Week 5 football takeaways: Puyallup unstoppable; Mount Tahoma best in Tacoma
Week 5 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 5
Manley: I had Puyallup ranked No. 4 in Class 4A in the AP ballot I submitted last week. I will have the Vikings ranked No. 1 this week. After blowing out Sumner, I’m moving the Vikings ahead of the Spartans, obviously. I’m also moving them ahead of No. 2 Gonzaga Prep and No. 1 Lake Stevens. Why? Look at the body of work:
- A Week 1 win over Tumwater, which played in the 2A state championship game last season and is consistently one of the state’s best programs.
- Blowout wins over Evergreen, Skyview and Emerald Ridge.
- A 58-22 win over Sumner, the defending 4A state champion.
Lake Stevens needed a last-second score to beat Sumner. Puyallup buried the same team by halftime. Making his first start on Saturday, Puyallup QB Noah Smith threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns. This team isn’t just winning games, it is making it look easy. If there were Vegas betting lines on the 4A state tournament, Puyallup would probably be a double-digit favorite over every team in the field right now. First-year coach DJ Mims’ team is making it look all too easy.
Wicke: There’s a new 4A title favorite: Puyallup’s blowout win over defending state-champion Sumner on Saturday night, 58-22, sent shockwaves around the state and presumably lifted the Vikings to No. 1 in consensus rankings. Puyallup ran the ball at will, and QB Noah Smith flashed in his Week 5 debut, showcasing a strong rapport with WR J’Isaiah Mitchell (2 TD). Its defense was equally impressive, blanking the defending champs in the first half and stunning the visiting crowd at a packed Sparks Stadium. We thought this had Game of the Year potential between two of the 4A SPSL’s best, but Puyallup spoiled a primetime matchup with a stunning rout. If the Vikings can drop 58 points on a defense like Sumner, it’s hard — heck, it’s nearly impossible — to pick anyone over them. There’s skill position talent everywhere, from Mitchell to wideouts Lawson Looker, Jasiah Denmark and Jayden Woodland. They’re the favorite in every game they play until further notice.
WHICH TEAMS IMPRESSED MOST?
Manley: Outside of Puyallup, Mount Tahoma took the Tacoma crown with a convincing win over Lincoln. I expected a T-Birds win, but I didn’t see that dominant of a defensive effort coming against four-star QB Sione Kaho and the Abes. Mount Tahoma won the matchup up front soundly on both sides of the ball, which I think bodes well for the postseason. The T-Birds have the skill position talent, highlighted by UW commit Elijah Durr, but this team has just been bigger and nastier than everyone on its schedule, too. That’s the component needed to compete with the usual suspects in 3A — O’Dea, Eastside Catholic and Bellevue. One more: I was impressed with what I saw from Annie Wright in a close loss to Life Christian. That game wasn’t competitive a year ago. Annie Wright coach Mike Finch is building something in Tacoma.
Wicke: It’s Puyallup. Running backs Briytan Bailey and Malcolm Akuffo wore down a strong Sumner defense, J’Isaiah Mitchell torched the Spartans secondary, and a defense with Lakes transfer LB Michael Pulalasi lurking over the middle blanked the defending champs in the first half of Puyallup’s 58-22 win. In Tacoma, Mount Tahoma’s defense kept Lincoln QB Sione Kaho uncomfortable and emerged late for a 28-7 win over the Abes, planting its flag as the city’s best team. Mount T might be one of 3A’s best teams, too, already with a statement win on the road at defending 4A runner-up Camas. The T-Birds don’t have a weakness. We’re excited to see what noise they can make in the 3A state tournament.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE STOOD OUT MOST FROM WEEK 5?
Manley: I’ll go with Puyallup QB Noah Smith in his first start of the season for the Vikings. He completed 15-of-26 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns in a rout of defending 4A state champion Sumner. That’s an impressive debut in a big-stage game. One more: Olympia corner Sam Rigg had four interceptions in a win over Bonney Lake. I hope Olympia coach Nick Mullen gave him the game ball for that defensive effort.
Wicke: I’ll take Puyallup WR J’Isaiah Mitchell, the leading receiver in what was advertised as the area’s Game of the Year at Sparks Stadium on Saturday night. Mitchell had 10 receptions for 202 yards and two touchdowns, including a highlight-reel 22-yard grab in the fourth quarter over the top of a Sumner defender. Here’s another: Orting’s Shiron Seniours returned a Steilacoom punt 63 yards for an electric opening touchdown that set the tone in a 35-26 win over the Sentinels, adding a three-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. After Orting knocked off 2A SPSL favorite Franklin Pierce last weekend, Friday’s home win over Steilacoom lifted the Cardinals into sole first place and put them in position to complete an undefeated run to the league title. It’d be their first since 2019.
WE’RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE SEASON. WHAT DID YOU GET RIGHT WITH YOUR PRESEASON PREDICTIONS AND WHAT DID YOU GET WRONG?
Manley: I was wrong about Lincoln winning the 3A Puget Sound League’s Narrows division. Mount Tahoma looks like a legitimate 3A state tournament contender and beat the Abes, 28-7 on Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Bowl. I also picked Sumner to win the 4A SPSL again this year. I figured Puyallup would have a shot to give Sumner a run for its money, but I’m generally skeptical of preseason hype and was in wait-and-see mode with the Vikings with a new head coach. The hype has certainly been backed up. I thought Life Christian would not only win the 1A Nisqually but would have a shot to win it all this year in 1A. There’s a lot of season left and that could still happen, but Cascade Christian looks like the top team in the league early on.
Wicke: Don’t get me wrong — Franklin Pierce remains a legitimate 2A contender, returning the bulk of its playmakers with head coach Trevor Hanson at the helm of a program among the classification’s best. Running back Bryson Allen is on pace for another MVP season, the state’s leader in rushing yards (1,018) and total touchdowns (16) through five games. That said, Orting deserves its flowers. The statement win I didn’t expect: The Cardinals knocked off Franklin Pierce on the road, 43-42, two weeks ago and completed their early gauntlet through the 2A SPSL’s top contenders (Fife, Franklin Pierce, Steilacoom), on track for their first league title in six years. Orting RB Carson McCall is the engine, a bruising back willing to fight for extra yardage that opens up the passing game for QB Kyle Curtis. There’s still room for improvement in their passing defense — Steilacoom posted 230 receiving yards on 18 total catches Friday night — but the Cardinals (5-0) are in position to roll into the playoffs undefeated.
This story was originally published October 6, 2025 at 12:38 PM.
