Week 8: What we learned from high school football games in the South Sound
Week 8 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 8
Manley: When I watched Puyallup hang 49 on Curtis at Sparks Stadium on Friday, including a pair of defensive touchdowns in the first half, I kept coming back to the same thought: This is the Vikings team I was expecting to see this season. There was some offseason hype and buzz around Puyallup’s program, but Brian Grout’s team didn’t get off to a promising start this season, going 1-2 in the non-league schedule and dropping four out of its first five games. Since then, Puyallup has won three straight and gave Sumner all it could handle in a 17-14 loss. Grout’s team has some legitimate stars and firepower, but it’s still a young group. Credit to the staff and team for not just packing it in when things looked bleak. There’s something to be said for peaking at the right time, too. I’m not sure how far Puyallup goes in the postseason, but I suspect they’ll be a tough out for anyone right now.
Wicke: I walked into Sunset Chev Stadium expecting a strong showing from Sumner’s defense on Friday night, needing a win over rival Emerald Ridge for first place in the 4A SPSL North. What I didn’t expect? A shutout. The Jaguars scored their only points on LB Logan Lipscomb’s unbelievable 75-yard pick-six, but the offense never established its run game and watched Sumner cruise at home, 38-6. Emerald Ridge receivers were constantly greeted with powerful hits in the secondary, and the Spartans snagged two interceptions — one of which was returned endzone-to-endzone by Israel Nabors for a 106-yard touchdown. Sumner HC Keith Ross kept it simple discussing his top-tier defense: “It’s pretty good. We get after it, we get interceptions, we hit people really hard ... that’s what we’re known for.” The win sets up an exciting 4A SPSL championship between Sumner and Graham-Kapowsin, back at Sunset Chev Stadium where fans are certainly in store for another state-championship-like environment.
WHICH TEAMS IMPRESSED MOST?
Manley: How about the Steilacoom Sentinels with a 42-0 win over Eatonville in the 2A SPSL? Quarterback Drew Macdonald was electric, completing 26-of-34 passes for 401 yards and four touchdowns. The win gives the Sentinels some momentum heading into a winnable road game against Fife this week. In the 3A PSL, Lakes continues to impress, this time collecting a 38-7 win over a solid Capital team. Lakes is fighting the injury bug again late this season but is still piling up wins. Last mention: Tumwater beating rival W.F. West 52-0 to win the 2A EvCo again. I feel like I’m running out of things to say about Tumwater’s dominance this year, but the T-Birds look like the 2A favorite right now, despite reigning state champion Anacortes returning brothers Brady and Brock Beaner.
Wicke: Sumner’s 38-6 win over Emerald Ridge certainly made a statement, but another win that impressed me: Lakes walked into Ingersoll Stadium and stomped a solid Capital team, 38-7, and limited the Cougars to 128 yards of total offense. Lakes’ defense forced four interceptions and completed an undefeated regular season (8-0) ahead of a 3A PSL crossover with Mount Tahoma. How far can Dave Miller’s Lancers go in the playoffs?
And a quick shoutout to Rogers — the Rams dropped 76 points at South Kitsap, their first league win in the 4A SPSL since 2021. Rogers QB Rashard Boone totaled six touchdowns (four pass, two rush) and RB Josiah Taijeron erupted for 222 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries in the 76-51 shootout.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE STOOD OUT IN WEEK 8?
Manley: Give me Gig Harbor running back Ryland Geldermann, who rushed for 195 yards and a pair of touchdowns on his 17th birthday in a 28-26 win over Bellarmine Prep on Friday. Geldermann has been a workhorse for the Tides this season, and I think Gig Harbor goes as far as he can take them in the postseason. A nod to the other side, too: Bellarmine receiver Gabe Gomez caught 12 passes for 225 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the loss.
Wicke: Two records in the Auburn football history books have been rewritten: Trojans QB Baylen Erdmann torched Mount Rainier for 429 passing yards and six touchdowns, both all-time school bests in a 61-14 win over the Rams. WR Lucas Whitehall-Gilkes was Erdmann’s top target, securing 10 receptions for 257 yards and four touchdowns in the rout. Whitehall-Gilkes goes into the record books, too: He becomes the first wideout in Auburn history to notch 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.
WHICH MATCHUP ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST IN WEEK 9?
Manley: I’m thinking about the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees and a commonly-shared sentiment on sports radio shows and newspaper columns across the country, which I agree with: Sometimes you just want to see the heavyweights play for the title. Such is the case with Sumner and Graham-Kapowsin, two of the 4A SPSL’s best programs year in and out, who will meet for the 4A SPSL title this week. We’re treated to a good game most of the time when these two teams meet. Last year, G-K quarterback Daveon Superales — the TNT’s 2023 All-Area player of the year — led the Eagles to a thrilling overtime win at Sunset Chev Stadium.There are some new faces this year on both sides. Graham-Kapowsin’s offense hasn’t been as unstoppable as it was a season ago, but freshman QB AJ Tuivaiave has shown the ability to take over games, most notably in a 57-36 road win against Yelm. Sumner, meanwhile, broke out of its offensive slump last week against Emerald Ridge. Keith Ross has one of the state’s top defenses. This will be fun.
Wicke: I’ll provide a resounding ‘ditto’ for Jon’s case for GK-Sumner, because he’s absolutely right. The 4A SPSL’s clear-cut top teams face off for what’s arguably the South Sound’s most prestigious league title – and it all goes down at Sumner High School, where you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better local football environment from start to finish. Can it get any better in Week 9? What I’m excited for: How does freshman Eagles QB AJ Tuivaiave attack a complete Sumner defense and secondary? And how balanced will the Spartans run their offense vs. GK?
Another fun matchup in Lakewood: undefeated Lakes (8-0) hosts Mount Tahoma for a 3A PSL crossover at Harry Lang Stadium, and we’d argue both teams are playing their best football of the year. Lakes rolled at Capital last weekend, and the T-Birds extended a season-best three-game win streak with a 55-7 win over Silas. Can Mount Tahoma move the football on an elite Lakes defense?
This story was originally published October 28, 2024 at 12:30 PM.
