High school football roundup: Yelm remains undefeated with win over Timberline
Results, recaps and more from Week 7 high school football contests around the South Sound will be posted on this page Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Find Week 7 scores from games across Washington on our statewide scoring sheet, which will be updated live throughout the weekend.
SATURDAY’S RESULTS (OCT. 14)
DECATUR 30, KENTWOOD 14
Decatur Gators fans may wish to note the day and time — 3:18 p.m. on Oct. 14, 2023. Just 10 days shy of 20 years exactly when last the school’s football team accomplished what it did on Saturday afternoon.
The Gators beat Kentwood, 30-14, at Auburn Memorial Stadium. The victory was Decatur’s sixth of the 2023 season and moved the Gators to 6-1 overall, 4-1 in the 4A NPSL behind only Kennedy Catholic.
The win secured Decatur’s first winning football season since 2003, when the Gators beat Auburn, 34-13, in a nonleague contest on Oct. 24 for their sixth win that season. Decatur eventually finished that campaign at 7-3, losing in the district round to Evergreen of Vancouver.
“There were so many close games last year,” assistant coach Evan Cook said. “Games that they were in that they lost because of mental errors. That response that we’re here now. We’re mature enough to respond to adversity, to respond as a unit. It’s just beautiful to watch.”
Cook ran the team in the absence of Matt Vaeeda, the head man, who was with family on the first anniversary of his mother’s passing.
“We go off the head man,” Cook said. “We follow his energy, his lead. Matt talks about it all the time. It’s them. This team chooses to work hard. They are choosing to go out and finish games in a way that hasn’t been done in 20 years.”
Where the Gators finish in 2023 is yet to be determined, of course. But with only two regular season games and a Week 10 preliminary playoff round remaining for sure, Decatur now can finish no worse than 6-4.
Between 2003 and 2023, the Gators have flirted with a better-than-.500 record just one time — when the team went 5-5 in 2019. Over the 19 seasons in between winning records, Decatur combined to go 35-158 — that’s an average of 1.8 wins compared to 8.3 losses a season.
Despite a slow start against the Conquerors, Decatur eventually pulled away. The Gators trailed 7-0 with 1:41 left in the first quarter after Shayden Phillip went 2 yards for the first Kentwood touchdown.
That score followed a turnover from Decatur. Kentwood turned another Gator turnover into a 14-8 lead on Antonie Lee’s 29-yard scamper with 8:29 to go in the third period.
But Decatur scored on its next two possessions to essentially secure the winning season with 51 seconds to play in the third quarter. The Gators got a workmanlike game from junior running back Nehemiah Washington, who capped the scoring with a 3-yard run with 1:11 to play.
Washington finished with 146 yards on 30 carries. Lee carried 19 times for 83 yards and his touchdown for Kentwood.
“It’s playoffs or bust,” Washington said.
KENNEDY CATHOLIC 57, AUBURN RIVERSIDE 6
Lancers QB Devon Forehand threw four touchdowns on 10-of-14 passing, guiding Kennedy Catholic to a 51-point victory in a clash between the 3A and 4A NPSL’s first-place teams.
Forehand tallied 221 passing yards, and the Lancers offense totaled 427 yards and eight touchdowns on an Auburn Riverside defense that, until Saturday, was allowing just 16 points per game.
Forehand distributed his four touchdowns to three receivers. His splash-play came in the second quarter, when WR Mason Moriarty broke free for an 86-yard receiving score.
In the final minute of the first half, Kennedy Catholic’s Indy Jones punched in a three-yard touchdown rush that gave the Lancers a 36-0 lead.
Auburn Riverside managed 285 total yards, unable to convert 164 total rushing yards and a clean performance by QB Andrew Wold into more than six points.
Wold completed 11-of-16 passes for 90 yards, no turnovers, and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Schrader in the third quarter.
Kennedy Catholic TE Dante Saladino secured three receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
Auburn Riverside’s undefeated status in the 3A NPSL isn’t affected by Saturday’s non-league loss. Wins over Auburn Mountainview (Oct. 20) and Auburn (Oct. 27) would earn the Ravens a league title.
CASCADE CHRISTIAN 36, LIFE CHRISTIAN 13
The Cougars’ offense rushed for five touchdowns Saturday in Tacoma, and their defense added a safety and three turnovers in a 36-13 win over Life Christian on a rainy evening at Mount Tahoma Stadium.
The victory gives the defending 1A Nisqually League champion Cougars (6-1) the league lead with two 1A Nisqually contests to play in the next three weeks.
“We came out pretty strong,” said senior Jackson Almond, a standout receiver and defensive back during his career with the Cougars, who was making his second start at quarterback Saturday.
“I think we still have definitely a lot of stuff to learn. We left a lot on the plate, but I feel like we came out and we handled what we needed to do.”
Cascade Christian never trailed in the contest, taking the game’s first lead on the third play of the game. Caden Fredericks returned the opening kickoff 59 yards to quickly set the Cougars up at the Life Christian 16.
Jack Tangen then carried the ball on three consecutive plays, scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run on the third with 10:19 to go in the first quarter.
Life Christian punted on the ensuing drive, but recovered the kick, and evened the score four plays later on a 39-yard pass from Jabez Boyd to Darius Imperial.
The Cougars punted on their next possession, but pinned Life Christian at the 1-yard line, and took the lead for good on a safety moments later to make it 9-7 with 3:11 to play in the opening quarter.
Kai Mingming rushed for a 3-yard touchdown on Cascade Christian’s following drive to add to the lead, but the Eagles answered with a 78-yard kickoff return touchdown from Champ Seumalo to cut the lead to 16-13 early in the second.
The Cougars responded with two more rushing touchdowns from Tangen (6 and 3 yards) on their next two possessions to take a 30-13 advantage into the break, and the Cascade Christian lead remained at double digits the rest of the way.
Byson Vasquez added a 3-yard touchdown run for the Cougars in the fourth to push the lead to 36-13.
Cascade Christian piled up 175 yards on the ground and averaged 4.5 per carry, led by Tangen, who had 19 carries for 116 yards and the three scores.
“Our O-line is pretty special. All returning starters from last year. And our running backs are all back. So the chemistry is naturally there,” Cascade Christian coach Devin Snyder said.
“But, our design is to take what’s there. If DBs are going to play off and focus on the pass, then we’re going to run the football, and if they play up like they did last week, then we’ll take some shots. Today the running game was what we could lean on.”
The Cougars’ defense shut out Life Christian in the second half, collecting a pair of turnovers on downs and a fumble recovery, and Almond ended two Eagles drives with interceptions. Almond leads the defense with nine interceptions through seven games.
“They play fast, they have great instincts, a ton of returning starters there,” Snyder said of Cascade Christian defense. “They’ve played together for a while and just have a great chemistry going right now.”
Cascade Christian hosts Vashon Island next Saturday to continue 1A Nisqually play, while Life Christian (5-2) travels to play Bellevue Christian.
FRIDAY’S RESULTS (OCT. 13)
YELM 54, TIMBERLINE 7
One down for the defending champs. Two to go in what has become essentially a three-week, four-team round robin tournament to see which team will win the 3A SSC and be the league’s top seed to the football postseason.
Defending league and state champion Yelm led three teams by a single game as Week 7 began with the Tornados visiting the first of what will be three straight against those clubs, Timberline, at South Sound Stadium in Lacey on Friday.
And Yelm touched off the fireworks on the field long before the scheduled homecoming sparklers lit up the sky at halftime as the Tornadoes ran away with a 54-7 victory over the Blazers.
The Yelm special teams scored twice before the offense really even had a chance to take the field. Anthony Kiamco got it all started with patient, weaving 85-yard return on the opening kickoff to stake the Tornados to a lead just 20 seconds into it.
Three total possessions later, Arlo Henderson raced 37 yards with a punt return for Yelm’s second touchdown of the game. And after Damian Aalona hit brother Marius Aalona for the first of three two-point conversions the pair scored on Friday, it was 14-0 with 3:05 to go in the first quarter.
“The preparation by the kids,” Yelm coach Jason Ronquillo said. “We just kind of put them in the right positions to play ball. The mental. The physical. It all matters. So they knew coming into this game, this is the turning point of the midseason for us.”
The Tornados (7-0) get Peninsula in a week and end the regular season with Gig Harbor. Against Timberline (4-3), Yelm scored via the ground (Brayden Platt had three touchdown runs), through the air (Kiamco caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from Damian Aalona in the second half), via kickoff and punt returns, and even a 37-yard fumble return by Onyx Carter.
The Tornados rolled up 248 total return yards, 211 on kickoff and punts. Defensively they held Timberline to 49 yards of offense while it mattered. The Blazers went 80 yards on their final offensive possession, when Cedric Raglund connected with Sunny Nguyen on a 56-yard scoring play.
But by then, Yelm could already look ahead to the second leg of the round robin next week against one-loss (in league) Peninsula.
EMERALD RIDGE 12, BELLARMINE PREP 0
Emerald Ridge piled 231 rushing yards and prevailed in a shutout blanketed by constant rain at Bellarmine Prep.
Jaguars RB Navarre Dixon was the feature-back, handling 28 carries for 179 yards and a touchdown.
QB Jake Schakel completed 13-of-16 passes for 172 yards, an efficient line in unfavorable throwing conditions. Emerald Ridge’s signal-caller capped an 83-yard drive in the second half with an 8-yard touchdown run that gave the Jaguars a two-possession lead.
Emerald Ridge’s defense posted another shutout, its third against 4A SPSL rivals this season (Olympia, South Kitsap).
TUMWATER 60, SHELTON 0
Kooper Clark proved unstoppable — Tumwater’s senior RB scored three first-half touchdowns, propelling the T-Birds in a rout Friday night.
Behind 283 combined rushing yards from a trio of tailbacks, Tumwater initiated the running clock before halftime. Clark paced all rushers with 99 yards and two touchdowns, adding a 16-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter.
Tumwater RB Logan Cole scored first on a 15-yard run and logged 95 yards. RB Jaylin Nixon tallied 89 yards, adding a 28-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
T-Birds QB Ethan Kastner completed 6-of-8 passes for 115 yards (19.2 YPC) and two touchdowns — one to Clark and a 12-yard pass to WR/DB Brady Bryant in the second quarter.
Shelton mustered 132 total yards of offense.
Tumwater’s defense recovered three fumbles and Bryant grabbed an interception.
SPANAWAY LAKE 21, LAKES 20 (2OT)
Spanaway Lake RB De’arius Hawkins punched in the game-tying touchdown in double overtime — and kicker Sebastian Cuesta booted the game-winning extra point in a thrilling victory over Lakes.
Neither team scored in the first overtime period.
Tied at 14 after regulation, Lakes’ Tyrone Jones gave the Lancers a double-overtime lead with a nine-yard touchdown run. Lakes led, 20-14.
But a missed extra point loomed large.
Hawkins answered the Lakes touchdown — and Cuesta’s foot won the game.
Spanaway Lake erased a two-score deficit to force overtime.
Lakes took a 14-0 lead into halftime. Lancers QB Exavier McChristian found WR Sean DeBlieck for a 49-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and Tristan Baker added a 47-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
Then came the Sentinels’ second-half rally. Spanaway Lake QB Chase Best connected with Jay Sumich for a 50-yard touchdown in the third quarter, cutting Lakes’ lead in half.
Best added a one-yard touchdown rush in the fourth. It was tied.
Best completed 14-of-30 passes for 242 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
McChristian completed 14-of-26 passes for 183 yards and two interceptions.
THURSDAY’S RESULTS (OCT. 12)
BETHEL 28, PUYALLUP 21
Bethel put together a seven-play, 73-yard scoring drive inside the final two minutes, and Roy Lockley III rushed for the 2-yard, game-winning touchdown with 17 seconds remaining to lift the Bison to a key 4A SPSL victory Thursday night at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup.
“I’m so proud of our guys and their effort,” Bethel coach Travis Domser said.
Bethel and Puyallup were tied at 21-21 when the Bison got the ball back with 1:57 to play. After forcing a Vikings three-and-out moments earlier, the Bison started their final drive at their own 27 following a fair catch on Puyallup’s punt.
Lockley rushed for 22 and 9 yards to push Bethel across midfield before a 36-yard pass from Vashon Igitol to Devin King set the Bison up at the Vikings 7.
Lockley rushed up the middle for the go-ahead score three plays later, and Bethel’s defense held in the final seconds to close out the 28-21 victory.
“DK made that big catch, and we were just waiting for that,” Domser said. “It was a great call. Great execution. Great protection. It came together for us tonight.”
Earlier, Bethel took the first lead of the contest on the game’s first possession. Makai Washington returned the opening kickoff 60 yards, and Lockley scored the first of two first-half rushing touchdowns six plays later on a 9-yard carry.
Puyallup took the lead less than four minutes later, when Kaden Rolfsness took a direct snap 4 yards up the middle for a score, and Luke Faccone added the PAT to make it 7-6.
The Bison punted on their next drive, but got the ball back moments later on a Lance Santos interception, which set them up at the Puyallup 24. Lockley rushed for a second touchdown, this time for 5 yards up the middle, five plays later.
Puyallup responded on the ensuing possession, when Rolfsness completed a 12-play, 66-yard drive with a 1-yard run to give the Vikings a 14-13 lead they took into the break.
The Vikings extended the lead to 21-13 late in the third on a 5-yard rushing touchdown from Rolfsness.
But, Bethel responded with a 15-play, 80-yard drive that took nearly nine minutes off the clock. Elijah Pula rushed for a 3-yard touchdown to complete the drive with 3:15 left in the game, and added a two-point conversion run to tie the game.
Bethel’s defense — which collected a pair of turnovers in the contest with an interception and fumble recovery — limited Puyallup to two short runs and an incompletion on the ensuing drive, leading to the Vikings’ punt and the eventual game-winning drive.
Lockley led all rushers with 173 yards and the three touchdowns on 30 carries, while Pula added 15 carries for 82 yards and the touchdown.
Bethel’s offense totaled 261 yards on the ground, averaging 4.8 per carry, in the win.
Kyson Douglas led Puyallup in rushing with 14 carries for 137 yards, while Rolfsness had 15 carries for 52 yards and the three scores.
Bethel improves to 4-3 with the win, an important 4A SPSL victory as the Bison look to return to Week 10 with one of the league’s seven postseason allocations.
“Any time you win in this league, it’s a big deal,” Domser said. “It’s good for momentum going into next week, because it doesn’t get any easier.”
Bethel hosts defending league champion Sumner next Friday, then plays league-leading Graham-Kapowsin in Week 9.
Puyallup (3-4) also remains in contention for a postseason spot with two games to play, and hosts Bellarmine Prep next Friday before wrapping up the regular season against Curtis.
GRAHAM-KAPOWSIN 35, SOUTH KITSAP 7
Graham-Kapowsin’s high-flying offense, possessing perhaps the South Sound’s best skill group, dazzled again to remain undefeated in a stacked 4A SPSL.
Eagles QB Daveon Superales looked the part of one of the state’s top signal-callers. The senior completed 76 percent of his passes (28-of-37) for 406 yards, four touchdowns, and no turnovers. He was Graham-Kapowsin’s leading rusher, adding 54 rushing yards and an 11-yard touchdown run in the third quarter — good for five total.
Graham-Kapowsin pass-catchers feasted on South Kitsap’s secondary. Four Eagles tallied five-plus receptions, and two posted 100-yard games.
WR Jabez Woods grabbed a team-high nine receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns. WR Malachi Durant caught six receptions for 121 yards.
Superales found TE Noah Flores for a four-yard touchdown that opened scoring in the first quarter; the latter grabbed six receptions for 59 yards and the score.
WR Khris Norris tallied five catches for 66 yards, and WR Mika Roberson added a 31-yard reception.
LB Samu Palaita and LB Josh Massey recorded sacks. Eagles S DJ Ta’ape forced and recovered a fumble.
LB Derick Manibusan posted a team-high five tackles. CB Julian DelosSantos grabbed an interception.
LINCOLN 55, SILAS 13
The numbers from Lincoln QB Sione Kaho’s second quarter are out of a video game.
The freshman signal-caller threw five touchdowns in a 35-point second quarter — the undoubted top performance in Kaho’s young career that signaled an imminent rout.
Kaho completed 15-of-22 passes for 265 yards and six touchdowns before halftime. Four of his final six passes of the opening half went to the house.
By intermission, Kaho’s night was complete.
Lincoln’s defense was equally daunting. Silas attempted eight passes on Thursday night — four were intercepted. The Rams completed just one pass, a two-yard reception by Silas RB Majesty Lui in the second quarter.
Silas found its only true production on the ground — RB Naesirhc White erupted for 60- and 21-yard rushing touchdowns in the second half that denied Lincoln a shutout.
White was the Rams’ bellow. His rushing line: 16 carries for 90 yards and two scores. Lincoln restricted him to minus-six yards in the first half.
ENUMCLAW 44, FIFE 14
Hornets RB Wyatt Neu totaled three touchdowns, the standout performance in Enumclaw’s big win Thursday.
Each of Neu’s touchdowns went for 23-or-more yards. He scampered for 23- and 60-yard rushing scores, adding an 89-yard kickoff return touchdown.
Fife’s 14 points are the most any team has scored on the Hornets this season.
But Enumclaw keeps rolling, only reinforcing its status as a 2A title contender. The lone unbeaten in the 2A SPSL, the Hornets have outscored opponents 276-40 and control their destiny for a league trophy.
This story was originally published October 12, 2023 at 10:25 PM.
