5 takeaways from the high school football season in Thurston County

There were few surprises at the top as Thurston County high schools played out their delayed and abbreviated spring football seasons.

But, the depth of talent in the area could make for an intriguing season next fall.

Here are five observations from the shortened 2020-21 season, which wrapped up over the weekend:

1. IN WASHINGTON’S 2A RANKS, TUMWATER IS STILL AT THE TOP

When it became clear the COVID-19 pandemic would drastically curtail football during the 2020-21 academic year, Tumwater and Steilacoom made sure that, even without a postseason, their programs would have a late-season challenge to look forward to.

The T-Birds and Sentinels played an exciting Class 2A state final in 2019, with the T-Birds prevailing, 48-34. Surely, a rematch 15 months later would be as thrilling.

On the day, though, Tumwater rolled 50-12 for its 19th consecutive victory on the field.

The 2018 season was not one T-Birds fans remember fondly. Crosstown rival Black Hills rose up to snap Tumwater’s streak of nine consecutive 2A Evergreen Conference championships. The T-Birds reached the playoffs but were knocked out by Lynden.

Since then? Few teams have dominated as Tumwater has. Those 19 straight victories have come by a combined score of 977-183.

Only seven opponents scored more than once in a single game against the T-Birds’ defense.

“I said early on that this spring team was as talented a team as I have been around at any level,” Tumwater coach Bill Beattie said. “Their athletic talents speak for themselves, but it’s the intangibles that make them so great — unity, caring, leadership. A great bunch of young men who were committed to each other and the program.”

Veteran players such as quarterback Cody Whalen, two-way star Jack Jones, who scored at least one touchdown in all five of Tumwater’s games this season, Turner Allen, who rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns against Steilacoom, Minnesota-bound lineman Jacob Schuster, linemen Max Henry and Cooper Wall starred as their particular era of Tumwater football ended Saturday evening.

“They knew this was it for them,” Beattie said. “This was their last week. For those seniors, this was their last year of high school football. They really put on a show tonight.”

At Tumwater, the departure of stellar seniors often just means making room for the next such group. With the heavily-recruited tight end tandem of Austin Terry and Ryan Otton returning along with athletes such as Justin Walter, Caleb Sadlemayer and Ashton Paine, Tumwater will remain the 2A team to beat come fall.

2. YELM SHOULD STAY SOLID AFTER FIRST UNDEFEATED SEASON IN 82 YEARS

Frank Bower had himself a team back in 1938. Yelm finished 8-0-2 under Bower, three years before the United States entered World War II.

It’s doubtful anyone at the time suspected it would take the Tornados more than eight decades to record a perfect season, albeit only 6-0 due to a global pandemic.

The spring 2021 team breezed to a 3A South Sound Conference championship, challenged only in a 22-21 victory over River Ridge, and added a midweek nonleague game with Eatonville that forced the Tornados to play three games in eight days, but it didn’t dent their momentum.

Yelm relied on a one-two running back punch of a senior Sean Rohwedder, and a freshman who jumped right in, Brayden Platt. Rohwedder finished the season with 715 yards and 10 touchdowns on 105 carries, while Platt averaged more than a first down per carry with 475 yards and six touchdowns on 47 attempts.

Sophomore athlete Kyler Ronquillo played like every coach dreams his son would, excelling as a running back (38 carries, 296 yards, five TDs), receiver (14 catches, 202 yards, two TDs) and on defense (16 tackles, two interceptions). He also spent some time playing quarterback.

With next football season hopefully to come up more rapidly than usual, coach Jason Ronquillo believes he’s got a corps of capable returnees, including defensive lineman Logan Platt, receiver and defensive back Aden Schaefer and linebacker Willi Carreto.

“Details matter,” Ronquillo said. “What you do in the offseason when no one’s watching is a real indicator of an athlete’s success.”

A big part of the Tornados’ internal offseason competition will be the reconstruction of a dominant offensive line that loses seniors Dylan Jemtegaard to California and Slade Edwards to Central Washington.

Kollin Gifford and Landon Barger could be among those to anchor the unit come fall.

“We need guys to step up,” Ronquillo said. “But not in August. Their efforts must start now.”

3. HAWKS, AT NEW LEVEL, AND BLAZERS, WITH NEW COACH, TAKE AIM

If there was any doubt that River Ridge was ready to move back up to 3A after many years in 2A, the Hawks set it aside with their play this spring.

River Ridged finished 3-2 in 3A SSC play, losing by a single point to champion Yelm 22-21, and by four to Olympia, typically a 4A South Puget Sound League school. Goal line stands by both the Tornados and Bears kept the Hawks from potentially scoring enough points to win.

“We felt like we represented pretty well,” said coach Steve Schultz, pointing to routs of Lacey rivals Timberline and North Thurston in which every Hawk in uniform got onto the field.

The obvious holes as River Ridge prepares for the fall season will be at quarterback and running back, with speedy workhorses Dontae Owens (Georgetown) and Darion Brown (Dickinson State) heading off to college.

But , chultz points to a corps of strong returnees that includes returning linebackers Jonothan Mapu and Elijah Iosefo, lineman Cameron Schletzbaum, wide receiver Dontae Robinson and receiver and cornerback Jaiden Cason. Four of the Hawks’ five starting offensive linemen will be back in Reuben Zilla, Ian Williams, Tim Chambers and Emilio Lopez.

Meanwhile, across town at Timberline, the Blazers come off a tough 1-4 campaign, their first under new coach James Jones, but a new practice facility will make a difference.

“We practiced on three different fields with different starting times this season,” Jones said. “It will be nice to set a consistent schedule based primarily on our team’s needs. The new field is beautiful. I’m excited to get to work on it.”

Crucial returnees include running back and linebacker Kaleb McNeely, defensive ends E.J. Patanie and Adam Ahlf and receivers Mykale Whitehead and Franco Segura.

Despite his squad’s past logistical inconveniences, Jones is taking full responsibility for the Blazers’ rebuild.

“Everything rises and falls on my leadership and words,” he said. “Nothing can go unaddressed or unspoken.”

4. BEARS DETOUR INTO 3A MAY SET THEM ON COURSE FOR 4A SPSL SUCCESS

Olympia had a unique season.

The Bears, almost strangers to local fans other than their own after several years in the Pierce County-based 4A SPSL, were reassigned to the 3A SSC to insure than they would be playing with other schools in the same region due to COVID-19.

The result was a 4-1 record, marred only by an opening-night loss to league champion Yelm, and including a 40-7 rout of rival Capital in the teams’ first traditional Spaghetti Bowl game since 2015.

“We are very confident and excited to rejoin the SPSL,” Bears coach Nick Mullen said. “We will be able to compete at a high level. Our players will keep fighting no matter what the score.”

Junior-to-be quarterback Gabe Downing will lead a strong corps of Olympia returnees that also includes Mason Juergens, Parker Fouts, Connor Johnson, Caiden Cockrell, Hunter Irish, Dom Teft, Logan Matthews, Junior McNeese and Max Tuitele.

Downing passed for 1,419 yards and 11 touchdowns with just five interceptions, while Juergens was his second-favorite target behind graduating Alfredo Ramirez-Cortes, with 27 catches for 468 yards and three touchdowns.

Defensively, free safety McNeese made 41 tackles, including seven for losses.

Mullen played in the 4A SPSL as a high schooler and is friends with a number of the league’s coaches, so despite his background at 3A Timberline, he knows what it will take to succeed in the league.

“We will need to get physically stronger in order to compete with the top teams,” he said.

5. IN 1A, TENINO SERVES NOTICE WITH LATE SEASON OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION

For much of the season, Tenino looked like the team that had struggled over the course of its past few 1A Evergreen Conference seasons. The Beavers lost their first three games, scoring a total of just eight points.

Then, suddenly, they were thrashing Seton Catholic on the black turf, 54-6, and after a 35-21 loss at Elma, erupting for a 64-40 victory over 2A Rochester in the annual Scatter Creek Showdown rivalry game.

“Our athletes stuck to the process and trusted the direction the program was going offensively,” coach Cary Nagel said. “We started executing at an extremely high level. It was all about the kids’ mental toughness and adjusting to whatever was thrown our way.”

Tenino averaged 309 yards rushing over the course of the short season.

Defensively, the Beavers proved extremely physical as junior Takari Hickle led with 45 tackles, including 16 for losses, Dylan Spicer had 44, including six for losses, and Randall Marti added 30, including 10 for losses.

Will the Beavers be strong in the fall? Very likely, says Nagel.

“It’s crazy to think about all the impact players we have returning, because of the amount of young players we started,” he said.

Hickle (DE/RB/TE), Marti (LB), Triston Whitaker (RB/LB), Kysen Knox (QB/LB), Spicer (RB/LB), Lucas Watterson (RB/DB), Bryan Budserg (TE/LB), Shawn Nicholson (RB/LB), Gavin Watson (RB/LB), Marshall Butcher (OL/DL), Andres Zumudio (OL/DL) and Max Craig (TE/LB) are all expected to contribute.