Yelm’s Kiamco bided his time. Now he’s an impact player for reigning 3A champion Tornados
In any number of Yelm’s blowout games last year on the way to the Class 3A state title, when Jason Ronquillo pulled his starters in the second half, one backup player stood out: running back Anthony Kiamco.
“Any time he would go in with our backups, we’d put him in and sometimes we didn’t slow down — we got faster,” Ronquillo said.
It should be no surprise then that Kiamco, now a senior, has enjoyed a breakout season for the Tornados. No longer a reserve, Kiamco has made the most of his opportunities for the Tornados, who are undefeated and have advanced to this week’s state tournament quarterfinal round.
“Last year, I felt like I really didn’t do anything,” Kiamco said “So I wanted to make this year’s run worth it. …. I knew I had to prove something. I wanted to just work harder, prepare myself for this year.”
Kiamco, who has split carries with lead back and Oregon commit Brayden Platt this year, has racked up 877 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 69 carries. His impact has gone beyond just offense though — Kiamco has been a difference maker in all three phases of the game. At linebacker, he has returned two interceptions for touchdowns and on special teams, has a kickoff return for a touchdown and has returned three punts for touchdowns.
“I take a lot of pride in that,” he said. “I was always a special teams guy.”
It’s the area where Ronquillo and his coaching staff have been most pleasantly surprised.
“I think we knew offensively and defensively what we were getting but I think the question mark was special teams,” he said. “Particularly, when you’re returning punts or kickoff returns, you don’t know how fearless athletes can be, because it can be a tough job, especially to catch punts.
“He’s done such a fantastic job. He’s really gone above and beyond what we thought he could do. He’s absolutely fearless back there. He’s electric.”
Kiamco, listed at just 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds on Yelm’s roster, doesn’t have Platt’s size or strength. But if either back gets to the second level, watch out.
“Pound for pound, he’s one of our best athletes,” Ronquillo said. “He’s small, but incredibly gifted. He’s got so many skills to work with.”
Playing alongside Platt, the state’s top-ranked recruit in the 2024 class, keeps Kiamco pushing himself.
“It motivates me hard,” he said. “I’m not him, I don’t have the size like him, the strength like him. But it’s fun playing behind someone like that.”
After Kyler Ronquillo graduated, Yelm needed to find a way to replace the versatility and explosiveness he brought to the table. Kiamco has filled the role admirably.
“You need a kid that’s explosive,” Ronquillo said. “There’s a lot of teams that have the run of the mill guys that are just really good high school athletes, but that’s all you have. We have a lot of really good high school athletes, but it’s such a blessing to have the explosive athlete that can be a game-changer at any moment. He’s one of them.”
Yelm faces Mount Tahoma in the 3A state tournament quarterfinals, 7 p.m. Friday at Yelm.
