High school football season preview: 2A EvCo and small schools

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.

2A EVERGREEN CONFERENCE

What’s new this season?

With so much change happening due to the new classification cycle remaking leagues, the Evergreen actually remained fairly stable. The EvCo did get smaller, however, with Shelton leaving for the 3A Greater St. Helens League and Rochester going to the 1A Evergreen. That means the 2A EvCo will boast just five teams for 2024.

Who’s the favorite?

This is Tumwater’s title to lose. The Thunderbirds dominated the larger league a year ago as they advanced to the 2A championship game before losing, 60-30, to Anacortes. A rematch with the Seahawks again this coming December wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility as Tumwater returns the core of a defense that gave up 21 points or less in every game until the title tilt at Husky Stadium. The T-Birds defense is led by a pair of all-state selections from 2023 in linebacker Beckett Wall, who had 123 tackles and nine sacks a year ago, and defensive lineman Malijah Tucker, who has verbally committed to Washington State University. Another senior linebacker, Cash Short, also had 101 tackles and three interceptions in ’23. Offensively, Tumwater sticks with the Wing-T in William Garrow’s second season and has numerous threats returning to execute a game plan that scored 723 points in 14 games played (Black Hills forfeited, so the game was not played on the field). Junior Peyton Davis leads a trio of returning running backs that each had over 400 yards rushing with 741 yards. Seniors Jaylin Nixon (691) and Mathias Rodriguez (429) are the other two.

Any other contenders?

While it might be tempting to answer this question with a simple, “No,” fans of the league might want to make a date on October 25 in Chehalis, when Tumwater visits W.F. West in the second to last week of the regular season. The Bearcats could have something brewing, especially with backfield mates Gage Brumfield and Tucker Land returning from a 7-4 squad that only lost to Tumwater in league play a year ago. With Brumfield at quarterback and Land the top running back, W.F. West will try to improve at home on the 55-20 loss to the T-birds at Tumwater a year ago. Land also can catch the ball, having spent some time as a receiver, giving the Bearcats a dual-threat option offensively.

Save the date

• Friday, Sept. 6 — Puyallup at Tumwater, 7 p.m. at Tumwater High Stadium
• Thursday, Sept. 19 — Tumwater at Eastlake, 7 p.m. at Eastlake High
• Friday, Oct. 25 — Tumwater at WF West, 7 p.m. at W.F. West High
• Friday, Nov. 1 — Black Hills at W.F. West, 7 p.m. at W.F. West High

Did you know?

With just four league games on the schedule, Evergreen teams will play more non-conference than conference games this season. In Tumwater’s case, not a single one of those five out of league games are against another 2A team. Instead, the T-Birds scheduled 4A schools Puyallup, Eastlake and Union; 3A Bainbridge and 1A power Nooksack Valley.

10 players to watch

QB Jaxsen Beck, Black Hills, sr.

QB Gage Brumfield, W.F. West, sr.

DL David Daarud, Centralia, sr.

RB Peyton Davis, Tumwater, jr.

RB Tucker Land, W.F. West, sr.

DB/WR Sunny Nguyen, Tumwater, sr. (transfer from Timberline)

RB Jaylin Nixon, Tumwater, sr.

LB Cash Short, Tumwater, sr.

DL Malijah Tucker, Tumwater, sr.

LB Beckett Wall, Tumwater, sr.

Predicted order of finish

Tumwater, W.F. West, Black Hills, Aberdeen, Centralia

Small Schools

The Nisqually League came down to two local programs in 2023. But defending champion Cascade Christian (8-3 overall, 5-0 league) of Puyallup and runner-up Life Christian Academy (7-3, 4-1) did it with very different kinds of rosters.

Cascade Christian was senior-laden a year ago, though the Cougars cupboard wasn’t completely bare once the season ended. Grant Johnson, who actually threw for more yards overall (869) at quarterback than did senior Jackson Almond (764) gives Cascade an experienced leader under center. The top returning running back for the Cougars, at least by yards gained, is just a sophomore. Casper Appleman scampered for 191 yards on just 21 carries as a freshman, though that was fifth on the team overall. At receiver, senior Maddox Miller brings back 12 catches for 188 yards and three touchdowns.

Meanwhile, LCA felt like it was building – not just for this 2024 season but next year, as well. All three quarterbacks that took snaps for the Eagles a year ago were either sophomores or freshmen. Jabez Boyd comes into his junior year having thrown for 2,259 yards and 23 touchdowns while also leading LCA in rushing with 778 yards and 12 more TDs. He’ll be joined in the backfield again by senior Zach McKnight, who brings back 484 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Julian Roso, another junior-to-be, took snaps but made his larger contributions on the other end of the passing game with a team-leading 49 catches for 679 yards and eight TDs. Overall, LCA didn’t have a single senior amongst its Top 6 receivers nor any of its rushing leaders, which translates into a team that remains young but now has a wealth of experience.

This story was originally published August 29, 2024 at 5:00 AM.