TNT’s Week 3 football power rankings: Tumwater climbs, Decatur cracks Top 10
Two weeks down in the high school football season in the South Sound and across Washington state. The News Tribune’s high school sports crew is ranking the top teams again this fall.
Teams from every classification are considered for the Top 10 list, which will be updated throughout the season. We’ll consider a variety of factors when adjusting rankings, not just wins and losses. Did a team lose because its star quarterback was hurt and didn’t play? Maybe that team won’t slide. Is a team lower in the standings than others teams in the league because of a more difficult non-league schedule? We’ll consider that, too.
Here’s the Week 3 Top 10, plus “The Next Five.”
1. Sumner (2-0) — Spartans are clear No. 1 after knocking off back-to-back defending 4A state champion Lake Stevens in Week 1 and shutting out Auburn Riverside in Week 2. Big test coming this week in Oregon against West Linn.
2. Kennedy Catholic (1-0) — Lancers have been known for high-flying offenses since Sam Huard days, but a 22-6 win against Bothell at Pop Keeney showed how good this defense can be, too. Kennedy Catholic has the pieces to win the 4A title this year.
3. Graham-Kapowsin (0-2) — Freshman AJ Tuivaiave has been thrown into the fire early, with two narrow losses against state contenders O’Dea and Skyview. The challenging non-league slate should only help the Eagles as they head into 4A SPSL play soon.
4. Yelm (2-0) — No Brayden Platt, no problem for the Tornados, who are winning games in typical Yelm fashion with standout line play. Dual-threat QB Parker Myers has shown ability to beat defenses when called on.
5. Curtis (2-0) — The QB competition between freshman Sam Patterson and sophomore Cooper Hordyk remains ongoing, but whoever wins the job has two of the state’s most dynamic receivers to throw to in Parker Mady and Xavier Ahrens. Vikings have won convincingly in games against Mount Si and Peninsula.
6. Tumwater (2-0) — Week 1: Beat Puyallup, 56-6. Week 2: Beat Bainbridge, 56-6. The Wing-T offense and stable of running backs already are in postseason form, and senior linebackers Beckett Wall and Cash Short lurk on defense. Watch out.
7. Lincoln (1-1) — QB Sione Kaho and the Abes ran into Yelm last weekend, a rare hiccup and 26-13 loss at Lincoln Bowl. The road isn’t immediately smoother with 4A Camas on deck, but this Lincoln program remains one of the more complete programs in the area. A deep playoff run is still in play.
8. Decatur (2-0) — After knocking off Enumclaw in their season-opener, QB Spencer Holloway and the Golden Gators rallied from a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun Federal Way on Friday night, 35-34. Even without standout RB Nehemiah Washington (arm), Decatur controls its destiny en route to the 3A NPSL title.
9. Mount Tahoma (0-2) — T-Birds moved the ball effectively on Eastlake, but five turnovers killed momentum in Friday’s 23-7 loss. We expect head coach Keith Terry to clean up the early mistakes in non-league play for dynamic QB Mikkah Cordero and three-star WR/CB Elijah Durr.
10. Lakes (2-0) — Dave Miller’s Lancers are impressing in non-league play after upsetting 4A-Auburn Riverside on the road and blanking Bonney Lake last weekend, 55-0, all without three-star LB Ta’u Mareko. We’ll know more when Lakes visits a high-octane Curtis offense on Friday night.
The Next Five
Enumclaw, Bethel, Federal Way, Puyallup, Spanaway Lake
