4A championship: Tulifua’s pressure drops Moser, saves Sumner’s season
Lake Stevens QB Blake Moser is lightning fast.
The dual-threat junior considered one of the state’s most-dynamic players runs the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds.
He gashed Sumner for 129 yards and four rushing touchdowns in Saturday night’s 4A championship game at Husky Stadium.
It’s why the Vikings trusted him to pick up less than a yard on 4th and 1 in overtime with the game on the line.
Why wouldn’t he?
Answer: Sumner’s Elias Tulifua saved the season instead.
It was 4th and 1 from the 3-yard line. Moser stood in the shotgun as Tulifua lurked to his left, unblocked and ready to pounce. Sumner’s junior knew exactly what was coming.
“I had to make a play,” Tulifua said. “There’s (expletive) on the line right here.”
Moser dropped back and rolled to his right when Sumner’s secondary offered nowhere to throw. Tulifua, meanwhile, exploded around the left tackle in hot pursuit.
Before Moser could cut upfield, before he could blink, Tulifua was there. Instant pressure and a dive for the quarterback’s shoestrings forced Moser to stumble into a group of Spartans well behind the line to gain.
Linebacker Austin Glivar did the rest — but it was ‘Tuli’ that saved the game. Lake Stevens turned the ball over on downs and Sumner only needed a field goal for back-to-back state championships in Seattle.
“(Coach Ross) called a blitz. In that moment, dawgs are made to be dawgs,” Tulifua told The News Tribune. “This is where legends are made right here.
“I made a play, put some pressure on the QB, but that was all my boy Austin Glivar right there. I just applied some pressure.”
Spartans RB Lance McGee’s six touchdowns will live on in state championship lore, but the play by an unexpected hero shouldn’t be overlooked.
Head coach Keith Ross certainly won’t forget.
“We won the state championship because of (Tuli’s play),” he said. “Last week, it was Mason Ota making the play.
“We have stickers in our program that we give that say C.T.G. — Change The Game. They both made change-the-game-type plays. One helped us (beat) Puyallup, one helped us win the state championship.”
Tulifua’s stop returned the football to McGee and the Sumner offense, which marched 25 yards for the game-sealing touchdown in overtime of the 4A championship, 41-35. It was McGee’s sixth score, a championship-game record and start-to-finish spectacle.
“That boy’s a dawg,” Tulifua said of McGee, an Oregon State linebacker commit.
“He’s the best player in the state of Washington, I’ll say that for sure,” defensive lineman Shaun Griffith said.
“Nobody thinks he can play running back in college,” Ross said, shaking his head. “I just don’t understand, you know?
“What do I know, I guess.”
Sumner’s story is one of resilience. The Spartans fell to these Vikings in Week 1 and lost to Puyallup by 36 points in Week 5, only to knock off both in the playoffs. It’s what makes this title more satisfying than the last, a belief echoed by just about every Spartan.
“We just went on that revenge tour,” Griffith said. “I’m so happy right now.
“Tuli did his job at an elite level and he executed how he was supposed to. I’m so glad he was there.”
This story was originally published December 6, 2025 at 11:24 PM.
