High school football: The Olympian’s spring 2021 All-Area team

The Olympian’s All-Area football team has become an annual tradition, highlighting the best high school football players in the region.

Fourteen different schools in four classifications are represented among the players selected to the spring 2021 first and second teams.

The 30 first-team selections, broken down by leagues, including players from the 3A South Sound Conference (18), 2A Evergreen Conference (eight), 1A Evergreen Conference (two) and 2B Central Mountain (two).

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Jacob Schuster

Tumwater

Defensive lineman, 6-2, 300, senior

Schuster is only the second repeat honoree in the 31-year history of the Olympian’s All Area team. Timberline’s Jonathan Stewart shared the 2003 award with Capital’s Luke Kravitz, then won it on his own in 2004. The all-time rushing leader in Washington high school history, Stewart went on to become the leading rusher in Carolina Panthers annals as well. The 2A Evergreen Conference Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season, Schuster is bound to a rare destination for a Thurston County product, the Big 10. He joins the University of Minnesota’s program this fall.

COACHING STAFF

Bill Beattie

Tumwater

Coach of the Year

In an area boasting an abundance of football coaching talent, Beattie’s preeminence is hard to deny. His Thunderbird teams haven’t lost a game since the 2018 post-season. His overall record at Tumwater is 41-5. In a season robbed of playoffs by the coronavirus pandemic, Tumwater took an alternate route to laying claim to being the best 2A team in Washington: After accepting a road game with distant Prosser on two days notice, the T-Birds prevailed over a strong Mustangs squad, 45-10. They then finished the season with a rematch of their 2019 state championship win over Steilacoom and again triumphed, 50-12. In Beattie’s three season that did include playoffs, the T-Birds reached the state championship game twice.

Jack Zilla

River Ridge

Offensive Coordinator

The Hawks burst back onto the 3A scene with an overdose of speedy players and a veteran offensive mind to make the most of them. With Zilla, the former head coach at Black Hills, calling the plays, River Ridge scored at least 42 points in three of its five games and the Hawks’ 21 against Yelm were the most given up by the undefeated 3A South Sound Conference champion Tornados in a single game all season.

Tim Otton

Tumwater

Defensive Coordinator

Otton claims the all-area defensive coordinator honor back-to-back after his unit got better after a an undefeated stated championship season in 2019. That years T-Birds gave up just 5.6 points per game to opposing offenses. This spring the number was 4.4, with three shutouts. Between them, the two teams that did manage to score off Tumwater’s defense, traditionally strong Prosser and Steilacoom, totaled only three touchdowns.

BACKFIELD

Gabe Downing

Olympia

Quarterback, 5-11, 190, sophomore

Downing combined a strong arm with pinpoint accuracy to complete 57 percent of his passes (90 of 157) for 11 touchdowns and 1.424 yards. He was intercepted only five times. With two more seasons to play, gives the Bears a key offensive piece to build around. First team All-3A SSC.

Darion Brown

River Ridge

Running back, 5-7, 145, senior

River Ridge coach Steve Schultz compares Brown to a “piece of iron,” likening him to durable former NFL running backs Earl Campbell and Tony Dorsett. Carrying the ball as often as 31 times in one game, Brown totaled 114 carries for 874 yards and 13 touchdowns. The first team All-3A SSC selection will play in the fall at Dickinson State.

Shawn Rohwedder

Yelm

Running back, 5-10, 205, senior

Rohwedder waited his turn behind older Yelm running backs, but given abundant carries as a senior turned into what coach Jason Ronquillo called an “old school hard-nosed running back with bad intentions.” The results included 715 rushing yards on 105 carried for 12 touchdowns and first team All-3A SSC honors.

Kyler Ronquillo

Yelm

All-Purpose, 5-10, 170, sophomore

Ronquillo shared 3A SSC overall MVP honors after doing a little bit of everything on both offense and defense. He rushed 38 times for 296 yards, caught 14 passes for 211 yards and scored seven touchdowns on offense and moved into the quarterback position late in the season. A 4.0 student, he had three interceptions, one for a touchdown as a defensive back, and totaling 21 tackles.

Alfredo Ramirez-Cortez

Olympia

All-Purpose, 6-0, 190, senior

A sure-handed receiver, Ramirez-Cortez, who shared 3A SSC overall MVP honors, totaled 702 yards receiving, scoring six touchdowns. As a defensive back, he had three interceptions and broke up eight other passes. He also returned kicks for a total of 367 yards. “He was overall the best football player in the league,” said Bears coach Nick Mullen.

Dontae Owens

River Ridge

All-Purpose, 5-9, 165, senior

Coach Steve Schultz calls Owens “one of the most dangerous scoring threats I’ve ever coached.” The 3A SSC’s offensive MVP, Owens rushed 77 times for 586 yards and nine TDs, completed 30 of 49 passes for 568 and seven TDs. He returned 13 kicks for 303 yards and a touchdown. He caught six passes, including one for a touchdown. He also served as the Hawks placekicker.

RECEIVERS

Kaden Moses

River Ridge

Wide receiver, 6-1, 175, senior

Moses never came off the field for the Hawks, playing receiver, defensive back and on special teams. On offense, he had 14 catches for 191 yards and three touchdowns – and delivered nine pancake blocks to free other River Ridge runners. “He was most impressive when he didn’t have the ball,” said coach Steve Schultz. Defensively, he had 16 tackles, including two for loss, and intercepted two passes.

Mitchell Armstrong

Capital

Wide receiver, 6-1, 205, senior

A speedy two-way first team All-3A SSC selection with a high football IQ, Armstrong played both tight end and wide receiver as well as defensive end. He had 11 catches for 326 yards, a 29 yards-per-catch average. He mixed in eight sacks among his 47 tackles on defense. “He has incredible hands and great ball awareness,” Cougars coach Terry Rose said. “Defensively, he was a nightmare on the edge.” Armstrong will walk on at Boise State in the fall.

Sean Mahaffey

Rainier

Wide receiver, 6-1, 195, junior

Mahaffey scored five touchdowns on the season after receiving for 440 yards and rushing for 196. Bouncing back from an ACL injury, coach Andy Bartell called him the hardest working Mountaineer. “He’s one of the best players on the field offensively and defensively,” Bartell said.

Austin Terry

Tumwater

Tight end, 6-4, 230, junior

A two-time first team All-2A Evergreen Conference selection, Terry already has multiple scholarship offers in hand from Power 5 schools. He caught 11 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns while also making 20 tackles on defense. “He’s a big time tight end,” said Tumwater coach Bill Beattie. “He’s got tremendous hands and in our WingT offense he better be able to block and he can.”

OFFENSIVE LINE

Hunter Irish

Olympia

Offensive lineman, 6-4, 295, junior.

A first team All-3A SSC selection, Irish played the center position flawlessly for the Bears, finishing the season with no bad snaps and no sacks allowed.

Dylan Jemtegaard

Yelm

Offensive lineman, 6-5, 300, senior

One of the 3A SSC’s co-linemen of the year, Jemtegaard was a second team All-Area choice in 2019. He will play at the University of California in the fall.

Slade Edwards

Yelm

Offensive lineman, 6-2, 280, senior

A first team All-3A SSC selection, Edwards will play at Central Washington in the fall.

Cooper Wall

Tumwater

Offensive lineman, 6-4, 230, senior

Wall will likely play offense at Dixie State, an FCS school in Utah, in the fall, but was named the 2A Evergreen Conference’s defensive player of the year this season. “He has the ability to keep getting better and better,” Beattie said. “He’s very smart about the game of football.”

Lysander Moelo

Timberline

Offensive lineman, 6-6, 355

As big and strong as they come in the South Sound, Moelo was a two-way first team All-3A SSC selection.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Armani Tonauo

North Thurston

Defensive lineman, 6-2, 245, senior

One of two 3A SSC linemen of the year, Tonauo earned high praise from coach Terry Shaw, who said “Armani is not only more physically capable than most, he understands football and is a relentless competitor.

Takari Hickle

Tenino

Defensive lineman, 6-5, 245, junior

A small school player receiving offers from Division I universities, Hickle had 45 tackles, 16 for loss, despite being double- and triple-teamed. Offensively, he carried 52 times for 492 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught one pass – good for a TD. “He plays with an old school nastiness that’s hard to locate in athletes these days,” said Beavers coach Cary Nagel. “He’s one of the top players at his position not just in the state, but in the country.”

Logan Platt

Yelm

Defensive lineman, 6-2, 210, junior

A first team All-3A SSC selection, Platt totaled 34 tackles, including six sacks and a safety. Said coach Jason Ronquillo, “His speed, strength and mobility make him special. He’s just scratching the surface of what he can do.”

Ryan Otton

Tumwater

Defensive lineman, 6-6, 235, junior

Part of the T-Birds ultra-talented tight end tandem with Terry, Otton may have been better on defense, where he earned first team All-2A EvCo honors. He had 23 tackles and two sacks. Offensively, he caught five passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. “Ryan has all the physical tools in the world and he’s constantly working to get better,” said Beattie.

D.J. Togiola

Timberline

Defensive lineman, 6-3, 250, senior

A first team All-3A SSC choice, Togiola is headed for the University of Nevada in the fall on the basis of his pass rusher ability.

LINEBACKERS

Jack Olsen

Olympia

Linebacker, 6-5, 220, senior

Olsen, also a nationally-ranked track athlete at Olympia, had 41 tackles, nine for loss, including seven sacks.

Brody Rustemeyer

Elma

Linebacker, 5-9, 185, senior

First Team All-1A EvCo linebacker totaled 61 tackles, including 10 for losses. Said Eagles coach Ron Clark, “Brody is very versatile. He can cover and stunt with equal effectiveness.”

Ray Wright

Yelm

Linebacker, 5-10, 190, sophomore

Wright piled up impressive numbers for the Tornados despite his youth, totaling 67 tackles, including 29 solo and 9 for losses. “Ray is a sideline-to-sideline player with a great motor and pursuit to the ball. Great tackler in space,” said Ronquillo.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Kenyatta McNeese

Olympia

Defensive back, 5-10, 185, sophomore

A first team All-3A SSC selection, McNeese made 45 tackles as the Bears free safety, including seven for loss, and broke up five passes.

Turner Allen

Tumwater

Defensive back, 5-10, 185, senior

Also Tumwater’s top running back, Allen makes a second straight appearance on the All-Area team as a DB, a position that has him weighing several college offers. Offenisvely, Allen averaged nearly a first down per carry – 47 attempts for 468 yards – and scored eight touchdowns. “His versatility is amazing,” said Beattie. “He’s a quiet kid, but you can’t get away from his smile.”

Cade Haller

W.F. West

Defensive back, 5-10, 170, senior

Another defensive back earning a second consecutive All Area honor, Haller totaled 55 tackles and totaled 338 yards on return, including taking one opponent’s kickoff the length of the field for a touchdown. “Cade is smart, flew to the ball and never missed tackles,” said Bearcats coach Dan Hill.

Jack Jones

Tumwater

Defensive back, 5-9, 170, senior

Twice a first team All-2A EvCo defensive back, Jones is headed to NCAA Division II Western Colorado in the fall. “He works harder than anyone else on our team. During the entire pandemic, if you came by our school, he would be out on the field trying to get better,” said Beattie.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Bryce Laufenberg

W.F. West

Placekicker, 5-10, 170, senior

The All-Area kicker for the second consecutive season, Laufenberg connected on 23 of 25 extra point attempts and two out of four field goals.

Michael Green

Rainier

Punter, 5-10, 200, senior

Also the Mountaineers starting quarterback, Green deadening four punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. As QB, he passed for 924 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed for 251 yards and four TDs.

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks: Cody Whalen, Tumwater, senior; Gavin Fugate, W.F. West, sophomore.

Running backs: Max Taylor, W.F. West, senior; Talon Betts, Rochester, junior.

Wide receivers: Parker Fouts, Olympia, sophomore; Mason Juergens, Olympia, sophomore; Luke Ellison, Black Hills, junior; Brit Lusk, W.F. West, senior; Carter McCoy, W.F. West, senior;

Tight ends: Benito Valencia, Centralia, senior

Offensive line: Max Henry, Tumwater, senior; Jason Mchan, Rainier, senior; Devin Claridge, Black Hills, senior; Paris Chavez, Centralia, senior; Hayden Dahl, Rochester, senior; Daniel Matagi, W.F. West, sophomore, Robert Marti, Tenino, senior; Kollin Gifford, Yelm, junior; Joey Oliver, North Thurston, senior

DEFENSE

Defensive line: Darren Gray, W.F. West, senior; Sawyer Robbins, Rochester, junior; Riffe Holmes, Rainier, senior

Linebackers: Cole Peterson, Olympia, senior; William Carreto, Yelm, sophomore; Deonte Burns, Capital, junior; Joe Brown, Black Hills, senior; Jacob Halseth, Centralia, senior; Grady Finney, Tumwater, senior; Evan Moon, W.F. West, senior; James Jimenez, Rochester senior; Cooper Cleveringa, Capital, junior; Trey Lahn, Capital, senior.

Defensive backs: Brian Cooper, Timberline, senior; Darius Wilson, River Ridge senior; Santos Lafferty, Centralia, senior; Ryan Orr, Tumwater, junior.

This story was originally published May 2, 2021 at 5:00 AM.