Week 7: What we learned from high school football games in the South Sound
Week 7 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 7
Manley: The dust is beginning to settle on league title races around the South Sound. Graham-Kapowsin (5-2) blanked Olympia and looks like it’ll be the South division champion, setting up a Week 9 showdown with Sumner (6-1), which has gone undefeated in the North, albeit with a couple close calls recently against Puyallup and Curtis. I wondered if there might be an upset along the way in the 3A PSL somewhere this season, but our preseason favorites — Lincoln in the Narrows, Lakes in the Nisqually — have both run through untouched in league play through Week 7. Kennedy Catholic will win the 4A NPSL once again, while Decatur has had the 3A NPSL on lock after wins over Enumclaw and Federal Way in the first two weeks of the season. Franklin Pierce looks on its way to an undefeated regular season in the 2A SPSL with Clover Park and Washington coming up in the final two weeks.
Wicke: We asked Lincoln HC Masaki Matsumoto if QB Sione Kaho’s impressive three-touchdown performance in a big, 41-10 win over Bellarmine Prep was the best version of the sophomore the South Sound has seen. Matsumoto needed little time to ponder before answering with a confident yes: “What I love about (Kaho) is that he doesn’t care if he throws 100 times or hands off to Jadeon (Scranton) 100 times. He just wants to win, and he wants to be great.” The Abes QB agrees. Third and long, 4th and forever — it didn’t matter Friday night, when a composed Kaho delivered multiple must-have throws in tight windows and completed 18-of-25 passes for 285 yards. Kaho tossed three first-half touchdowns and one interception until Lincoln’s big lead better suited a run-heavy script. Two of my favorite throws from the win? Kaho’s third touchdown pass from the 9-yard line, he rolled and pump-faked two defenders before hitting WR Tyrone Jones on the run with an impressive throw through the Bellarmine secondary. The other: On 4th and 14, Kaho’s anticipation throw led WR Kanoa Teplasy past Lions DB Gabe Gomez and into the middle of the field for an 18-yard gain. And Lincoln’s defense looked equally strong with big-hitters in LB Dre Sio-Fetaui and DB Eonytus Kitiona. Are the Abes (5-2, 4-0) in for a sneaky postseason run?
WHICH TEAMS IMPRESSED MOST?
Manley: Tyler mentioned the Abes already, but it’s worth noting how impressive Lincoln’s 41-10 rout of Bellarmine Prep was at Lincoln Bowl on Friday night. Lincoln’s defense forced three turnovers (all interceptions) in the win and it looks like defensive coordinator Ben King’s group is firing on all cylinders heading into the final week of the season. It gives the Abes four wins in a row over some solid competition, notably Gig Harbor, Mount Tahoma and Bellarmine. I know head coach Masaki Matsumoto and Lincoln’s coaching staff felt some frustration and thought they could have had better showings against Yelm and Camas in non-league play, but I always feel like good teams scheduling aggressively in the non-league portion of the season will pay off down the road. I think Lincoln is better off in the playoffs having played quality opponents early on in the season and it looks like the Abes are rounding into form as the playoffs come around.
And don’t look now, but Emerald Ridge has rattled off four straight wins. Since dropping games to Bethel and Graham-Kapowsin early in the season, Emerald Ridge beat Puyallup, Rogers, Curtis and South Kitsap the past four weeks. After everything Emerald Ridge lost last offseason, it’s worth a tip of the cap to first-year coach Torey Donovan. Puyallup has looked better in recent weeks, too, losing by three to Sumner before bouncing back with blowout wins over South Kitsap and Rogers. Running back Kyson Douglas seems to be the key: he racked up five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving) in last week’s blowout win over Rogers. A win over Curtis in Week 8 would go a long way to building confidence heading into the playoffs.
Wicke: We’ve discussed Franklin Pierce’s ground dominance in length, but if these numbers aren’t impressive, I don’t know what is. The Cardinals walked into Fife, a respected program and defense, and posted these combined rushing totals: 37 carries, 522 yards, and eight touchdowns, averaging 14.1 yards per carry in a 58-16 blowout win. Workhorse RB Bryson Allen erupted for his first 200-yard rushing performance amid a career night, taking 11 carries for 225 yards and three touchdowns and improving Franklin Pierce to 7-0. They’re well on their way to the 2A SPSL crown. … 3A-Mount Tahoma, meanwhile, cruised to a convincing home win over Gig Harbor, 37-23, logging consecutive victories after crushing defeats to Central Kitsap (21-20) and Lincoln (2OT).
Enumclaw’s defense deserves a shoutout, allowing exactly zero yards of offense in a 49-0 win over Auburn Mountainview (12 pass, -12 rush).
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE STOOD OUT IN WEEK 7?
Manley: Give me Kentwood running back Antoine Lee, who punished Auburn on the ground in an offensive high-scoring win. He rushed for 308 yards and five touchdowns on 34 carries. Lee had a lot of recruiting attention and buzz early in his high school career but fell out of the spotlight his sophomore and junior seasons. I’m not sure Lee’s explosive senior season will translate to Power Four offers at this point, but he sure looks like that caliber of player this year. One more mention: Sumner defensive end Will Maxwell, who had seven tackles, including four sacks and two tackles for loss in a narrow win over Curtis. Sumner’s offense has sputtered as of late, but its defense should keep them in contention for a deep postseason run. Hopefully for Keith Ross, the offense can start clicking again.
Wicke: The fans in attendance for Stadium vs. Kennedy Catholic were rewarded with a back-and-forth slugfest between two of the area’s premier running backs. All-purpose Lancers RB Indiana Jones handled 28 carries for 168 yards and four touchdowns, and Stadium RB Darius Sum, who entered the week as the state’s leading rusher, went for 175 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Kennedy Catholic’s 42-20 win keeps the Lancers undefeated, but Sum’s big day against a 4A title contender kept his streak of 100+ yards and 1+ touchdown in every game this season alive. ... Puyallup QB Luke Parker dazzled again in what was just his second career high school start, completing 12-of-14 passes for 338 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in a 62-12 win over Rogers. The offense is clicking with the sophomore under center, totaling 104 points through Parker’s two games (2-0). We’re excited to see what the Vikings muster with Curtis visiting Sparks Stadium this Friday.
And, of course, Kentwood’s Lee. What a show.
WHICH MATCHUP ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST IN WEEK 8?
Manley: I spoke with Life Christian coach Hershel Dennis before the season and was struck by what he said about scheduling. Life Christian is a top 10 school in Class 1A this season, but Dennis doesn’t want to just schedule 1A and 2A state powers; he wants the best of the best. He wants to schedule 3A and 4A state championship contenders next season, if possible. I’m not sure if that’s maybe too aggressive, but I think it’s just in Dennis’ competitive DNA. Dennis, who was a running back at USC on Pete Carroll’s national championship teams in the early 2000s, is college football’s all-time winningest player. He was an All-American running back at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, amassing nearly 4,000 rushing yards and 56 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons. And he has turned Life Christian from a winless team into a 1A state power in short order. So I’m very intrigued by Life Christian’s Friday night road game against Enumclaw, which is a fringe top 10 team in Class 3A this year. I think Enumclaw will have the edge up front, but Life Christian quarterback Jabez Boyd has special talent. If the Eagles can keep things close, or better yet, pull an upset at Pete’s Pool on Friday night, maybe Dennis’ vision for LCA’s program doesn’t seem too far-fetched.
Wicke: Emerald Ridge visits Sumner in another exciting 4A SPSL clash, this time between programs with four-game win streaks. Who gets to five? The Spartans will be favored, but Emerald Ridge hasn’t allowed more than 22 points in a game this season (Rogers) and blanked Curtis, 7-0, just two weeks ago.
