Week 8: High school football games to watch in the South Sound, predictions
Read about the top five high school football games in the South Sound in Week 8 below, plus our pick for the state game of the week.
4A NPSL
Tahoma Bears (4-3) vs. Kennedy Catholic Lancers (6-1)
1 p.m. Saturday, Highline Memorial Stadium, Burien
Following a pair of nonleague losses to Bonney Lake and Woodinville to open the 2023 season, Tahoma has won four of its past five contests against 4A NPSL opponents. The Bears have double-digit wins against Mount Rainier, Kentwood, Federal Way and Kentridge during that stretch, with their only league loss entering the weekend to Decatur (33-30) back in Week 5. WR Kage Repenn, an Idaho commit, has scored 10 total TDs for the Bears this season, including one rushing, eight receiving, one kickoff return and one punt return. Kennedy Catholic is on a six-game winning streak since a season-opening loss on the road to Regis Jesuit (Colo.), and has outscored its first four 4A NPSL opponents, 176-38, this fall. The defending 4A NPSL champion Lancers are two wins away from securing their fifth consecutive undefeated league title, and still haven’t lost a league contest since 2018. Kennedy Catholic averages 44.4 points per game, led by QB Devon Forehand (89-of-145 passing, 1,542 yards, 21 TDs) and RB Indiana Jones (922 total yards, 17 total TDs).
TNT pick: Kennedy Catholic, 40-28
4A SPSL
Sumner Spartans (4-3) vs. Bethel Bison (4-3)
7 p.m. Friday, Art Crate Field, Spanaway
Defending 4A SPSL champion Sumner has posted back-to-back double-digit victories over Rogers and Olympia the past two weeks to improve to 4-3, rallying from three losses — to three other 4A SPSL powers in Curtis (38-33), Emerald Ridge (42-28) and Graham-Kapowsin (38-31 in overtime) — in five games to open the season. Bethel has also won three of its past four contests to enter the week at 4-3, including a 28-21 comeback win over Puyallup last week. Friday night’s 4A SPSL matchup will be key in determining postseason seeding, as both programs look to return to Week 10.
TNT pick: Sumner, 30-24
3A PCL
Bonney Lake Panthers (4-3) vs. Stadium Tigers (4-3)
7 p.m. Thursday, Stadium Bowl, Tacoma
Bonney Lake is looking to advance to Week 10 for the first time since 2016 — when the program made the second of back-to-back appearances in the 3A state quarterfinals — and can clinch a return to the postseason with a win over the Tigers this week and a Lakes loss against Lincoln. The Panthers posted 3A PCL wins over the Lancers and Spanaway Lake, before losses to Lincoln and league-leading Mount Tahoma. They got back in the win column last week with a 33-7 nonleague victory on the road at Redmond. Stadium opened the season 4-1, but will look to rally with a win over the Panthers in the program’s final 3A PCL contest this season following back-to-back losses to Lincoln and Mount Tahoma the past two weeks. Bonney Lake has won the past four games in this series.
TNT pick: Bonney Lake, 28-21
3A PCL
Lincoln Abes (4-3) vs. Lakes Lancers (4-3)
7 p.m. Friday, Harry E. Lang Stadium, Lakewood
Lincoln enters this annual meeting of 3A PCL powers having collected three consecutive double-digit victories over Bonney Lake (42-28), Stadium (42-9) and Silas (55-13) after opening the season 1-3 with a series of tough nonleague contests and close loss to Mount Tahoma in the 3A PCL opener for both teams. Freshman QB Sione Kaho (113-of-155 passing, 1,640 yards, 14 TDs) has 11 touchdown passes the past three weeks. The Lancers need a win to remain in postseason contention following a league-opening loss to Bonney Lake in Week 3 and double-overtime loss to Spanaway Lake last weekend. WR Elijiah Mcchristian has been Lakes’ top playmaker this fall, averaging a team-leading 132 all-purpose yards per game with four TDs. Lincoln has won the past four games in the series.
TNT pick: Lincoln, 35-24
3A SSC
Peninsula Seahawks (4-3) vs. Yelm Tornados (7-0)
7 p.m. Friday, Yelm High School, Yelm
After opening the season 0-3 with nonleague losses to 2A state power Enumclaw (20-13) and 4A NPSL program Kentwood (21-18), and a loss to rival Gig Harbor (21-20) to open 3A SSC play, Peninsula has collected four consecutive double-digit wins over league opponents. The Seahawks enter this season’s meeting with the Tornados having outscored North Thurston, River Ridge, Central Kitsap and Capital, 151-42, the past four weeks. Defending 3A SSC and state champion Yelm posted early nonleague wins over 4A state power Camas (8-7) and Union (62-34), and has rolled to five more victories in 3A SSC play since, outscoring league opponents, 283-34. The last 3A SSC program to beat Yelm? Peninsula, back in Week 7 of the 2019 season, when the Seahawks posted a 31-28 win over the Tornados at Roy Anderson Field on the way to an undefeated league title. The Tornados are 25-0 in 3A SSC contests since.
TNT pick: Yelm, 42-24
STATE GAME OF THE WEEK
Graham-Kapowsin Eagles (7-0) vs. Emerald Ridge Jaguars (6-1)
7 p.m. Saturday, Sparks Stadium, Puyallup
Two of the South Sound’s top offenses meet in another 4A SPSL showdown, about 10 months after both advanced to the 4A state semifinals. Both programs brought back many of the playmakers that led them to the final four in the bracket last fall, and Saturday night’s meeting in Puyallup offers a key test for both teams with the postseason approaching. QB Daveon Superales (174-of-232 passing, 1,968 yards, 24 TDs; 50 carries, 324 yards, four TDs) leads a Graham-Kapowsin offense averaging 440.7 yards and 5.1 touchdowns per game, while QB Jake Schakel (108-of-151 passing, 1,891 yards, 26 TDs; two rushing TDs) runs a Jaguars offense that averages 435.3 yards and 5.3 scores. The Eagles remain undefeated through seven weeks, and could secure their second 9-0 finish in 4A SPSL play in the past three seasons with victories in the next two games. Emerald Ridge won its first three contests this season before the program’s only loss to Curtis, and is on a three-game winning streak since. Graham-Kapowsin is 15-1 in the all-time series against Emerald Ridge, and has an active seven-game winning streak against the Jaguars. Emerald Ridge’s only win in the series so far was back in 2014.
TNT pick: Graham-Kapowsin, 35-31
This story was originally published October 17, 2023 at 4:00 PM.
