Final high school football power rankings: Top 25 teams in South Sound in 2023
Nine weeks of high school football across the South Sound are in the books.
This season, The News Tribune’s high school sports team has ranked the top 10 programs in the area every two weeks. Now that the regular season is complete and teams are gearing up for the playoffs, here are our final rankings for 2023. This week’s list is expanded to 25 teams.
We considered a variety of factors when ranking teams throughout the season, not just wins and losses, and did the same for this final list.
Here’s the Top 25 at the end of the regular season:
THE TOP 25
1. Graham-Kapowsin (9-0) — Undefeated 4A SPSL champions impressed with signature wins over Sumner, Curtis and Emerald Ridge. QB Daveon Superales (2,864 total yards, 38 total TDs) and several Division I recruits in receivers group have Eagles offense rolling. Graham-Kapowsin won the 4A state title in 2021, and is looking to make a ninth consecutive trip to the state bracket.
2. Yelm (9-0) — Tornados steamrolled undefeated through its schedule and the 3A SSC with an average win margin of 42 points. RB Brayden Platt (192 rushing yards, three TDs last week), the state’s top recruit in the 2024 class, has Yelm ready to defend its 3A crown.
3. Curtis (7-2) — Vikings made a jump in the 4A SPSL standings this fall, led by QB Rocco Koch (3,222 total yards, 45 total TDs), including posting key wins over Sumner and Emerald Ridge. Only losses this season to league champion Graham-Kapowsin and Puyallup. Curtis looking for first trip to state playoffs since 2018.
4. Emerald Ridge (7-2) — Eastern Washington commit Jake Schakel (2,432 passing yards, 30 TDs) and Idaho commit Tony Harste (1,064 receiving yards, 14 TDs) pace a Jaguars offense looking to return to state playoffs after a school-best 4A state semifinals appearance last fall. Only losses in league play to Curtis and Graham-Kapowsin.
5. Kennedy Catholic (8-1) — 4A NPSL champion Lancers closed out their fifth consecutive undefeated league title last week, and enter the postseason on an eight-game winning streak. QB Devon Forehand (1,965 passing yards, 26 TDs) and RB Indiana Jones (857 rushing yards, 388 receiving yards, 23 total TDs) lead the way for Kennedy Catholic program that reached the 4A title game last December.
6. Sumner (6-3) — Spartans ended up fourth in the 4A SPSL standings following early losses to Curtis, Emerald Ridge and Graham-Kapowsin, but Sumner is a perennial postseason contender and enters Week 10 on a four-game winning streak. QB Tristen Rebar (1,722 passing yards, 20 TDs) runs the Spartans offense, while RB Steele Isaacs (1,074 rushing yards, 12 TDs) has paced the rushing attack.
7. Tumwater (9-0) — T-Birds leapfrog 2A peer Enumclaw after 40-point blowout of visiting 4A Tahoma in Week 9. QB Ethan Kastner has been efficient when called upon, completing 72 percent of his passes. RB Kooper Clark (718 yards, 13 rushing TDs, two receiving TDs) leads a group of six backs with at least 200 rushing yards.
8. Enumclaw (9-0) — Hornets are as deep and balanced as any team in the state, led by QB Gunnar Trachte (1,183 yards, 17 TDs). RB Tristan Donovan (635 yards, eight TDs) highlights the running corps.
9. Puyallup (5-4) — Vikings stunned Curtis in overtime to wrap up their 4A SPSL schedule last week, and will look to return to the state playoffs after just missing the bracket in 2022 following a three-point loss on the road at Skyview in Week 10.
10. Mount Tahoma (6-3) — T-Birds completed an undefeated run through the 3A PCL with a win over Lakes in Week 9. Mount Tahoma hopeful workhorse back Brison Bailey (1,002 yards, 13 TDs) will be back for playoffs.
11. Bethel (4-5) — Bethel’s consistent rushing attack has the program back in the district playoffs this week. Bison placed sixth in a tough 4A SPSL this fall. RB Roy Lockley III averaged 100+ yards per game and had 15 rushing TDs.
12. Lincoln (6-3) — After losing three of its first four games, Abes ripped off five straight wins in 3A PCL runner-up finish. Freshman QB Sione Kaho is improving every week, targeting No. 1 receiver Jemani Teplasy in the passing game.
13. Decatur (8-1) — Gators earned the program’s best finish in two decades with runner-up finish in 4A NPSL. QB Spencer Holloway (1,268 passing yards, 10 TDs; 489 rushing yards, six TDs) and RB Nehemiah Washington (1,214 yards, 17 TDs) were productive all season.
14. Auburn Riverside (6-3) — Ravens went undefeated in 3A NPSL, capped off with a rout of district rival Auburn in Week 9. RB Thyrou Umi-Tuato’o (837 rushing yards, 15 TDs) has been difficult to slow down.
15. Gig Harbor (7-2) — Tides earned runner-up finish in 3A SSC behind Yelm, posting key wins over Peninsula, Capital and Timberline. QB Benji Park (1,543 yards, 19 TDs), who started the season at tight end, came up big in clutch situations all season.
16. Timberline (5-4) — Blazers enter the postseason with momentum after blanking Peninsula 35-0 in Week 9 and winning three-way tiebreaker against Peninsula and Capital on Tuesday. Blazers LB Darrell Gipson and DL Ty Evans can take over games in a hurry.
17. Bonney Lake (7-3) — Panthers placed third in the 3A PCL this fall, won a play-in game against Bainbridge this week, and are set to return to the postseason for the first time since 2016 behind QB Brayden Palmer and RB/WR Marcus Lloyd.
18. Tahoma (4-5) — Bears went on a 4-1 stretch midway through the regular season, placed third in the 4A NPSL standings, and will look to rally from losses to perennial state contenders Kennedy Catholic and Tumwater in this week’s district round. Idaho commit Kage Repenn has been a top playmaker.
19. Peninsula (4-5) — Seahawks just missed postseason after loss to Timberline in Week 9 and losing three-way tiebreaker on Tuesday.
20. Olympia (3-6) — Bears rallied with back-to-back wins to wrap up a tough 4A SPSL schedule, including a victory over Bellarmine Prep in Week 9 that sends them to this week’s district round.
21. Capital (5-4) — Cougars nearly snuck into postseason, forcing a three-way tie for third in the 3A SSC after beating Timberline in Week 8. WR Kai Laukkaken (813 receiving yards, 10 TDs) had a strong season.
22. Auburn (7-2) — Trojans will look to bounce back against Lincoln (Tacoma) in playoffs after loss to Auburn Riverside in Week 9. WR Luvens Valcin (685 receiving yards, nine TDs; 270 rushing yards, two TDs) has been two-way star for the Trojans.
23. Bellarmine Prep (3-6) — Lions played close contests in a tough 4A SPSL, but just missed out on the league’s final postseason allocation with a four-point loss to Olympia in Week 9.
24. Federal Way (3-6) — Eagles looked improved down stretch, closing out season with wins over Mount Rainier and Kentwood, before a narrow two-point loss to Decatur in regular season finale.
25. Lakes (4-5) — Lakes opened the season 4-1, but was without starting QB Legend Galeai (shoulder) for their final six games. Lancers just missed out on a return to Week 10, dropping a close contest to Bonney Lake in Week 3, and overtime losses to Spanaway Lake and Lincoln in Weeks 7 and 8.
PREVIOUS RANKINGS
Preseason | Week 3 | Week 5 | Week 7 | Week 9
This story was originally published November 1, 2023 at 11:22 AM.
