TNT’s third high school fantasy football draft: Small-school QB is No. 1 pick
Two years ago, we had the idea to combine two of our passions: South Sound high school football coverage and fantasy football. The TNT’s inaugural high school fantasy football draft was born.
This year, we’re bringing it back for a third season. This isn’t a list of the best players or the highest-rated recruits. When drafting, TNT high school sports reporters Jon Manley and Tyler Wicke were looking for players who are poised to put up big individual numbers in 2025, from Class 4A down to 1A.
We formatted it snake-style, like a typical ESPN fantasy draft. Wicke drew the first pick after a coin flip, Manley second. This year, we also added a small bench for each roster. In the event a player from either roster misses significant time during the season with an injury, a bench player will be allowed to be swapped before the final totals are tallied.
Who has the best roster? Let us know in the comments.
ROUND 1
Wicke: QB Jabez Boyd, Life Christian Academy
Life Christian’s dual-threat QB totaled 43 touchdowns during a 1A Nisqually MVP season last fall — throwing for 2,388 yards and rushing for 737 more — leaving little doubt that Boyd would be the first player off our board once again in 2025. The Eagles are poised for another big year with plenty of points to come, and I couldn’t let the no-brainer 1.01 slip by.
Manley: RB Bryson Allen, Franklin Pierce
Last year’s 2A SPSL MVP racked up 1,631 yards and 21 TDs last season. I don’t see anyone in the league slowing Franklin Pierce’s Power-T down again this year, and there will be no shortage of touches in the offense, either. High floor, even higher ceiling.
ROUND 2
Manley: WR Lucas Whitehall-Gilkes, Auburn
The best receiver in the 4A NPSL last season, Whitehall-Gilkes set league records in receptions (101) and receiving yards (1,527). I’ve covered Auburn coach Aaron Chantler’s teams dating to his days at Gig Harbor, and I know two things for a fact: The tempo will be fast, and the ball will be in the air a lot. Big season loading for Whitehall-Gilkes.
Wicke: RB Darius Sum, Stadium
Stadium’s feature back led the state in rushing through six games in 2024, posting video-game numbers with 1,587 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns. A 5-foot-10 speedster with impressive vision, Sum reprises his bell-cow role for the Tigers in ‘25. The twist? We could see the senior line up as a slot receiver, too — boosting his PPR value for fantasy purposes. Sum ran for 100+ yards and scored a touchdown in seven games last year, making him a locked-and-loaded RB1 once again.
ROUND 3
Wicke: WR Kase Betz, Graham-Kapowsin
Could Betz lead the South Sound in receiving this fall? It’s certainly in the cards for QB AJ Tuivaiave’s top target. The incoming junior caught 11 touchdowns in 2024, an under-the-radar standout in the South Sound poised to benefit from Tuivaiave’s sophomore surge in the Graham-Kapowsin program. With a clear path to production, Betz feels like one of the safest and surest receivers on the board.
Manley: RB Lance McGee, Sumner
McGee played for Davis (Yakima) last season, so I haven’t had the chance to watch him in person. That being said, I couldn’t pass up leaving the 6-foot, 215-pound bruising Oregon State commit on the board for long. Longtime Sumner coach Keith Ross loves to run the football. This is a match made in heaven.
ROUND 4
Manley: QB AJ Tuivaiave, Graham-Kapowsin
I considered drafting Tuivaiave as a freshman last year but was hesitant to take a first-year player. I’m not making the mistake of not selecting him twice. Tuivaiave, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound sophomore already looked the part last year. I’d expect the game to start slowing down for him and even bigger numbers coming. With receivers Kase Betz and Jayce Halasz, this should be an explosive offense.
Wicke: QB Sione Kaho, Lincoln
Grabbing one of the state’s top signal-callers in the fourth round is already fantastic value, but landing Kaho as my QB2 feels downright unfair. The four-star recruit eclipsed the 2,100-yard passing mark with 24 total touchdowns last fall, a dual-threat primed for a big junior leap in Lincoln’s Air Raid offense. The Abes will pile points, and Kaho will be the biggest reason why.
ROUND 5
Wicke: RB Ryland Geldermann, Curtis
Standout receivers Parker Mady and Xavier Ahrens are out the door, and Geldermann is in — providing Curtis a new workhorse for 2025. Geldermann was one of the area’s more-productive backs for Gig Harbor last fall and takes over a Vikings backfield protected by two Division-I line commits and four linemen listed at 245+ pounds. I’m expecting a big workload and plenty of lanes for University Place’s top rusher.
Manley: WR Braylon Pope, Sumner
There were some glimpses of Pope’s athleticism on display last season, especially that burning breakaway speed. From everything I’ve heard from several people during the offseason, Pope is highly motivated to deliver an elite junior season and has added some nastiness to his game. I’m buying stock early.
ROUND 6
Manley: QB Rashard Boone, Rogers
Rogers was 4-6 last season, but scoring points was rarely an issue for the Rams, except in games against Sumner and Puyallup. While the 4A SPSL slate remains daunting and Rogers will be an underdog against the league’s top tier, I think Boone is a really good quarterback and athlete. Rogers scored over 50 points four times last season (and twice scored 76). For the sake of this exercise, let’s hope for some high-scoring shootouts.
Wicke: WR Tayven Collins, Cascade Christian (FLEX)
What can’t Collins do on the gridiron? Cascade Christian’s three-star recruit caught nine touchdowns in 2024, rushed for six more and threw four touchdown passes — an ideal recipe for fantasy success.
ROUND 7
Wicke: WR Tristan Baker, Lakes
Lakes averaged more than 38 points per game as the runaway winners of last year’s 3A PSL Nisqually, and Baker returns as the Lancers’ top option through the air. Sign me up. The versatile Idaho commit scored seven touchdowns last fall (four rushing, three receiving), which feels like the floor in Baker’s senior season.
Manley: RB Paxton Patterson, Enumclaw (FLEX)
Enumclaw coach Mark Gunderson is high on Patterson, his sophomore running back. The way Enumclaw consistently runs the football every year, that’s good enough for me. The only real concern is whether Patterson will see the field much in the second half of league games, which ended up being a lot of lopsided wins for the Hornets last fall.
ROUND 8
Manley: TE Elijah Muliufi, Bethel
Muliufi’s future is likely at offensive tackle at the next level at San Diego State. But in high school, his 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame will make him a matchup issue for opposing defenses in the passing game, particularly in the red zone. With third-year QB Evan Barnes returning, I’m expecting solid touchdown productions from Muliufi.
Wicke: TE Xander Shaw, Steilacoom
Shaw was one of QB Drew MacDonald’s more-dependable targets in 2024, securing a team-high six touchdowns in Steilacoom’s Air Raid offense. Head coach Kyle Haller is high on new starting QB Titus Kaeka’s arm, and I’ll bet on Shaw’s hands even if the three-star Air Force commit projects as an edge rusher at the next level.
ROUND 9
Wicke: Tumwater defense
Defenses aren’t flashy in fantasy, but few things are surer than Tumwater’s dominance in the 2A Evergreen Conference year in and year out. The T-Birds allowed exactly zero points in five league wins last fall, outscoring rivals by a combined score of 218-0. They’re an elite defensive option I’ll draft with confidence.
Manley: Decatur defense
Gators’ coach Matt Vaeena returns six starters this season on what was one of the 3A NPSL’s best defenses a season ago, including safety Jasonni Prum, last year’s league defensive player of the year. I’d expect this group to be the league’s best this season.
ROUND 10
Manley: WR Julian Roso, Life Christian
I think Life Christian will be balanced and spread the love, but with the type of season we’re expecting QB Jabez Boyd to have, I see Roso getting a lot of targets.
Wicke: WR Elijah Durr, Mount Tahoma
Mount Tahoma’s three-star recruit and Washington commit would have been selected much earlier if Durr wasn’t an elite cornerback option for the T-Birds, considered one of the area’s top dual-threats. Still, the fantasy production is there: Durr tallied eight touchdowns with 445 receiving yards on a high-powered offense last fall, making him a perfect stash with plenty of upside.
ROUND 11
Wicke: RB Carson McCall, Orting
Orting’s Pistol Wing-T thrived in the 2A SPSL last year, and McCall returns as the tough-to-bring-down engine of the Cardinals’ run game after posting 15 total touchdowns in 2024. He’ll be a focal point with weekly touchdown upside and a high floor.
Manley: RB Felix Diaz, Mount Tahoma
Diaz is one of the area’s more underrated players, and I think he’ll be on a mission this season. He’s a key part of that defense, so I’m not sure he’ll be a bell-cow back, but I think he’ll still see plenty of touches.
ROUND 12
Manley: QB Nate Donavan, Sumner
This offense is loaded and Sumner was effective passing the ball last season. With how good Sumner’s defense should be, Donavan and Co. should have plenty of short fields to work with. High floor pick.
Wicke: QB Baylen Erdmann, Auburn
Erdmann posted monster numbers alongside WR Lucas Whitehall-Gilkes last fall — 2,458 passing yards and 22 touchdowns — and Auburn’s primary battery is back for more in ‘25. Even better: The Trojans return WR Christian Titialii from a foot injury, adding another dimension to the Auburn passing attack. I’ll bet on the busy signal-caller with high-profile weapons at his disposal.
TEAM MANLEY
QB: AJ Tuivaiave, Graham-Kapowsin
QB: Rashard Boone, Rogers
RB: Bryson Allen, Franklin Pierce
RB: Lance McGee, Sumner
WR: Lucas Whitehall-Gilkes, Auburn
WR: Braylon Pope, Sumner
TE: Elijah Muliufi, Bethel
FLEX (RB/WR/TE): RB Paxton Patterson, Enumclaw
DEF: Decatur
BENCH
QB: Nate Donavan, Sumner
RB: Felix Diaz, Mount Tahoma
WR: Julian Roso, Life Christian
TEAM WICKE
QB: Jabez Boyd, Life Christian Academy
QB: Sione Kaho, Lincoln
RB: Darius Sum, Stadium
RB: Ryland Geldermann, Curtis
WR: Kase Betz, Graham-Kapowsin
WR: Tristan Baker, Lakes
TE: Xander Shaw, Steilacoom
FLEX (RB/WR/TE): WR Tayven Collins, Cascade Christian
DEF: Tumwater
BENCH
QB: Baylen Erdmann, Auburn
RB: Carson McCall, Orting
WR: Elijah Durr, Mount Tahoma
This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
