Week 6: What we learned from this week’s high school football games in the South Sound
Week 6 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 6?
Manley: Graham-Kapowsin and Curtis are both legitimate 4A state title contenders. That thing that impresses most about this year’s iteration of the Eagles is just how many different ways they can beat you. Quarterback Daveon Superales can beat teams through the air, targeting receivers Jabez Woods, Malachi Durant, Khris Norrs, Noah Fox-Flores and others. Superales can beat teams with his legs. Punishing RB Alele Fa’apito can beat teams on the ground behind a good offensive line. Woods can beat teams on the perimeter on the fly sweep Jeff Logan’s crew has had a ton of success with this year. It’s kind of a pick-your-poison situation for teams trying to slow down the Eagles. Logan sought out Curtis QB Rocco Koch after the game and told him, ‘Hey, let’s try and figure out a way to meet Dec. 2.’ It wouldn’t shock me if that happened.
Smith: Several South Sound leagues now have a clear leader heading into the final three weeks of the regular season. Kennedy Catholic shut out Kentridge, 51-0, to continue a convincing run through the 4A NPSL, and is two wins away from a fifth consecutive undefeated league title. Graham-Kapowsin is now alone at the top of the 4A SPSL standings following a 42-35 road win over Curtis in a matchup of the league’s two remaining undefeated teams. Mount Tahoma remains in first place in the 3A PCL following a 41-8 victory over Bonney Lake. Enumclaw continued its 2A SPSL title defense with a third shutout — this time 35-0 over Washington — and has allowed only 13 points in five league contests. Tumwater leads the 2A EvCo following a 55-0 shutout of Aberdeen. Elsewhere, Auburn and Auburn Riverside are both undefeated in 3A NPSL play. Defending 3A SSC and 3A state champion Yelm extended its active winning streak to 20 games with a 56-7 rout of Capital, while Gig Harbor also improved to 4-0 in 3A SSC play with a 59-12 win over River Ridge. Cascade Christian and Life Christian are both undefeated in 1A Nisqually contests, and meet Saturday.
Wicke: How fun was Graham-Kapowsin vs. Curtis? A game in University Place that brought Game-of-the-Year potential certainly lived up to the hype on Friday night, with the visiting Eagles stealing a 42-35 shootout win and a clear path to the 4A SPSL title. Even more exciting — they’ve earned their statuses as state title contenders, and we may be lucky enough to see a postseason rematch between these programs in the coming months.
Which team impressed you most in Week 6?
Manley: Graham-Kapowsin, undoubtedly. I’ll also mention Emerald Ridge, which went up against a really good Bethel defense and just decimated it. QB Jake Schakel was surgical, throwing for 377 yards and six TDs. Don’t forget the Jags, they’re still in the 4A SPSL title hunt with only one loss on the season so far.
Smith: Has to be Graham-Kapowsin, picking up a victory on the road against Curtis at a packed Viking Stadium in a meeting of undefeated programs. The Eagles scored early and often, and piled up 477 yards and six TDs behind a balanced offense that rushed for 221 yards and two scores and passed for 251 yards and four more TDs. Graham-Kapowsin’s defense collected a pair of interceptions and got timely stops as the Eagles improved to 6-0.
Wicke: The winner of Graham-Kapowsin vs. Curtis was destined to impress us all. But I was wowed by Emerald Ridge’s 49-14 rout over Bethel, which included a six-touchdown passing performance by QB Jake Schakel. He threw more touchdowns (six) than incompletions (four) and finished 19-of-23 with 377 passing yards. In 3A, Mount Tahoma dominated Bonney Lake, 41-8, in a contest that puts the T-Birds alone atop the PCL standings as the last remaining unbeaten.
Which of the remaining undefeated teams had the best performance in Week 6?
Manley: Graham-Kapowsin, which went on the road in front of thousands of fans and delivered a statement win in the area’s game of the year so far. They were clicking in every phase and just looked so dangerous on offense. I’ve known this offense can put up explosive plays in the passing game, but I’ve been really impressed with how much toughness they’ve shown in wins over Sumner and Curtis the past two weeks. Eagles’ coach Jeff Logan gives a lot of credit to former G-K coach Eric Kurle, who still checks in on the team and calls Logan once or twice a week. A lot of young coaches want to throw the football all over the yard, but Logan’s education with Kurle taught him what winning football looks like, and it starts up front.
Smith: Again, Graham-Kapowsin. That’s now a pair of signature road wins over 4A SPSL contenders the past two weeks. The Eagles bested defending league champion Sumner 38-31 in overtime in Week 5, then turned around and added the 42-35 victory over Curtis eight days later in a game that could eventually decide the 4A SPSL champion. Another important test against Emerald Ridge — the Eagles and Jaguars both advanced to the 4A state semifinals last season and returned much of their rosters — awaits in Week 8.
Wicke: The powerhouse-programs feasted in Week 6. A pair of 2A title contenders posted shutouts in league play: Tumwater blanked Aberdeen, 55-0, and Enumclaw silenced Washington, 36-0. Those two programs feel like freight trains on a crash course toward the state bracket. 3A-Yelm’s run game demolished Capital via six rushing touchdowns and 394 rushing yards to remain atop the SSC.
Which individual performance stood out most in Week 6?
Manley: So many to choose from, but I love what I saw from Curtis receiver Parker Mady, who looks practically unguardable this season. He racked up 117 receiving yards and three TDs on seven catches in the loss to Graham-Kapowsin. Also, I’ll mention Auburn Riverside RB Thyrou Umi-Tuato’o, who rushed for 153 yards and five TDs in a win over Todd Beamer.
Smith: Graham-Kapowsin QB Daveon Superales collected 302 total yards in the Eagles’ win over Curtis, completing 20-of-26 passes for 210 yards and three TDs, and added another 92 yards and a score on 14 carries. He now has more than 1,500 passing yards and 21 TDs through six games, completing an efficient 75 percent of his passes, and has averaged more than 6 yards per carry and added another two scores.
Wicke: Graham-Kapowsin QB Daveon Superales (four total touchdowns) and Curtis QB Rocco Koch (three passing touchdowns) put on shows for a packed stadium in University Place. Emerald Ridge QB Schakel’s six passing touchdowns (four incompletions) naturally stand out. Another signal-caller to throw six touchdowns: Gig Harbor QB Benji Park (318 yards, 6 TDs) in a 59-12 stomping of River Ridge.
Which matchup are you looking forward to most in Week 7?
Manley: Heading down to Class 1A, where Life Christian and Cascade Christian meet in a key 1A Nisqually fixture. We felt Cascade Christian would be strong this year, but Life Christian has been a nice surprise. The Eagles are 5-1 and QB Jabez Boyd has been one of the area’s most productive dual-threat quarterbacks this fall.
Smith: Life Christian hosts Cascade Christian on Saturday night in a game that likely decides the 1A Nisqually champion. Both programs enter the contest at 5-1 and undefeated in league play at 2-0. The Cougars are the defending league champions and advanced to the 1A state first round last season, while the Eagles are looking to return to the state bracket for the first time since 2015 when they were a 2B program.
Wicke: I’m excited to see how 3A SSC challengers fare against undefeated and defending-state-champion Yelm over the final three weeks of the regular season, starting at Timberline on Friday night. The Blazers, along with Peninsula (Oct. 20) and Gig Harbor (Oct. 27), will certainly serve as Yelm’s toughest tests in league play. Life Christian Academy and Cascade Christian — the last remaining undefeated programs in the 1A Nisqually — meet Saturday in a defining contest that puts the winner in lone-first place.
