Week 8 football takeaways: Stages set for 4A SPSL, 3A PSL championship games
Week 8 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 8
Manley: The division winners from the 4A SPSL and 3A PSL are heading into this week’s league championship games with plenty of momentum. Puyallup beat Curtis, 45-0, while Graham-Kapowsin beat Spanaway Lake, 28-12. Puyallup and G-K will meet in the league title game, 7 p.m. Friday at Art Crate Field. In the 3A PSL, Mount Tahoma beat Silas, 45-6, while Lakes beat Capital, 47-6. The T-Birds and Lancers will meet in the 3A PSL title game, 7 p.m. Friday at Mount Tahoma. There will be a couple other league title games, too. Friday’s Battle of the Bridge between Enumclaw and White River will decide the 3A NPSL title this year, while Cascade Christian’s matchup against Life Christian on Saturday will be for the 1A Nisqually crown.
Wicke: As I watched Lakes (8-0) roll Capital on a rainy, Friday night at Harry E. Lang Stadium, two storylines surfaced over and over again:
1. Freshman QB Jadis Lefono plays with the poise of a seasoned veteran.
2. Lakes’ defense hits as hard as any defense I’ve seen this fall.
A freshman Lefono was the star on Lakes’ senior night, totaling four touchdowns (3 Pass, 1 Rush) without a turnover in a 47-6 win. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound signal-caller was cool, calm and collected, poised in the pocket and powerful on the ground. Unafraid to unleash deep, 50-50 throws to receivers, Lefono threw for a season-high 216 passing yards — now with 19 total touchdowns and just three interceptions this fall. “(I like) the way he plays the game mentally,” Lakes head coach Dave Miller said of Lefono. “He’s physical. A lot of freshmen maybe have an arm, or they can run a little bit. But he really sees the game. He’s starting to really feel comfortable in our offense.”
Lefono took control of the rout, but Lakes’ defense kept the door slammed shut. If you’ve ever used the Hit Stick with Ray Lewis in Madden, Friday night felt (and sounded) familiar. LB Ta’u Mareko piled 13 tackles (3 TFL) and freshman LB Romiece Taviuni logged eight tackles (1 TFL) with an interception. It sets up a battle of unbeatens for Friday’s 3A PSL championship between Lakes and Mount Tahoma in South Tacoma. “(Our defense is) very physical, and they play with a lot of communication,” Miller said. “They communicate very well, so we can adjust to different formations. Coach (Caleb) Kellcy’s done a great job instilling teamwork with them.”
WHICH TEAMS IMPRESSED MOST?
Manley: Even with a lull on offense for a stretch midway through the game, Tumwater beat rival W.F. West easily to take the 2A EvCo crown last week. Most impressive? The T-Birds generated eight turnovers in the 41-20 win. Tumwater’s defense isn’t as dominant as it was a season ago, but coach Willie Garrow has to be encouraged by what he saw from his secondary on Friday night. If a rematch of last year’s 2A state championship game against Anacortes comes at some point in the state tournament, Tumwater will need to be able to have similar effectiveness stopping the pass.
Wicke: White River, shutout machine. The undefeated Hornets did it again, blanking Decatur 15-0 on a rainy Friday night in Buckley and marking the program’s third-straight shutout. White River has allowed 26 points all season (3.3 PA/G), surrendering one touchdown in the month of October and 10 total points since Sept. 20. We’re set up for an exciting 3A NPSL championship between White River and Enumclaw on Friday night. Another pick: Kennedy Catholic tallied 497 team rushing yards in a 74-6 blowout win over Kentridge.
WHICH WEEK 8 RESULT WAS THE MOST SURPRISING?
Manley: No real surprises. I thought Gig Harbor would beat Bellarmine Prep, but I was a little surprised to see it was a 22-point margin. RB Max Schwab racked up 210 all-purpose yards in the win, rushing for 139 yards on nine carries. He also had 71 yards receiving and three touchdowns. First-year coach Jeff Scoma has had positive results in his first season with the Tides, posting a Fish Bowl win over Peninsula and league wins over Silas, Central Kitsap and Bellarmine Prep. A road win against Capital this week would position Gig Harbor well heading into the playoffs.
Wicke: Kentwood took down 4A NPSL-rival Tahoma for the first time since 2021, outlasting the Bears, 27-24, behind Marquise Jones’ 143 rushing yards. It guaranteed Kentwood’s first six-win season since 2019, but the Conquerors can make it seven with a win over Kentridge on Friday night. A playoff team on the verge of a five-game win streak is brewing in Covington.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE STOOD OUT MOST IN WEEK 8?
Manley: I’ll take Puyallup RB Briytan Bailey, who rushed for 162 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries. Puyallup has had plenty of success throwing the football to its talented group of receivers, but the balance on offense makes this group a nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators. Credit goes to Puyallup’s offensive line, obviously. That unit has been dominant all fall.
Wicke: Cascade Christian’s Tayven Collins put on an all-around show in Saturday’s 49-7 win over Klahowya, a Swiss-Army knife capable of making every play. Try to keep up with this stat line: Collins threw a six-yard touchdown pass and took two carries for 37 yards and another score. He returned two kickoffs for 138 yards and blocked a Klahowya field goal on special teams. And on defense, Collins grabbed an interception with five tackles (1 TFL) and a sack. He’ll play another massive role in this weekend’s 1A Nisqually championship with Life Christian Academy.
