After tormenting 3A for years, Yelm football ready to join ‘big boys’ of 4A SPSL
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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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Nestled on the rocks of the Ruston Way Waterfront at the Ram earlier this month, the 4A SPSL hosted its inaugural Media Day — where fixtures like Puyallup, Olympia and Sumner welcomed a handful of new faces.
After discussions with players, coaches and coordinators, one thing is abundantly clear to The News Tribune: Yelm is ready to play with the big boys.
“It’s time to play some actual teams,” Tornados lineman Jacob Tracy said.
After back-to-back trips to the 3A state championship game, including a miraculous, last-minute win over Eastside Catholic for the 2022 title, Yelm ascends to join a loaded SPSL that’s considered one of the state’s premier leagues. And to say there’s excitement among a large group of returning Tornados is a mammoth understatement.
Yelm embarrassed 3A competition before its promotion, steamrolling through a 27-game win streak between 2022-23. The Tornados scored 1,299 points and allowed just 266 points in that span, pulling most of its starters by halftime.
Blowouts won’t be so common in the 4A SPSL. But Tracy believes his Tornados won’t skip a beat.
“We have so many weapons now,” said Tracy, a Boise State commit. “A lot of the younger group (is) stepping up and filling the roles that we did lose.
“I’m thinking we’ll be really good this season. We’ll be tough to compete with.”
The elephant in the room? The graduation and absence of four-star LB/RB recruit Brayden Platt, a freshman at the University of Oregon.
A loss of that caliber stings any roster. But Yelm is well-equipped to overcome the graduation of the state’s former top prospect.
Tracy, along with all-league OL Shane Creegan and Chris Hauss, comprise the trio of returning linemen from last year’s 3A state championship loss to Bellevue, a 14-0 defeat that snapped Yelm’s 27-game win streak. Taking Platt’s spot as the feature tailback is senior Nathan Ford, complemented by all-purpose junior Jacob Ford.
“You don’t replace Brayden Platt,” Yelm coach Jason Ronquillo said. “But the guys that we do have are committed. They’re committed to excellence, and their attitude is very positive. (There’s) a desire to be just as good as we’ve been.”
It’s a constant, successful formula in Yelm: wear down opponents with bullying lines and a physical run-game, then stretch the field with perimeter playmakers. Expect plenty of receptions from slot receiver Jay Sumich (jr.) and split-end receiver Jameson Patin (sr.)
But how exactly does Yelm churn out one college prospect after another? Ronquillo’s response: build relationships, ensure players take care of their bodies, and everything else falls into line.
“At the foundation of it, it’s developing relationships. And then teaching young athletes … to be the most successful you can, you have to take care of your body,” he said. “We really emphasize strength training, speed training, fitness and nutritional information, and we start that at a young age.”
When freshman Tornados enter the program, they look varsity-ready. By the time they’re a senior, they look like adults.
There’s an intensity to match.
“Once we snap that ball, we’re to the whistle,” the 6-foot-5, 265-pound Tracy said. “We’re not going to stop for anything.”
There’s already a rivalry brewing between the Tornados and the 4A SPSL’s Graham-Kapowsin, the league’s undefeated defending champ. Both programs reached respective state championship games in 2023 and are set to meet as new rivals in Week 5, on Oct. 4.
“They’re some talkers,” Graham-Kapowsin tight end Noah Flores, a UCLA commit, told The News Tribune on Media Day.
Yelm’s gauntlet of opponents includes Bethel on Oct. 18 and Olympia on Oct. 25.
“We know it’s going to be challenging,” Ronquillo said. “We’re excited for the level of competition. … We’re going to do everything we can to make sure we stay as competitive as possible.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
