High school football roundup: Yelm, Auburn Riverside win league titles in blowout fashion
Results, recaps and more from Week 9 high school football contests around the South Sound will be posted on this page Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Find Week 9 scores from games across Washington on our statewide scoring sheet, which will be updated live throughout the weekend.
FRIDAY’S RESULTS (OCT. 27)
YELM 57, GIG HARBOR 7
On the schedule, it was a championship game. On the field, it turned into just another dominating Tornados victory in the 3A SSC.
Yelm scored early and often against Gig Harbor on Friday to secure its fourth consecutive unbeaten record within the 3A SSC with a 57-7 victory over the Tides. With the COVID-delayed, 5-0 record from the 2021 spring season and the final two league wins from 2019 included, the Tornados are riding a 27-game winning streak in the 3A SSC.
The last team to beat Yelm in league? Peninsula on Oct. 18, 2019.
The Seahawks’ fellow district school couldn’t match the feat on Friday. The Tides came into this regular season finale tied with Yelm in the league standings at 6-0.
But while Gig Harbor managed just 61 yards of offense in the first half, the Tornados piled up 344 while scoring touchdowns on five consecutive possessions. Yelm punted on the game’s first drive, then had a potential touchdown pass go through the hands of receiver Jacob Tracy on the final play of the first half to “settle” for a 35-0 halftime lead.
The only real blemish for the evening were the 15 penalties called on Yelm that kept its defense on the field longer than necessary for the only two Gig Harbor drives before the backups hit the field.
“There’s things to learn from every game,” Yelm coach Jason Ronquillo said. “The emotions got the best of us on senior night. We knew it was going to be an emotional night. The league championship’s on the line, the kids are feeling a certain way. We got a little undisciplined and a little out of control at times.”
Running back Brayden Platt led the Yelm offensive barrage as it built the big lead. The senior carried the ball 18 times for 179 yards and three of those five first-half touchdowns. He didn’t touch the ball in the second half.
AUBURN RIVERSIDE 41, AUBURN 14
Thyrou Umi-Tuato’o instantly changes the complexion of Auburn Riverside’s run game — a bullying, powerful, hard-to-bring-down tailback who serves as the bellcow.
The emerging “feature-back” just posted another monster game in both a regular-season finale and league championship. Umi-Tuato’o piled four rushing touchdowns in a landslide victory over crosstown-rival Auburn — clinching both the 3A NPSL title and the city’s Fugate Trophy at Auburn Memorial Stadium on Friday night.
What set up to be a fierce clash between the league’s last unbeatens quickly turned one-sided: Auburn Riverside 41, Auburn 14.
“This senior group was a part of the league championship when they were sophomores. They got a little taste of it,” Ravens head coach Greg Herd said. “I think they’re super excited now to be able to bring the Fugate Trophy back and be league champs again. Most importantly, it puts us in a great position moving into the playoffs next week.”
Umi-Tuato’o scored three touchdowns in the first half, including a 28-yard burst between the tackles. He took 22 carries for 109 yards and four touchdowns, the standout performance in Auburn Riverside’s statement win.
Auburn fumbled the opening kickoff, and Auburn Riverside grabbed instant momentum and premier field position.
The first-possession recipe? Five straight carries went to Umi-Tuato’o, who scored the first touchdown on a two-yard run.
“The O-Line,” Umi-Tuato’o said. “Just setting up the blocks to make the runs spark. Our O-line has been grinding and working day-in and day-out this whole week, and I think that really contributed to the team today.”
Auburn struggled against a fast, fearless, and swarming Auburn Riverside defense that surrendered only eight total first downs. Ravens DB Isaac Mospanko snagged two interceptions and DE Diego Flores recorded a sack.
“Rivalries… you just never know who’s gonna show up,” Herd said. “Our guys came out and they were fired up. They were hitting. There was a physical style of football that was played today, and I’m super, super jacked about it.”
Ravens QB Andrew Wold completed 13-of-20 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns, both to WR Cole Svendsen on 13- and 12-yard slant routes. Auburn Riverside never committed a turnover.
Svendsen posted five receptions for 82 yards and two touchdowns. WR Andrew Shrader snagged four receptions for 82 yards, including a 59-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter.
Auburn Riverside’s 39 total carries (130 yards) kept the football in the Ravens’ possession for over 32 minutes.
Auburn WR Luvens Valcin snagged a pair of touchdowns in the second half, erasing a shutout. QB DJ Bielza lofted a well-located touch pass for a 28-yard score down the left sideline in the closing moments of the third quarter, and Valcin took an 18-yard screen for another score in the final minute of the game.
Valcin posted a game-high nine receptions for 127 yards and two scores.
MOUNT TAHOMA 27, LAKES 13
Marquise Thorpe-Taylor didn’t win a single game his freshman year at Mount Tahoma High School. How times have changed at the South Tacoma school.
The T-Birds wrapped up an undefeated run through the Class 3A Pierce County League on Friday night at home, beating the visiting Lakes Lancers, 27-13. Mount Tahoma had clinched the league title — the program’s first since 1982 — a week prior with its win over Silas, so Friday night was an exclamation point. For Thorpe-Taylor, a 6-foot-3, 315-pound offensive tackle and UCLA commit, it has been a journey, from the lowest of lows to Friday night’s high.
“It’s been rough, just going out, we didn’t have many guys my freshman year,” Thorpe-Taylor said. “During quarantine, we just battled. Over the years, coach just said ‘trust the process and by senior year we’ll be good to go.’ Now, undefeated league champs.
“It’s definitely just something special. Around the school, it’s a big deal. It’s like Mount Tahoma wasn’t all that my freshman year, but now you see it’s like woah, now kids want to come around now and that’s what we want. That’s South Tacoma.”
Mount Tahoma jumped out to a quick two touchdown lead in the early minutes of the game. On the second offensive play of the night, running back Felix Diaz rushed for a 30-yard touchdown. On the ensuing Lakes possession, Joshua Durr took advantage of a tipped pass and returned it 28 yards for a pick six. The T-Birds never looked back.
Lakes made it interesting in the second half, scoring a pair of touchdowns, the first an Exavier McChristian 37-yard touchdown pass to Julian LeBlanc. Late in the fourth quarter, McChristian connected with Elijah McChristian for another score, but a 46-yard Diaz touchdown run for Mount Tahoma sealed the win.
Since a Week 5 nonleague loss to Battle Ground, Mount Tahoma’s defense has been playing lights out. Lakes’ 14 points was the most the T-Birds have given up in the past four weeks.
Second-year Mount Tahoma coach Keith Terry wasn’t even born yet when the program won its last league title in 1982. He’s happy to see good things happening for the program.
“Just for me overall, being an alumni from here, it’s amazing,” he said. “It’s amazing to see the support come back to the school, the way that the administration is buying into what we’re doing as a program. It’s just overall success for us as a school and community, and that’s the most amazing part for me.”
GRAHAM-KAPOWSIN 38, BETHEL 7
The Eagles completed a perfect 9-0 run through 4A SPSL play Friday night at Art Crate Field in Spanaway to close out the regular season.
After Bethel opened scoring late in the first on a 3-yard touchdown run from Roy Lockley III, Graham-Kapowsin scored 38 unanswered points to head into next week’s district playoffs as one of only two 4A programs statewide still carrying undefeated records.
The Eagles got on the board early in the second quarter on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Daveon Superales to Malachi Durant, and took the lead for good five minutes later on a 19-yard connection between Superales and Durant.
Superales added a third passing touchdown with 25 seconds left in the second quarter on an 18-yard pass to Khris Norris to give Graham-Kapowsin a 21-7 lead at the break.
The Eagles extended the lead early in the third on a 1-yard pass from Superales to Jabez Woods, and Durant caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Kaden Bourgeau five minutes later to push the lead to four touchdowns.
Graham-Kapowsin kicker Aiden Skolrud closed scoring with a 27-yard field goal midway through the fourth.
Superales completed 15-of-18 passes for 155 yards and the four touchdowns in the win, and added 32 rushing yards on two carries.
Durant led the Eagles in receiving with five catches for 61 yards and the three touchdowns, Woods had four catches for 41 yards and the score and Norris two catches for 41 yards and the touchdown.
Both Graham-Kapowsin and Bethel (4-5) advance to Week 10.
ENUMCLAW 49, WHITE RIVER 7
Enumclaw piled up 454 yards of offense and seven touchdowns Friday night at Pete’s Pool to wrap up back-to-back undefeated 2A SPSL championships with a 49-7 win over rival White River.
The win was Enumclaw’s 13th consecutive in the rivalry series, and extended the program’s league winning streak to 19 games.
Enumclaw is now also set to return to the Week 10 district round next week with a perfect 9-0 overall record.
“We’re excited,” Hornets coach Mark Gunderson said. “We feel good. We feel like we’re still trying to play our best football here, and we didn’t want to peak early in the season. We want to be peaking at the right time, and I feel like we took another step towards that here tonight.”
Enumclaw quarterback Gunnar Trachte completed 10-of-15 passes for 206 yards and four touchdowns in the win. Karson Holt had two receiving touchdowns for the Hornets, while Landon Brauer and Wyatt Neu each added one.
Neu, Tristan Donovan and Seamus Twohey each had rushing touchdowns for an Enumclaw offense that combined for 248 yards on the ground.
Enumclaw has now outscored opponents this season, 388-47.
TUMWATER 61, TAHOMA 21
The T-Birds scored early and often on the way to a 40-point victory over visiting Class 4A Tahoma at Tumwater District Stadium to wrap up their regular season with a perfect 9-0 record.
Tumwater was without a Week 9 opponent until midway through the week after it was announced the annual rivalry game against Black Hills would not be played.
Tahoma (4-5), also headed to the Week 10 district round after securing a third-place finish in the 4A NPSL standings, eventually made the 60-mile trip to Tumwater for the nonleague matchup Friday night.
“Super grateful to them,” T-Birds coach William Garrow said. “It’s great for our kids.”
Tumwater piled up 516 yards of offense and nine total touchdowns — six rushing, two passing, one interception return — to eventually run away with a win.
Kooper Clark rushed for touchdowns of 1 and 11 yards, and Logan Cole (5 yards), Derek Thompson (7 yards), Mathias Rodriguez (20 yards) and Jaylin Nixon (15 yards) also added rushing scores. Peyton Davis led the T-Birds on the ground with 80 rushing yards, while Clark had 72.
Quarterback Ethan Kastner completed 8-of-9 passes for 111 yards and touchdowns of 39 and 45 yards to Jacob Dillon and David Malroy.
Thompson added an 80-yard interception return touchdown for the T-Birds on defense.
“I just really like the balance,” Garrow said. “Our offensive line is doing an incredibly good job of blocking. We had five running backs score tonight … and we had six guys, seven guys carry the football — all of them effective doing a variety of things. Ethan has been incredibly efficient in the pass game.”
Tumwater, which won an undefeated 2A EvCo title, will be the league’s top seed heading into Week 10.
THURSDAY’S RESULTS (OCT. 26)
DECATUR 16, FEDERAL WAY 14
Not satisfied with limping into the postseason, Decatur extended its best season in 20 years with a victory over 4A NPSL rival Federal Way on a busy Thursday night at the newly renovated Federal Way Memorial Field.
The new version of the stadium opened just two weeks ago. Thursday was the first opportunity for both of these district rivals to play on their new home turf.
So both schools celebrated Homecomings. Both celebrated Senior Nights. And with both already having secured district playoff spots, only positioning for next week’s Week 10 games (and for Decatur the possibility to host that game) really was on the line.
For the homestanding Eagles, a win would forge a three-way tie for second in the 4A NPSL behind Kennedy Catholic. A Decatur win meant second alone and a likely Week 10 home game.
It was the visitors on the scoreboard that came away with a 16-14 victory. The Gators improved to 5-1 in league play and 8-1 overall. That victory total exceeded even Decatur’s last playoff team — the 2003 squad lost in Week 10 to finish 7-3 overall.
“You know what, it’s a great feeling,” Decatur coach Matt Vaeena said. “It’s a great thing to see this kind of rivalry.”
And it felt like a rivalry on Thursday despite the fact that Decatur had not beaten its crosstown rivals since 1991 — not even in 2003.
The Gators got off to a great start when Nehemiah Washington paid off Decatur’s first two possessions with scoring runs of 3 and 43 yards, then converted both two-point conversion runs for a 16-0 lead with 3:15 left in the first period.
They then needed a big defensive effort — and that unit obliged.
Jaliel Anderson had two of Decatur’s three interceptions against Federal Way quarterback Andy Cortez, the biggest coming with 1:32 left in the game and Federal Way driving at the Gators 42-yard line. Cortez found Deon Vann with the ball, but he was hit immediately.
That sent the ball into the air where Anderson was waiting.
“Players make plays,” Anderson said. “I knew I had to make a play.”
He did. And four plays later, the final horn sounded on another historic 2023 victory for Decatur.
Washington carried the ball 35 times for 186 yards and those two touchdowns. Vann ran it 20 times for 168 yards to lead the Eagles (3-6, 3-3).
PUYALLUP 20, CURTIS 17 (OT)
Luke Faccone sent the game-winning, 34-yard field goal through the uprights as the home crowd roared, and the Vikings’ sideline rushed to midfield to celebrate with the their senior kicker as Puyallup picked up a 20-17 overtime win over Curtis on Thursday night at Sparks Stadium to close out 4A SPSL play.
The victory gives the Vikings (5-4) their fifth win of the season, and their fourth in the past five weeks as they gear up for next week’s district playoffs.
“This is a huge win,” Faccone said.
Puyallup opened the season 1-3, dropping contests to other 4A SPSL powers in Emerald Ridge, Graham-Kapowsin and Sumner, but has since posted double-digit victories over Rogers, Olympia and Bellarmine Prep, and a close loss to Bethel. Thursday, Puyallup wrapped up the regular season with the impressive win over a Curtis program that entered the week at 7-1 and hadn’t been held to fewer than 35 points in a game this season.
“We talked about how we wanted to finish the year, and finish strong, and do the things that it takes to be competitive in the playoffs, and I think we’re taking those steps,” Puyallup coach Brian Grout said.
Curtis opened Thursday’s contest with a 13-play, 80-yard drive, and took the game’s first lead on a 2-yard keeper from quarterback Rocco Koch.
Puyallup answered two drives later, when a Issac Norris interception set Puyallup up in Curtis territory. Kaden Rolfsness rushed for a 1-yard touchdown five plays later to even the game at 7-7 late in the first.
An 18-yard scoring pass from Koch to Xavier Ahrens midway through the second gave Curtis a lead that eventually carried into halftime, but Faccone cut it to 14-10 with a 32-yard field goal at the buzzer.
Puyallup then took the lead for the first time five plays into the third, on a 16-yard scoring pass from Brayden Paulino to J’Isaiah Mitchell. Curtis tied the game again later in the quarter, though, on a 28-yard field goal from Ethan Bell.
The scored remained locked at 17-17 for the final 15:32 of regulation. Puyallup’s next drive ended with a fumble, and Curtis’ with a punt. Curtis later deflected a possible go-ahead 50-yard field goal, but punted again four plays later with 21 seconds left in the fourth. Puyallup moved the ball across midfield, but the final pass of regulation fell incomplete.
Curtis reached as far as the Puyallup 1 during the first overtime possession, but was eventually backed up to the 8-yard line, and a possible go-ahead 25-yard field goal went wide right.
Puyallup rushed for three short gains on its overtime drive before Faccone, an Air Force commit, kicked the game-winner.
“We’re super confident,” Faccone said. “We have lots of practice. The coaches … they trust my ability. My holder, my snapper, we practice all the time. Lawson Looker and Isaac Norris. We were just waiting for the opportunity.”
“Luke’s a weapon, and we look at him like that, we value him like that on our team,” Grout said. “ … Luke’s just a great kid, too. He’s a part of leadership at our school and does all the right things the right way.”
Paulino completed 9-of-12 passes for 101 yards and the one touchdown for Puyallup, while Mitchell had four catches for 55 yards and the touchdown. Kyson Douglas led Puyallup in rushing with 17 carries for 65 yards and added 38 yards on four catches, and Rolfsness added 42 yards and the one score on 13 carries.
Koch paced Curtis with 35 carries for 112 yards and the one rushing touchdown, and completed 13-of-18 passes for 141 yards and the one score. Parker Mady led Curtis in receiving with five catches for 49 yards, while Ahrens had four catches for 37 yards and the touchdown.
Koch eclipsed 3,000 total yards for the season in the first quarter, and has 1,900-plus passing yards and 1,200-plus rushing, and 45 total touchdowns entering the postseason.
Curtis (7-2) and Puyallup both advance to next week’s district round — and Puyallup with some key momentum following Thursday’s win.
“It just tells us that no one’s stopping us,” Faccone said. “No matter what the rankings say, we can play with anyone when we’re on our game.”
BONNEY LAKE 31, SILAS 10
Bonney Lake totaled 293 rushing yards, a dominant performance on the ground that pushed the Panthers over Silas on Thursday night.
Panthers quarterback Brayden Palmer scored two touchdowns, and Bonney Lake’s two-man rushing attack feasted in a 31-10 victory.
A third-place finish in the 3A PCL earns Bonney Lake their first postseason action since 2016.
“They’re excited,” coach Jason Silbaugh said. “Earlier in the year, I said this team is a team that has a shot. We have great senior leadership.
“We knew it was going to be tough. But I really thought two years ago, implementing a new offense and doing some new things on defense, that it was building for this year.”
The offense started slow Thursday, but a second-half resurgence saw Bonney Lake storm to victory and pull its starters for a ceremonial exit on senior night.
Palmer completed 8-of-14 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown, adding 13 carries for 55 yards and a rushing score.
“I was proud of them, that they were able to settle down and just play,” Silbaugh said.
Running back Kyler Gillette took a team-high 19 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown. Running back Marcus Lloyd tallied 72 yards and a score on eight carries.
Panthers kicker Tyler Vance drilled a 31-yard field goal.
Bonney Lake’s postseason spot is secured, but it’s complicated — to reach the Round of 32 next weekend, the Panthers must defeat Bainbridge in a play-in game on Tuesday night at South Kitsap High School.
Why? 3A Bainbridge’s top-two finish in the 2A Olympic, where they have competed since the pandemic, granted a play-in game with the 3A PCL’s third-place finisher, Bonney Lake. The victor advances.
“We practice tomorrow, we practice Saturday, and then practice Monday to get ready for a playoff game,” Silbaugh said. “Our kids are jacked that they get a shot to prove that they deserve to be in the playoffs.”
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published October 26, 2023 at 10:33 PM.
