Week 3 takeaways: Dylan Paine’s domination, Black Hills is rolling and Hunter Campau’s duality

Junior running back Dylan Paine, a driving force for No. 1 Tumwater High School (3-0), has found himself in the spotlight yet again.

Last week, Paine eclipsed 2,000 career rushing yards — in just his 16th appearance — as the T-Birds narrowly defeated Yelm High School 17-14. His 34-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-2 with less than nine minutes remaining in the game was the deciding score.

This week, the T-Birds debuted a new video scoreboard. It’s only fitting that Paine was the first one to put points on the board, and on the very first play of the game too.

He scored a 65-yard rushing touchdown en route to a monster day on the ground. The junior’s 237 yards on 24 carries led the way for the T-Birds in their 35-14 victory against visiting Bellarmine Prep.

“We hadn’t ran that play yet this year. We were going to try it out this game,” Paine said on Friday night about his touchdown. “I saw the corner and he was the only guy out there. I gave him a little move and the line did a great job blocking.”

On the season, Paine has 418 yards and six rushing touchdowns on 57 carries.

Black Hills is rolling

Black Hills High School is in the right direction with a 3-0 start. The last time the Wolves began the season 3-0 back in 2015, they made the state playoffs — snapping a six-year drought at the time.

The Wolves opened up season with a 50-19 win over Bremerton High School. In the following week, it was a comfortable 42-13 victory against Chief Sealth High School.

The offense has been hard to stop, averaging 41.3 points per game so far. Senior running back and free safety Taylor Simmons is a catalyst for the Wolves.

Simmons has 300 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 43 carries. He also has recorded three receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

His late interception sealed the 33-28 win against Prairie High School in Week 3.

“He’s definitely a dynamic weapon,” coach Kirk Stevens said on Sunday afternoon about Simmons. “He is a threat running and receiving. He’s also our veteran leader in our secondary. Not always the most vocal leader, but the way that he plays and the way he prepares, he definitely sets the tone for the team.”

Senior Jordan Claridge, who usually lines up at fullback on offense, volunteered to move to left tackle after injuries hit the offensive line. He’s helping anchor an offensive line that has been paving the way to the tune of 273.6 total rushing yards per game.

Also of note is the switch to a new defense, a 3-3 scheme implemented by first year defensive coordinator and former Capital coach J.D. Johnson. Prior to the season, Claridge — also the starting middle linebacker — said the team had bought into the system and was enjoying the energy brought by their new coach.

And it seems to be working, as the Wolves have forced 11 turnovers and are allowing 20 points per game.

Timberline QB Hunter Campau’s development in the pocket

Over the past year, senior quarterback Hunter Campau has been focused on trying to improve his ability as a passer.

“Him and I have worked really hard on his feet, trusting his receivers,” Timberline coach Nick Mullen said. “He’s really starting to understand how to read a defense and certain coverages, the windows to look for.”

“He’s relentless, he’s in constant pursuit to get a competitive edge.”

Camapu’s always been a great runner — that’s evident in his 305 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 55 carries this season. But in Week 3, it was his arm that ended up being the difference in a 14-7 victory over Gig Harbor.

He finished 10 of 16 passing for 172 yards with two touchdowns and one interception as the Blazers (2-1) begun their defense of their Class 3A South Sound Conference title. Staying true to his dual-threat ability, Campau also recorded 151 rushing yards on 20 carries.

Capital continues turnaround from last season

After a disappointing 2017 campaign for Capital High School which featured them finishing 3-6 and missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade, the team has responded well to new coach Terry Rose.

Capital surprised some by taking down a good Lakes High School squad 22-9 in the season opener. They followed that up with a 29-9 win over W.F. West in Week 2.

This week was seemingly a breakthrough though for the Cougars (3-0), which walloped Shelton High School 46-0. The veteran nature of the team this year is surely a factor in the success, as 21 of the 22 first-stringers are seniors.

Clearly, the Cougars’ defense has been a focal point. So far, the Cougars are allowing a mere 6 points per game.

It’s the perfect start as the football program rebounds from recent turnover. The Cougars have had three different coaches in three years — after having just as many in the previous 40 years.

Elma on the up and up

Elma High School had been struggling as of recently, going 3-7 in 2017 and 2-7 in 2016. But a flip has been switched this year for Elma, 3-0 on the season.

Senior running back Taitum Brumfield is the main cog in the potent Eagles’ offense, which is averaging 43.6 points per game. Brumfield had 350 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in the first two games as the Eagles beat Kings Way Christian 48-14 in the season opener and then Rochester 41-12 in Week 2.

This past week was the Cody Vollan Show though. The junior quarterback posted a peculiar but efficient box score, finishing 5 of 9 passing for 209 yards and four touchdowns as the Eagles routed Aberdeen High School 42-0.

Both sides of the ball are clicking for the Eagles. The defense is surrendering just 8.6 points per game.

“Tight-knit group, they care about each other and they play hard,” coach Ron Clark said about the team’s start to the season. “There is a shared belief and vision amongst them that this is ‘their’ team — most of the guys have been playing with each other for years. These are high-achieving kids.”

The Eagles haven’t made the state playoffs since 2005.

This story was originally published September 17, 2018 at 8:45 AM.