High school football season preview: 4A North Puget Sound League

By Doug Drowley

Updated September 2, 2024 6:49 AM

Kennedy Catholic’s Joey Thomas III (left) and senior linebacker Thomas Bevilacqua celebrate as time expires in the Lancers’ 37-34 victory over the Curtis Vikings in Friday night’s 4A state football opening round game at Viking Stadium in University Place, Washington, on Nov. 10, 2023. toverman@theolympian.com

High school football preview ’24

The News Tribune will be visiting schools in the area and previewing local leagues as the first week of games approaches.

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High school football is back in the South Sound. Practices are underway as programs across the state prepare for the beginning of the 2024 season.

The News Tribune will be visiting schools in the area and previewing local leagues as the first week of games approaches.

Follow along with us throughout the two-week preseason for previews on the 4A NPSL, 4A SPSL, 3A NPSL, 3A PSL, 2A SPSL, 2A EvCo and more.

4A NORTH PUGET SOUND LEAGUE

What’s new this season?

Reclassification remade the league, which lost two schools but gained back three to go from a seven-team conference to eight. The newcomers all are making the transition from 3A to 4A, though all three have been a part of the state’s top classification in the past. The league welcomes back Auburn and Auburn Riverside, and brings into the fold a Tacoma landmark school in the Stadium Tigers. The last time Stadium was a 4A school, it played in the Narrows League. Most recently, the Tigers were members of the 3A Pierce County League. Meanwhile, Federal Way and Decatur are gone – now in the 3A division of the league.

Kennedy Catholic quarterback Devon Forehand breaks away from Curtis defender Xavier Ahrens for a touchdown run during Friday night’s 4A state football opening round game at Viking Stadium in University Place, Washington, on Nov. 10, 2023. Kennedy Catholic won the game, 37-34. toverman@theolympian.com

Who’s the favorite?

Is anyone really going to bet against Kennedy Catholic here? The Lancers are unbeaten in league play since 2018 and will quest after a sixth consecutive title. Coach Pat Jones enters his second season at the helm with a Division I talent leading the way in senior quarterback Devon Forehand. If it feels like the guy who threw for 2,200+ yards and 30 touchdowns as a junior in 2023 has been around forever, that’s not far off. As a freshman, Forehand stepped into the QB role early in the season and has been there ever since. Always challenging themselves in non-conference action, the Lancers start their season on the road against perennial King County power Bothell and come home for Highline, a program that has been on the rise in 2A the past few seasons and now is in 3A.

Any other contenders?

The realignment that happened with the new four-year reclassification cycle created an intriguing scenario, of course. Both of last season’s NPSL champions now reside in the same 4A league with 2023 3A titlist Auburn Riverside moving in for ‘24. The Ravens return one of the best athletes in the conference, but really need to keep running back Jonathan Epperson healthy if they hope to challenge the Lancers. Elsewhere, one of the largest schools in the state remains a potential sleeping giant. The Tahoma Bears return quarterback Timmy Mcewen, who threw for 11 touchdowns as a sophomore a year ago, and one of his top targets – Izaiah Brown – enters his senior year.

Auburn Riverside defensive back Isaac Mospanko (15) celebrates his second interception of the game during Friday night’s 3A NPSL championship game against the Auburn Trojans at Auburn Memorial Stadium in Auburn, Washington, on Oct. 27, 2023. Auburn Riverside won the game, 41-14. Tony Overman toverman@theolympian.com

Save the date

Saturday, Sept. 7 — Kennedy Catholic at Bothell, 1 p.m. at Pop Keeney Stadium
Thursday, Sept. 19 — Auburn Riverside at Kentwood, 7 p.m. at Kent Memorial Stadium
Friday, Sept. 20 —Kennedy Catholic at Tahoma, 7 p.m. at Maxwell Stadium
Friday, Oct. 11 —Kennedy Catholic at Auburn Riverside, 7:30 p.m. at Auburn Memorial Stadium
Friday, Nov. 1 — Auburn at Auburn Riverside, 7 p.m. at Auburn Memorial Stadium

Did you know?

Auburn Riverside’s last go-round as a 4A team, in 2019, also was in the NPSL. That season, the Ravens went 3-1 in a much smaller league to finish second, were 8-2 overall and advanced to a Week 10 Regional round game against Bothell that ended their season.