Dylan Paine caps historic Tumwater career with season-best performance in 2A title win
Dylan Paine’s historic football career with Tumwater High School couldn’t have had a happier ending.
He is likely the new owner of the program’s all-time leading rushing record, exploding for a game-high 229 rushing yards and three touchdowns in his final appearance. And, most importantly to Paine, he ended with a win.
No. 1 Tumwater capped its first undefeated season since 1990 on Saturday night with a 48-34 victory over No. 2 Steilacoom in the Class 2A state championship game at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup.
As he has been since he debuted for the T-Birds three seasons ago as a sophomore, the trusty senior running back was at the center of another program-defining win.
“I’m so proud of everybody,” Paine said. “All summer, workouts, practices, everything. We put so much into this. I can’t even explain to you how hard these guys work — the hardest-working group of guys I’ve ever been around in my life.”
It was perhaps Paine, whose junior season was cut short by a torn ACL, who had to work the hardest. In a Week 5 blowout win over Rochester last season, Paine tried to make a cut upfield, hit a bad spot on the uneven grass, and heard his knee pop. It was a non-contact injury, but he was out for the remainder of Tumwater’s season, which ended in the quarterfinals.
This after Paine rushed for a stunning 1,803 yards as a sophomore — which still ranks third all-time in Tumwater history (Zach Johnson holds the record with 1,918 yards in 2006) — only for the T-Birds to fall just short in the playoffs, losing in the 2A title game to a high-flying Hockinson team.
“It’s always been a dream for me to win a state championship,” Paine said. “My sophomore year we fell short, and I was hoping to come back and win it my junior year, but obviously it was cut short.
“Ever since that day when I went down on that field, and knew I couldn’t play again, I was just looking forward to this year, and there’s no better way to end it than the state championship.”
Paine broke through for scoring runs of 2, 42 and 34 yards against the Sentinels and gave Tumwater what was ultimately the game-winning score in the final two minutes of the second quarter with his second touchdown when he broke up the middle and blew by Steilacoom’s secondary for his longest run of the game.
“I’ve had a great offensive line all three years, great coaching, great trainers, great everything,” Paine said.
Paine’s 229 rushing yards against the Sentinels pushed him to 1,729 for the season on 209 carries. He finished the year with 28 rushing touchdowns, which is tied for third in T-Birds history.
Paine also eclipsed 100 yards in seven of Tumwater’s 14 games this season, and in four of its five playoff games.
“His mindset coming back from that injury was second-to-none,” Tumwater coach Bill Beattie said. “I know he was mad at me all summer (for limiting his participation during recovery). He was like a caged dog.
“When he got released ... he was so fresh and so strong, and that just carried us so much. I’m proud of him the way he came out and did all of that.”
The 1,803 rushing yards Paine’s sophomore season, the 775 his junior season, and the 1,729 as a senior give Paine 4,307 for his career, which would be Tumwater’s all-time leading record, though the program has not yet confirmed this. Paine likely edged Derek Lowe, who rushed for 4,303 yards in three seasons from 1991-93.
“If he didn’t tear his ACL, he would have shattered (the record),” Tumwater running back Hunter Baker said. “It shows how good he is, doing that with subtracting over half a season. I hope he gets the chance to go play at the next level.”
Paine’s 52 career rushing touchdowns rank third in Tumwater history, while Lowe still holds the record with 63.
He has not committed to play in college yet — “I’m on the market still. We’ll see,” he said. — but could prove a worthy addition to whatever backfield he ends up in.
“He’s a special player,” Tumwater quarterback Cody Whalen said. “To come back from his injury and still put up a great year, it was remarkable to me. He’s a great teammate.”
This story was originally published December 7, 2019 at 10:02 PM with the headline "Dylan Paine caps historic Tumwater career with season-best performance in 2A title win."
