, matching their season total entering the contest after passing for 16 scores the first four weeks — but still eventually improved to 5-0 with a 38-31 overtime win on the road against the defending 4A SPSL champions. Each of the other six remaining undefeated programs in the South Sound recorded multi-touchdown victories, including Curtis (42-17 win over Bellarmine Prep), Yelm (58-7 win over North Thurston), Enumclaw (70-0 win over Foss), Tumwater (55-20 win over W.F. West), Chief Leschi (80-6 win over Muckleshoot Tribal) and Northwest Christian (44-13 win over Clallam Bay).
Wicke: It wasn’t set up to be a battle between heavyweights, but Enumclaw’s 70-0 win over a winless Foss squad on Friday night was truly staggering. The running clock took effect in the first quarter after the Hornets scored six touchdowns in the first 12 minutes of play. That sort of winning margin should keep Enumclaw atop the 2A rankings into next week.
Which individual performance stood out most in Week 5?
Manley: Give me Bethel OLB Zaydrius Rainey-Sale. In a must-win game for the Bison against Olympia, he racked up 15 tackles, had a sack, and returned a fumble recovery 70 yards for a TD. He’s as good a defensive player as we have in the South Sound this year and the win over Olympia puts Bethel in a good position to contend for a playoff berth.
Smith: Graham-Kapowsin QB Daveon Superales rushing for a career-best 140 yards and a pair of TDs — including the game-winner — and passing for 199 yards and another TD to lead the Eagles to an overtime road win over 4A SPSL rival Sumner.
Wicke: It’s proving tough to score on Auburn Riverside. A menacing defense posted a 43-0 shutout win over Kentlake on Friday night, which included six forced fumbles (one recovery) and an interception by DB Isaac Mospanko. Kentlake mustered three total passing yards, and Auburn Riverside’s win keeps them unbeaten in the 3A NPSL and in a three-way tie atop the standings with Todd Beamer and Auburn.
Which matchup are you looking forward to most in Week 6?
Manley: No-brainer, the game of the year in the 4A SPSL: Graham-Kapowsin vs. Curtis. The league title is likely on the line in University Place next Friday night. No one has been able to slow down Curtis QB Rocco Koch yet this season. Graham-Kapowsin boasts one the league’s best quarterbacks in Daveon Superales and a loaded receiver corps. The biggest question in my mind: what’s the over/under? 63.5? I think we’re in store for a shootout.
Smith: Graham-Kapowsin at Curtis on Friday, in a game that could eventually decide the 4A SPSL title. Both programs enter the game undefeated, and feature two of the South Sound’s top offenses and top quarterbacks. Eagles QB Daveon Superales has piled up 1,500-plus total yards and 19 TDs through five games, while Vikings QB Rocco Koch has 1,900-plus total yards and 28 TDs.
Wicke: Graham-Kapowsin visits Curtis on Friday, Oct. 6, for a matchup that features a pair of true 4A title contenders. Curtis QB Rocco Koch continues an MVP-like campaign, and Graham-Kapowsin has perhaps the strongest skill-position group in the state. The Vikings and Eagles are the last remaining unbeatens in a 4A SPSL that is absolutely loaded — and Friday’s winner will control its destiny for league title.
