Week 9 football takeaways: Puyallup earns 4A top seed with blowout over G-K
Week 9 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 9
Manley: Puyallup earned the No. 1 overall seed in Class 4A with its 43-14 win over previously undefeated Graham-Kapowsin in the 4A SPSL championship game on Friday night at Art Crate Field. It would take a major letdown in Friday night’s Week 10 playoff game against Kamiak this week for the Vikings not to be seeded No. 1 in next week’s state tournament, also. I’ve had Puyallup ranked No. 1 in my AP ballot since the Vikings beat Sumner, 58-22, on Oct. 4. I think there’s a case to be made for undefeated Lake Stevens, also, but I just keep going back to the common opponent they both had: Sumner. Lake Stevens needed a last-second touchdown to beat Sumner in Week 1, 31-28. Puyallup beat Sumner by 36 points. The Vikings have earned the No. 1 seed.
Wicke: Mount Tahoma put the state on notice with a 49-22 road win over 4A-power Camas in Week 2 and have looked the part of a 3A title contender ever since. The state’s coaches association (WSFCA) agrees, awarding the T-Birds the No. 2 seed in this weekend’s 3A Round of 32. Mount Tahoma’s 28-7 win over undefeated Lakes in the 3A Puget Sound League Championship offered a playoff feel as HC Keith Terry’s T-Birds conquered heavy rains and rushed for 235 total yards on 37 carries — but I was more impressed by Mount Tahoma’s defense, which smothered Lancers QB Jadis Lefono and didn’t allow the Lakes offense past midfield until late in the second quarter. Mount Tahoma has toppled five playoff programs this fall by a combined score of 153-67. “I want us to be prepared,” Terry said. “If we’re going to say that we can compete at that level, we’ve got to do it in the season. We can’t wait until the postseason. ... We know where we’re at. We think we’re going to be prepared to play with whoever down the stretch in the playoffs.” The T-Birds host Prairie at George Nordi Field in a winner-to-state clash Friday night.
WHICH TEAMS IMPRESSED MOST?
Manley: Mount Tahoma dominated from start to finish in its 28-7 win over previously undefeated Lakes in the 3A PSL championship game on Friday night in Tacoma. The T-Birds are the best team from Tacoma since the 2019 Lincoln team, which reached the state tournament semifinals. Could this year’s group make it deeper? We’ll find out, but I certainly think Keith Terry’s team has the pieces and the talent to win it all. I think the biggest key to winning in the 3A classification in November and December is being able to compete up front against teams like O’Dea, Eastside Catholic and Bellevue. Mount Tahoma has won games up front all season.
Wicke: It’s only taken Wyatt Evenson three years to build a contender in Buckley. After a one-win season in 2022, Evenson took over White River’s program with freshman QB Chaz Strickland — and look where they are now. The Hornets (9-0) entered enemy territory in Friday night’s Battle of the Bridge, beating Enumclaw, 21-14, for the first time since 2007 and capturing an undefeated 3A NPSL title at Pete’s Pool. White River can win a game both through the air and on the ground, and its defense has surrendered 40 total points in nine games. The Hornets are playing their best football since 2004 ahead of Friday night’s 3A Round of 32 playoff with Peninsula.
WHICH WEEK 9 RESULT WAS THE MOST SURPRISING?
Manley: Credit to Life Christian QB Jabez Boyd and the Life Christian Eagles for a win over Cascade Christian for the 1A Nisqually title on Friday. Both Tyler and I picked Cascade Christian to win, but I knew Boyd had the ability to go win a game with his athleticism. That’s exactly what he did, accounting for six touchdowns. More on that in our “top individual performances” section.
Wicke: I wasn’t surprised by Puyallup’s win over Graham-Kapowsin in Friday night’s 4A SPSL Championship. I was surprised by how they did it, a 43-14 clobbering of an undefeated Eagles team considered one of the state’s top 4A programs. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so shocked after all: Since their 25-19 win over Tumwater in Week 1, the Vikings have won every game by at least four possessions. They beat defending-champion Sumner, 58-22, and blanked a quality Curtis team in Week 9. Puyallup RB Briytan Bailey (35-168-2) was the workhorse last Friday, but QB Noah Smith has multiple college receiving prospects at his disposal and their defense is equally scary. They should be favored in every game this November (and perhaps December).
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE STOOD OUT MOST IN WEEK 9?
Manley: Give me Life Christian QB Jabez Boyd. In the league championship win over Cascade Christian, he completed 18-of-22 passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 15 times for 236 yards and three touchdowns. That’s an electric performance for an Eagles team that will benefit from some positive momentum heading into the Class 1A state tournament.
Wicke: I’ll highlight two this week. Franklin Pierce RB/LB Bryson Allen exploded for 266 rushing yards, four touchdowns, and three two-point conversions on just 13 carries (20.5 YPC) in Friday’s 51-0 win over Washington, adding 13 tackles (2 TFL) on defense. Another monster game moved Allen (1,525 YDS) into fourth place on the state’s all-classification rushing leaderboard. The other standout: White River RB Ray Palmer scored two touchdowns (10 CAR, 38 YDS), including the game-winner in the fourth quarter that lifted White River to the 3A NPSL title over rival Enumclaw, 21-14. The Hornets won the Battle of the Bridge for the first time since 2007.
WHICH WEEK 10 PLAYOFF GAMES ARE THE MOST INTRIGUING?
Manley: Lake Washington (9-0) at Kennedy Catholic (7-2) could be interesting, but it’s hard to say how good Lake Washington’s undefeated record is, given it plays in the lower 4A KingCo division. In 3A, could Decatur’s matchup against Lakes be a sneaky competitive one? Decatur clearly isn’t the team it was a season ago, but Matt Vaeena can coach and the Gators played a good White River team tight. Gig Harbor will have its hands full on the road against undefeated Sedro-Woolley, but the Tides have found success with the Wing-T in Jeff Scoma’s first year and after leading Mount Tahoma at half, feel capable of an upset.
Wicke: I’m intrigued by Decatur vs. Lakes in Friday’s 3A Round of 32 at Harry E. Lang Stadium in Lakewood. The Lancers (8-1) knocked off 4A-Curtis and rolled a good Peninsula team this fall, entering last weekend’s Puget Sound League championship unbeaten before falling to Mount Tahoma, one of 3A’s top contenders. They’ll be favored to handle Decatur, but the Gators have turned their season around since early blowout losses to Enumclaw and Federal Way (we still don’t know why some of the league’s best games were scheduled for early September). It’s a matchup between young quarterbacks — Decatur sophomore Antoine Williams and Lakes freshman Jadis Lefono — though defense likely dictates this South Sound playoff game.
This story was originally published November 3, 2025 at 12:36 PM.
