Week 6: What we learned from high school football games in the South Sound
Week 6 of the high school football season is in the books. TNT high school sports reporters Jon Manley and Tyler Wicke discuss what stood out.
BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM WEEK 6
Manley: I’ll preface this by saying I think the 4A SPSL is a bit down this year. How could it not be after losing a trio of all-state quarterbacks in Graham-Kapowsin’s Daveon Superales, Curtis’ Rocco Koch and Emerald Ridge’s Jake Schakel? Having that much quality QB play in one league is almost unheard of. That being said, I think the 4A SPSL is still the area’s most entertaining league, week in and week out. No other league has the parity and depth the 4A SPSL boasts, which means compelling matchups and upsets left and right. We’ve seen Sumner and Graham-Kapowsin having to hold on in rivalry games this year, Sumner narrowly defeating Puyallup, and G-K needing a midfield stop late to beat rival Bethel, 26-24.
By the way, about Bethel linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale? Yeah, he might be playing on Sundays someday. He’s the No. 1 ranked recruit in the state in the 2025 class, and the UW commit has lived up to the hype this fall. He was a game-wrecker against G-K, diagnosing plays from the start, chasing down quarterbacks, ball carriers and receivers from sideline to sideline. Off the field, Rainey-Sale is friendly, easygoing and somewhat soft spoken, but he flips a switch for games. His combination of size, speed and nastiness as a tackler makes him a potentially dominant prospect for Jedd Fisch’s UW program. But don’t take my word for it — here’s what Graham-Kapowsin coach Jeff Logan had to say after the game: “He’s so damn fast. You can’t get away from him. You can clearly see why he was so highly coveted as a recruit out of high school at linebacker. He just does some incredibly special things, his first step is fast and he makes ground on everybody.”
Elsewhere, Emerald Ridge blanked Curtis, 7-0. I expected Emerald Ridge to need a rebuild this year after all the talent lost from last year’s team, but the Jaguars have been better than expected, recording wins over Puyallup and Curtis now.
The upset came from Spanaway Lake, which beat Olympia 34-29 a week after Olympia blew out Bethel.
Wicke: Who’s stopping Franklin Pierce this season? It’s unlikely to happen before the postseason, where Trevor Hanson’s Cardinals project as a legitimate threat to the 2A’s been-there, done-that powerhouses. The run-heavy Power-T offense brimming with deception, creativity and physicality continues to bulldoze opponents into oblivion. Franklin Pierce (6-0, 4-0) remains unbeaten by a combined score of 302-35 through six weeks with rushing totals to back it up. Lead RB Bryson Allen’s 806 rushing yards rank fourth statewide (10 TD), and RB Junior Teregeyo has scored a touchdown in every game, posting 100+ yards and a score in each of his last three. If that wasn’t enough, QB Jeremiah Orcutt takes off with the football (35 carries, 287 yards) more than he throws (20 attempts, 298 yards), a third rusher on the mind of every opposing defensive coordinator. “Tackle everybody!” is a common phrase heard on visiting sidelines. “We’re keeping our foot on the gas,” Orcutt told The News Tribune earlier this month. “Now that we all know that we have it together as a team, I think we’re unbeatable.” Franklin Pierce has allowed 35 points all season — just 5.8 points (less than a touchdown) per game. LB Zeke Isaacson’s 14 TFL ranks second statewide (49 tackles). The Cardinals need wins over Fife, Clover Park, and Washington to claim the 2A SPSL title in undefeated fashion.
Though Jon said it best, I’ll say this: the 4A SPSL continues to spoil us all.
WHICH TEAMS IMPRESSED MOST?
Manley: Spanaway Lake pulled off the upset of the week against Olympia, which was riding the momentum of a blowout win over Bethel the week prior. To be fair, Olympia star quarterback Cameron Downing didn’t play most of the game after leaving with an injury in the first. But injuries are part of football, and Spanaway Lake capitalized on Downing’s absence. It was Spanaway Lake’s quarterback, actually, who stole the show. Senior Chase Best completed 30-of-50 passes for 423 yards and five touchdowns, including a 10-yard touchdown to Malik Burns on the game-winning fourth-quarter drive.
Wicke: Do Tumwater’s post-game rushing stats ever get old? This weekend, the Wing-T offense produced 19 different ball carriers in a 62-0 shutout of Black Hills. Yes, 19 running backs. You get a carry, you get a carry, everyone gets a carry! Seven of them scored a rushing touchdown. The topper: QB Jaxon Budd completed 2-of-4 passes and both went for scores (2 TD) in an offensive clinic. That program is going to be a freight train in the postseason. Tumwater might just rise to the top of the 2A power rankings, too, after Archbishop Murphy upset No. 1 Anacortes, the reigning state champion, this weekend.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE STOOD OUT IN WEEK 6?
Manley: Give me Spanaway Lake quarterback Chase Best, who had the game of his life in an upset win over Olympia, throwing for 423 yards and five touchdowns on 30-of-50 passing. “That was certainly my best game ever,” Best told The News Tribune on Friday night. The win keeps Spanaway Lake in the playoff picture with games against Bonney Lake and district peer Graham-Kapowsin in the final two weeks.
Wicke: When Puyallup hosted South Kitsap on Thursday, the story wasn’t their 42-14 home win — it was backup QB Luke Parker, who stepped in for injured QB1 Brayden Paulino and balled out. Parker completed 13-of-17 passes for 185 yards and five touchdowns, adding 70 rushing yards on nine carries. Not too shabby for the sophomore’s first career high school start, and it’s a big win for Puyallup that ended a three-game losing skid. Parker is the nephew of former NFL quarterback and Skyline High School standout Jake Heaps (2007-09), a member of the Seattle Seahawks practice squad in 2016-17. Paulino’s injury is likely season-ending, and we’re told Parker will be under center the rest of the way. In Tacoma, Stadium RB Darius Sum leads the state in rushing yards (1,226) and posted another big game over Kentridge – nine carries for 151 yards and three scores, averaging nearly 17 yards per tote. Sum has 100+ yards and a touchdown in all six games this season (five wins).
WHICH LEAGUE TITLE RACE LOOKS THE MOST INTERESTING?
Manley: The 4A SPSL will be interesting, but I’m looking forward to seeing how the 3A PSL shakes out in the final weeks. It looks like Lincoln is in the driver’s seat in the Narrows, but, based on what we’ve seen, I wouldn’t expect Bellarmine Prep and Central Kitsap to just roll over and hand the title to the Abes. On the Nisqually side, favorite Lakes survived a scare on the road against Peninsula, pulling out a 21-15 win. The Lancers were without QB Willie Nash (head). His return should make the Lancers more effective in the red zone again. River Ridge pulled out a close win over Capital behind a strong run game, led by Hayden Jacquet (133 yards, two touchdowns), keeping things interesting in the Nisqually division.
Wicke: The 4A SPSL’s North and South divisions collide for Week 9 crossovers — and the matchup between the No. 1 seeds might make this league title race the most interesting. That’s especially true if the standings hold, and we get Graham-Kapowsin vs. Sumner for the trophy. We’re sticking with the Spartans as our title favorite, but we’ve seen Eagles QB AJ Tuivaiave pick apart Yelm and navigate an impressive Emerald Ridge defense. The 4A SPSL’s dozen teams receive seven postseason allocations; the winner of a crossover matchup between No. 4 seeds in Week 9 earns the final spot.
WHICH MATCHUP ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST IN WEEK 7?
Manley: There are a pair of crucial games in the 3A PSL for playoff positioning: Bellarmine visits the Abes at Lincoln Bowl on Friday, and Gig Harbor travels to Mount Tahoma. A win for Lincoln all but wraps up a division title, while Mount Tahoma and Gig Harbor are both in the thick of things in the Narrows division.
Wicke: Freshman QB AJ Tuivaiave and the high-flying Graham-Kapowsin Eagles visit Olympia for an intriguing 4A SPSL matchup at Ingersoll Stadium this Friday. The 14-year-old burst onto the South Sound scene with a school-record seven touchdown passes at Yelm two weekends ago and followed it up with three more in Thursday’s 26-24 win over Bethel at Art Crate Field. Perhaps just as impressive? Tuivaiave didn’t turn the ball over in either game. Bears QB Cameron Downing missed the final three quarters with an undisclosed injury in last weekend’s upset loss to Spanaway Lake — Olympia’s first loss all season — but if he can return Friday, we’ll be lucky to see both playoff-caliber offenses at full strength. Expect both quarterbacks to find their top targets early and often between Olympia WR Harper Hejtmanek and Graham-Kapowsin wideout Kase Betz.
