Week 4 football takeaways: Puyallup makes statement; new frontrunner in 2A SPSL
Week 4 of the Washington high school football season is in the books. TNT high school sports reporters Jon Manley and Tyler Wicke discuss what stood out from this week’s action.
BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM WEEK 4
Manley: Puyallup (4-0) put the state on notice with its dominant 54-0 win over district rival Emerald Ridge on Friday night. That was a thorough rout and a complete game in all three phases from first-year coach DJ Mims’ squad. I was informed that my score prediction (a 35-27 Puyallup win) provided some good bulletin board material for Puyallup’s defense. That unit certainly backed it up on Friday night. I knew Puyallup’s offense would be explosive this season with a good offensive line and all the skill position talent on the roster, but I wasn’t sure the defense would be quite this good. Lakes transfer LB Michael Pulalasi has a nose for the football and really frees everyone else on the defense up to do their jobs. It’s not an exaggeration to say this team has the pieces to win the whole thing.
Wicke: We have a new clubhouse leader in the 2A SPSL. Orting took last year’s 36-8 loss to Franklin Pierce personally, and it showed when QB Kyle Curtis and the Cardinals visited Franklin Pierce Stadium and stunned the home crowd on Friday night with a back-and-forth 43-42 win, an instant classic. Orting and Franklin Pierce traded 28 points in the game’s final three minutes, capped by Curtis’ game-winning touchdown pass to Shiron Seniours. Curtis totaled five touchdowns, four through the air and one on the ground, overshadowing a monster night by Franklin Pierce RB Bryson Allen, who took 24 carries for a career-high 367 rushing yards and four scores. Curtis was poised under center, flashed dual-threat ability with his legs and played his best football when it mattered most. “This truly felt like a state championship,” he said. “And I know we can win it after this.” Orting has taken down two of its top league contenders (Fife and Franklin Pierce) in early 2A SPSL play, and a win over Steilacoom this Friday would put the Cardinals in the driver’s seat to capture their first league title since 2019.
WHICH TEAMS IMPRESSED MOST?
Manley: Stadium (4-0) won a 46-44 road thriller over Auburn in a 4A NPSL matchup on Thursday, avenging last season’s loss to the Trojans. Darius Sum pulled in five catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 13 times for 87 yards and another score. QB Kooper Tasler rushed for over 100 yards and threw for 200 more. That’s a quality win for Pat Johnson’s squad and while it remains unlikely anyone will knock off Kennedy Catholic in league play, it does position the Tigers well for a postseason berth. Few contenders are built overnight, and it feels like Johnson is building something for the long haul in north Tacoma. Like Tyler mentioned, Orting’s win over Franklin Pierce was a signature win for Cody Baskett’s squad.
Wicke: In a game that could end up deciding the 3A NPSL title, Enumclaw’s defense silenced Federal Way and held the Eagles to under 200 yards of total offense in a 14-7 win. Mark Gunderson’s “Claw Dawgz” are in full force, outscoring opponents 189-21 and allowing fewer than six points per game through four weeks. Another promising development for the Hornets: RB Paxton Patterson has thrived in his starting role, taking 16 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown against a disciplined Eagles defense. A matchup we’re excited for: White River at Enumclaw on Halloween, the NPSL’s last remaining unbeatens.
WHICH WEEK 4 RESULT WAS THE MOST SURPRISING?
Manley: I was a little surprised to see Capital fall to Peninsula, especially after the Cougars beat rival Olympia earlier in the season. That’s a nice defensive-focused win for first-year Seahawks coach Clay Mauro. The Orting result was surprising. Given how much Franklin Pierce returned from last year’s team, I didn’t see anyone from the 2A SPSL knocking them off this season. Elsewhere, no real surprises.
Wicke: Considering that Franklin Pierce outscored 2A SPSL opponents 360-38 last fall and returned the bulk of their playmakers, the Cardinals looked the part of a repeat undefeated league champion before Orting’s statement win on the road Friday night. I’m expecting Trevor Hanson’s Cardinals to bounce back and enjoy another memorable postseason run — they have the talent to compete with anyone in 2A — but it’s Orting that now controls its destiny for the SPSL title.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE STOOD OUT MOST IN WEEK 4?
Manley: How ‘bout a school record eight touchdown passes for Graham-Kapowsin QB AJ Tuivaiave? The sophomore completed 22-of-24 passes for 409 yards and the eight scores, four of which went to junior Kase Betz, who racked up seven receptions for 186 yards and the four touchdowns. A few more: White River QB Chaz Strickland completed 19-of-22 passes for 301 yards and six touchdowns — all in the first half of the team’s 55-0 win over Todd Beamer. Puyallup QB Luke Parker completed 17-of-21 passes for 262 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 56 yards and a touchdown on eight carries in Puyallup’s 54-0 shutout win over Emerald Ridge. Timberline senior Tonye Penn had a fun stat line in a win over River Ridge, scoring four touchdowns: two receiving touchdowns, one kickoff return for a touchdown and a pick six. Lastly, Stadium’s Darius Sum in a win over Auburn: five catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns and 13 carries for 87 yards and another score.
Wicke: I’ll take Orting QB Kyle Curtis, given the stage. The signal-caller completed 14-of-20 passes for 301 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, adding a 62-yard score on the ground and marching the Cardinals down the field to win a 43-42 stunner at Franklin Pierce. Orting speedster Shiron Seniours totaled three touchdowns, but it was Franklin Pierce RB Bryson Allen who had the best night from scrimmage — the reigning 2A MVP took 24 carries for a career-high 367 rushing yards and four touchdowns, three of which came in the fourth quarter. Allen leads the state in rushing yards (873) and total touchdowns (14) four weeks in. Head coach Trevor Hanson said he wants his star back to reach the 2,000-yard mark in his senior season, and so far, he’s kept his word.
THERE ARE SOME BIG GAMES ON DECK IN WEEK 5. WHAT ARE YOUR EARLY THOUGHTS ON THE MATCHUPS?
Manley: I think this is Mount Tahoma’s year and the T-Birds might be the best team from Tacoma since the 2019 Lincoln team that reached the 3A state tournament semifinals. That Lincoln team was the first Tacoma Public Schools team to reach the state semifinals since Wilson in 1998. I think Mount Tahoma will make it to that stage this year, so I’m predicting a T-Birds win over Lincoln on Saturday, but I don’t think it’ll necessarily come easy. There’s a lot of pride in this game and Lincoln will be ready. The other big one: Puyallup vs. Sumner on Saturday night at Sparks. Coming into the season, I would’ve confidently predicted a Sumner win, but now I’m not so sure. Sumner is just as stacked as it was last year when it won the 4A state title but Puyallup is vastly improved, and even last year’s Puyallup team only lost by three points in this matchup. One matchup I’m looking forward to: Puyallup junior LB Michael Pulalasi against Sumner RB Lance McGee, an Oregon State commit who has been piling up yards on the ground. I’m expecting a sellout crowd and an incredible atmosphere on Saturday. Stay tuned for our score prediction later this week.
Wicke: We’ve mentioned the rise of Mount Tahoma’s program over the years under head coach Keith Terry, but this could be the season his T-Birds put it all together for a special state-tournament run — and we’ll have an even better idea of their standing among 3A’s elite when they visit Lincoln Bowl for a classic Tacoma rivalry with the Abes on Saturday afternoon. Both offenses feature plenty of star power, but I’m excited to see how four-star Lincoln QB Sione Kaho fares against one of the area’s best defenses, led by DB Elijah Durr and LB Shan Jones, whose 48 tackles rank fifth in WA this fall. In the 4A SPSL, prepare for a packed Sparks Stadium for a marquee matchup between Puyallup and Sumner on Saturday night. Spartans head coach Keith Ross will have his defense ready for the moment, but can Puyallup’s abundance of offensive playmakers overpower the defending 4A champs? Expect a close one.
