State football notes: Two Division I-bound receivers have eclipsed 1,000 yards for Graham-Kapowsin
Known through the years for their relentless running game, the Graham-Kapowsin High School Eagles debuted a new look on offense when this fall season began — a high-flying passing attack.
How well has this offense performed since the Eagles started featuring it in games in late August?
Graham-Kapowsin has a quarterback in senior Daveon Superales who has already thrown for 3,339 yards and 43 touchdowns through 12 games, and is one of the top passers in the state this fall.
The Eagles also have a talented group of receivers, including two Division I-bound seniors who have already eclipsed 1,000 yards entering this weekend’s Class 4A state semifinals.
Jabez Woods (89 catches, 1,161 yards 10 TDs in 10 games) leads Graham-Kapowsin in both receptions and receiving yards, while Malachi Durant (62 catches, 1,019 yards, 18 TDs in 12 games) paces the Eagles in touchdown catches.
“They’re really hard workers,” Graham-Kapowsin coach Jeff Logan said of his two senior pass catchers. “They’re fierce competitors, they’re never going to quit, and it shows what you can do when you put the ball in their hands.”
Woods, who also led the Eagles in receiving as a junior, is a returning TNT All-Area and all-state selection. The two-time 4A SPSL first-teamer has piled up more than 2,500 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns the past three seasons, and has been a dynamic playmaker everywhere on the field for the Eagles — whether he’s taking a short shovel pass around the edge and sprinting up the sideline, or hauling in a downfield pass.
“Jabez, who had played running back forever, he’s a gamer,” Logan said. “ … We’re trying to find any way possible we can find the ball into his hands and let him go.”
A three-star recruit who averages a team-leading 142.1 all-purpose yards per game for the Eagles this season, Woods is set to head to the Big Sky Conference next season after committing to Montana State last month.
“Honestly it’s been a dream,” he said of the opportunity to continue his career at the Division I level. “Being the first person to go out to college and play, for my family, it means a lot, and it gives me something to really play for.”
Woods took a visit to Bozeman in October, and committed to the program shortly after.
“Once I stepped foot off the plane, it just felt like home,” he said. “It’s a bigger Graham. Everybody in Graham, they’re so put together, tight-knit. Everybody knows each other. … In Bozeman, everybody, they’re so nice. They treated me like family.”
Durant, who led Puyallup in receiving in 2022 and joined Graham-Kapowsin during the offseason, is also set to play Division I football next season.
A three-star receiver, Durant reported 11 offers from FBS programs before visiting and committing to Oregon State in June. Durant said Corvallis “felt like home.”
“It just felt the most genuine,” he said.
Durant has “elite level wide receiver knowledge,” Logan said. He’s also “arguably the most savvy route runner I’ve seen,” his coach said.
“I’m really excited to watch him,” Logan said of seeing Durant play at the college level. “I think he’s going to flourish.”
Durant has recorded multi-touchdown performances in six of Graham-Kapowsin’s 12 contests this fall. In his first game with the program back in August, he returned the game-opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, and has hauled in 18 touchdown catches in the weeks since.
Durant put in the work with Superales over the summer to quickly become a top performer in the Eagles’ offense. The result has been several highlight-reel plays and long touchdown catches.
“It’s fun,” Durant said. “I love that Dave (Superales) has that trust in us to go and make plays like that. It’s really fun.”
No. 1 seed Graham-Kapowsin hosts No. 4 seed Eastlake in the first game of a semifinals doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday at Art Crate Field in Spanaway.
TITLE GAME REMATCH
The pass sailed downfield through the cold air and into the waiting arms of an Eastside Catholic defender.
For a brief moment last December on a chilly afternoon at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup, it seemed Yelm’s undefeated season would come to a close without the storybook ending.
Then wide receiver Kyler Ronquillo ripped away the Crusaders’ sure interception at the 30-yard line, and sprinted away into the end zone.
Touchdown Tornados.
The score gave Yelm the lead with 52 seconds to play, and the Tornados’ defense shut down Eastside Catholic on the game’s final series to close out the thrilling 20-13 victory and Yelm’s first state title in program history.
One year later, this time in the state semifinals, Eastside Catholic and Yelm are set to meet again in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday at Art Crate Field in Spanaway. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The No. 4 seed Crusaders enter the rematch on a six-game winning streak, while top-seeded Yelm is undefeated, and has the longest active winning streak of any program in Washington at 26 games, dating back to 2021.
EXTRA POINTS
▪ Four South Sound programs are still playing — and all four are undefeated league champions. 4A SPSL champion Graham-Kapowsin, 3A SSC champion Yelm, 2A SPSL champion Enumclaw and 2A EvCo champion Tumwater enter the final four in their respective brackets at 12-0.
▪ There are six remaining undefeated programs in the 4A, 3A and 2A classifications, including the four South Sound schools, as well as 3A No. 2 seed O’Dea (11-0) and 2A No. 2 seed Anacortes (11-0). There are six more undefeated teams still playing in the 1A, 2B and 1B brackets.
▪ Each of the South Sound’s four remaining programs have advanced to the state semifinals multiple times in their histories. This will be the fourth trip in program history for Graham-Kapowsin, second for both Yelm and Enumclaw, and 18th for Tumwater.
Here’s what happened last time each team played in the final four:
Graham-Kapowsin — 2022 (lost to eventual 4A state champion Lake Stevens)
Yelm — 2022 (beat Bellevue; eventual 3A state champion)
Enumclaw — 2022 (lost to eventual 2A state champion Lynden)
Tumwater — 2021 (beat Squalicum; eventual 2A state runner-up)
SEMIFINALS SCHEDULE
Here is the Saturday schedule for each South Sound program playing in the semifinals.
CLASS 4A
No. 4 Eastlake (11-1) vs. No. 1 Graham-Kapowsin (12-0)
1 p.m. Saturday, Art Crate Field, Spanaway
CLASS 3A
No. 4 Eastside Catholic (9-2) vs. No. 1 Yelm (12-0)
6 p.m. Saturday, Art Crate Field, Spanaway
CLASS 2A
No. 3 Enumclaw (12-0) vs. No. 2 Anacortes (11-0)
3 p.m. Saturday, Anacortes High School, Anacortes
No. 4 North Kitsap (11-1) vs. No. 1 Tumwater (12-0)
5 p.m. Saturday, Tumwater District Stadium, Tumwater
This story was originally published November 22, 2023 at 1:06 PM.
