TNT’s Week 5 football power rankings: Olympia, Enumclaw crack Top 10
Four weeks are 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 5 Top 10, plus “The Next Five.”
1. Sumner (3-1) — After a narrow road loss to Oregon state power West Linn, Spartans bounced back with a comfortable 37-6 win over South Kitsap. It looks like Keith Ross has the state’s best defense; the Spartans forced five turnovers against the Wolves last week.
2. Kennedy Catholic (4-0) — Kennedy Catholic has outscored opponents 99 to 20 through two league games in wins against Tahoma and Kentwood. Lancers won’t be tested until the state tournament.
3. Yelm (4-0) — Tornados have scored 52 points in back-to-back weeks in wins over Kamiakin and Spanaway Lake. The dominance up front on both sides of the ball was expected, but the play of dual-threat QB Parker Myers (eight passing TDs, seven rushing TDs) has been the difference. He’s completing 82 percent of his passes.
4. Graham-Kapowsin (2-2) — The next three weeks will tell us a lot about this year’s Eagles, with Yelm, Bethel and Olympia on the schedule. Receivers Kase Betz and Khris Norris have big play ability, but Eagles are young up front.
5. Tumwater (4-0) — We’re still waiting for Tumwater to play in a close game, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen anytime soon. The toughest game left on the regular season schedule is a road game at W.F. West on Oct. 25. Tumwater piled up 435 yards of offense last week against Nooksack Valley.
6. Lakes (4-0) — “Orange Crush” has made its triumphant return and word is out: Dave Miller’s Lancers possess one of the more complete, top-to-bottom defenses in the South Sound, and they’ve yet to debut three-star LB Ta’u Mareko this season (lower back strain). RBs Toetu Moliga and Sentoa Leapai headline the ground game, and QB Willie Nash threw seven touchdown passes in last weekend’s 56-14 blowout win over North Thurston.
7. Lincoln (2-2) — RB Jadeon Scranton ran wild for 159 yards and three touchdowns, and star LB Dre Sio-Fetaui wrecked the second half of Friday night’s 26-6 win over Gig Harbor. After home losses to Yelm and Camas, these are the Abes we remember. QB Sione Kaho is looking more comfortable in the pocket, and Lincoln has momentum heading into a crucial rivalry at Mount Tahoma.
8. Olympia (4-0) — Bears are staking an early claim as a 4A SPSL contender after QB Cameron Downing threw five touchdowns on a stout Bethel defense last weekend. Top-target Harper Hejtmanek is ascending (167 YDS, 2 TD last week) and Olympia has a legitimate chance to enter league rivalries with Yelm and Graham-Kapowsin undefeated in late October.
9. Decatur (4-0) — Golden Gators are in control of the 3A NPSL with early wins over Enumclaw and Federal Way and just outscored Thomas Jefferson and Kent-Meridian by a combined 116-6.
10. Enumclaw (3-1) — Hornets dominate up front for QB Gavin Trachte and an offense that’s rolled through a three-game win streak. “Big-boy football” should keep Enumclaw cruising.
The Next Five
Curtis, Bethel, Emerald Ridge, Franklin Pierce, Bellarmine Prep
