Midseason check in: which South Sound football players have put up big fantasy numbers?
Just before the high school football season began in late August, TNT high school sports reporters Jon Manley, Lauren Smith and Tyler Wicke drafted fantasy football teams of players from the South Sound.
At the midway point of the season, we think it’s a good time to check in on how each team is doing. We’re also adding five players to each roster through a midseason waiver wire selection process.
The current standings:
Team Manley: 1052.82 points
Team Smith: 845.06 points
Team Wicke: 810.86 points
The scoring system used to determine totals for each team midway through the nine-game regular season was similar to how NFL fantasy football leagues are scored.
For example, for every 25 passing yards or every 10 rushing or receiving yards, players are awarded one point. For passing TDs, four points. For receiving, rushing, defensive and special teams TDs, six points. Some other defensive and special teams statistics also add points, while lost turnovers subtract points, and so on.
Find a team-by-team scoring breakdown, analysis of the first five weeks of games, a look ahead at potential breakout candidates the second half of the regular season, and waiver wire additions for each team below.
TEAM-BY-TEAM SCORING BREAKDOWN
Note: Totals based on available stats. Not all players listed have participated in five games.
MANLEY’S ROSTER
QB — Rocco Koch, Curtis — 255.34 points
QB — Jake Schakel, Emerald Ridge — 150.78 points
RB — Matthew Spurbeck, Sumner — 74.3 points (4 games played)
RB — Antoine Lee, Kentwood — 115.1 points
WR — Jackson Almond, Cascade Christian — 120.5 points
WR — Gio Kafentzis, Emerald Ridge — 105.3 points
TE — Cole Muilenburg, Peninsula — 16.9 points
FLEX — Jaydus Green, Steilacoom — 0 points (0 games played)
FLEX — Kage Repenn, Tahoma — 104.6 points
D/ST — Enumclaw — 110 points
TEAM TOTAL THROUGH WEEK 5: 1052.82 points
WICKE’S ROSTER
QB — Daveon Superales, Graham-Kapowsin — 152.42 points
QB — Legend Galeai, Lakes — 62.74 points (3 games played)
RB — Jaycion Cain, Steilacoom — 71 points (4 games played)
RB — Dylan Norman, Eatonville — 20 points
WR — Luvens Valcin, Auburn — 165.9 points
WR — Malachi Durant, Graham-Kapowsin — 113.4 points
TE — Darrell Gipson, Timberline — 27.5 points
FLEX — Jonathan Epperson, Auburn Riverside — 32.8 points (3 games played)
FLEX — Karson Holt, Enumclaw — 61.1 points
D/ST — Tumwater — 104 points
TEAM TOTAL THROUGH WEEK 5: 810.86 points
SMITH’S ROSTER
QB — Devon Forehand, Kennedy Catholic — 99.66 points
QB — Sione Kaho, Lincoln — 54.9 points
RB — Brayden Platt, Yelm — 67.4 points (4 games played)
RB — D’Aryhian Clemons, Spanaway Lake — 82.3 points
WR — Jabez Woods, Graham-Kapowsin — 75 points (3 games played)
WR — Xavier Ahrens, Curtis — 109.2 points
TE — Noah Flores, Graham-Kapowsin — 46.8 points
FLEX — Tony Harste, Emerald Ridge — 118.2 points
FLEX — Tristan Baker, Lakes — 67.6 points
D/ST — Yelm — 124 points
TEAM TOTAL THROUGH WEEK 5: 845.06
TOP INDIVIDUAL SCORER FROM EACH ROSTER
▪ Manley’s roster is in the lead through Week 5, thanks in large part to Curtis QB Rocco Koch, who was drafted No. 1 overall. He’s the top-scoring player rostered by any team with 255.34 points, which is 89.44 points clear of the next highest-scoring player. Koch has been a stat machine in 2023 and is already closing in on 2,000 total yards. He has racked up 1,246 passing yards and 17 TDs, and added 725 rushing yards and 11 TDs.
▪ Auburn WR Luvens Valcin is the highest-scoring player on Wicke’s roster and the No. 2 overall scoring player. He has 31 catches for 538 yards and seven receiving TDs, and has added 201 yards and a pair of scores on the ground. He also has seven sacks on defense.
▪ Emerald Ridge WR Tony Harste is the top producer on Smith’s roster so far, racking up 671 receiving yards and seven TDs on 29 catches in the Jaguars’ explosive passing game. The Idaho commit also has a pair of 2-point conversion catches and an interception on defense.
BEST LATE-ROUND PICK
Tahoma WR Kage Repenn, taken by Manley in the eighth round, has 104.6 points on the season. The Idaho commit has seen plenty of targets in the Bears’ offense, hauling in 43 catches for 491 yards and five TDs. He also has a rushing TD and a kickoff return TD.
BEST ALL-PURPOSE PLAYERS
Auburn’s Luvens Valcin has done a little bit of everything for the Trojans. He has 31 catches for 538 yards and seven receiving TDs, and has added 201 yards and a pair of scores on the ground. He also has seven sacks on defense. Curtis WR/DB Xavier Ahrens has 435 receiving yards and five TDs, has three interceptions on defense and has over 300 kickoff and punt return yards. We wouldn’t be surprised to see him take a couple to the house in the second half of the season. Cascade Christian’s Jackson Almond has 465 receiving yards, five TDs and has racked up six interceptions on defense.
PRIMED FOR BIG SECOND HALF
Steilacoom RB Jaycion Cain has missed some time early due to injury, but rushed for 222 yards and scored two total TDs in a win over Meadowdale last week. He now has two games this season with 150-plus rushing yards, and also factors into the Sentinels’ passing game. Lincoln freshman QB Sione Kaho now has five games leading the Abes’ Air Raid offense, and posted season-bests in passing yards (268) and passing TDs (three) in a win over Bonney Lake last week. Graham-Kapowsin WR Jabez Woods is averaging 111.3 receiving yards per game through three games after missing the Eagles’ first two contests, and will continue to be key in the Eagles’ high-flying offense in the weeks ahead.
WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS
There’s no shortage of talent in the South Sound in 2023. Plenty of players who went undrafted are putting up big numbers, so we’re expanding our rosters to 15 heading into the second half of the season. Each roster adds one QB and four FLEX (RB/WR/TE) players from the waiver wire. The low-scoring team from the first half of the season gets the first waiver wire pick, with the top scorer picking last.
ROUND 1
Wicke: QB Jabez Boyd, Life Christian
Smith: WR Parker Mady, Curtis
Manley: QB Damian Aalona, Yelm
ROUND 2
Wicke: WR Marius Aalona, Yelm
Smith: RB Indiana Jones, Kennedy Catholic
Manley: RB Roy Lockley III, Bethel
ROUND 3
Wicke: WR Mande ‘John’ Wanlemvo, Auburn Mountainview
Smith: QB Tristen Rebar, Sumner
Manley: RB Brison Bailey, Mount Tahoma
ROUND 4
Wicke: RB Navarre Dixon, Emerald Ridge
Smith: RB Marcus Lloyd, Bonney Lake
Manley: WR Kyson Douglas, Puyallup
ROUND 5
Wicke: WR Elijiah Mcchristian, Lakes
Smith: RB Steele Isaacs, Sumner
Manley: RB Nehemiah Washington, Decatur
