Week 3: What we learned from high school football games in Olympia area

Both Tumwater School District high schools lost football games Friday night, but fans got their money’s worth in a rare one-admission, two game doubleheader as both battled to the end.

TUMWATER’S WIN STREAK ENDS, BUT THEY STILL MAKE PROGRESS

Tumwater dropped its first game since the 2018 state playoffs, but likely developed more from its 42-35 overtime loss to Portland’s 6A powerhouse Central Catholic than it would have from an expected win over 2A Evergreen Conference opponent Aberdeen the game replaced.

When the Bobcats called on Wednesday night to let Tumwater know they wouldn’t be able to host the scheduled league game because of COVID protocols, the T-Birds put out the call for any opponent bold enough to take on Washington’s top-ranked 2A school on a day’s notice.

The Rams, who haven’t lost in 2021, sweeping five spring games and now going 3-0 to start the fall, already held a win over 2019 4A state champion Camas. When they answered Tumwater’s call, the T-Birds, who similarly traveled to 2A power Prosser last season on short notice, didn’t hesitate.

Tumwater hadn’t allowed a point since the opening defensive sequence of its season, but the defending Oregon state champions had a little more to offer.

When Central Catholic scored on its overtime possession — and the reigning 2A state champion T-Birds came up empty — Tumwater’s 21-game win streak was over.

The score was tied after the first quarter. It was tied at halftime, and it was tied at the end of regulation.

“Awesome game,” Tumwater coach Bill Beattie told Alec Dietz of the Centralia Chronicle. “That’s our philosophy. We want to play tough teams. I’m so proud of the way our kids battled tonight. We learned a lot about ourselves and learned we’ve got some battling kids.

“It’s going to be fun the rest of the year.”

Tumwater scored the contest’s opening points less than two minutes into the game when Payton Hoyt scampered for a 39-yard score. Central Catholic answered with a touchdown pass, and the first quarter ended 7-7.

In the second, Hoyt found the end zone twice. He broke out for a 32-yard run early in the quarter, and punched a one-yard rush over the goal line to tie the game before halftime at 21.

Tumwater scored again in the third when quarterback Brady Prothero connected with Ryan Otton for a 22-yard score. Central Catholic would score, but missed its extra point try, and Tumwater held a one-point advantage with a quarter to play.

Hoyt finished with 131 yards rushing and scored at least three touchdowns for the third consecutive game.

“Payton’s having a great season so far, he’s been fun to watch,” said Beattie.

Prothero finished with nine completions in 14 attempts for 166 yards and two touchdowns, though he also tossed two interceptions.

Shortly after the marquee game ended, fans who paid one ticket price for two games joined the 2A EvCo’s regularly-scheduled programming and were treated to another barn burner as 3-0 Rochester held off resurgent Black Hills, 24-22.

With turnovers and penalties plaguing both teams down the stretch, Black Hills scored on a touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Jaxsen Beck, who finished 7 of 13 for 128 yards, with just over two minutes to play. That cut the Warriors’ margin to two but Black Hills couldn’t get the ball back after that.

The Wolves’ Johnnie Stallings scored two first half touchdowns on his way to 56 yards on 14 carries, but Rochester’s star running back Talon Betts countered with a kickoff return for a touchdown.

Rochester quarterback Landon Hawes delivered the telling blow with a fourth down touchdown run from 11 yards out. He was elated that the Warriors, recent EvCo doormats, are headed in a far different and more positive direction with their 3-0 record this season.

“It’s awesome,” Hawes said. “We’ve worked so hard from summer to now, to see the hard work pay off is amazing.”

Black Hills coach Garrett Baldwin gave Rochester credit for the win but was encouraged by the Wolves’ first real chance at a victory.

“We’ve improved on both sides of the ball,” the first-year coach said. “We feel we left a win out on the field against Rochester, but our hats are off to them for earning the win. It was a fun game to be a part of.”

Defensively, the Wolves had four players with double figures in tackles, led by sophomore linebacker Travis Carson’s 17. Free safety Xander Shepler totaled 12, linebacker Austin Imsland 11 and lineman Carson Lowe 10. Lowe also forced a fumble.

Meanwhile, in the only other game featuring two 2A EvCo schools, Shelton, which had shown promise despite losing its first two, came up big, racing to a 26-0 lead over Centralia before coasting home, 33-6, despite 143 rushing yards from the Tigers’ Gabe Seymour. W.F. West rolled up 447 yards in total offense and held off 3A Evergreen, 38-28, in Chehalis. Quarterback Gavin Fugate totaled four touchdowns, three passing, one running, and completed nine of 18 passes for 179 yards.

YELM NOW HAS THE LONGEST LOCAL WIN STREAK

The third-ranked Tornados were the obvious favorites when they hosted Timberline and its high-flying offense.

Yelm is the defending South Sound champion, while the Blazers finished 1-4 during the spring season and hadn’t truly been tested in routing lowly Cleveland and Kent-Meridian this season. But Timberline has some quality pieces and came out strong against the Tornados.

They trailed Yelm just 16-14 at the half after touchdown passes by Jackson Brown to Darrell Gipson from 36 yards out and to Franco Segura from 27 yards away.

“Jackson had high and low points in the game,” Timberline coach James Jones said of his junior quarterback, who finished with 16 completions in 26 attempts for 178 yards but did throw two interceptions. He also ran 71 yards for the Blazers’ only second half score. “The connection from him to Segura will be a theme all season.”

The momentum shifted for good, though, when Yelm outscored Timberline, 16-0, during the third quarter and went on to win its ninth consecutive game, going back to the 2019 state playoffs, 38-20.

“We came out in the second half and played a lot cleaner football,” Tornados’ coach Jason Ronquillo said.

Yelm was flagged 13 times for 138 total penalty yards on the night but caused the Blazers to turn the ball over on a three-and-out and then a fumble to set up the scores that gave the Tornados separation.

Two of Yelm’s touchdowns came on passes from quarterback Palaina Hooper – once Timberline’s QB – to Aden Schaler. Hooper finished 12 of 21 for 159 yards and three touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Yelm’s sophomore running back Brayden Platt continued to shine, rushing for 225 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. He also had a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown.

“Platt’s as good as advertised on both sides of the ball,” Jones said. “We struggled to tackle him.”

Platt and junior slotback Kyler Ronquillo celebrated the victory with an unofficial visit to the University of Oregon during the fourth-ranked Ducks’ 48-7 victory Saturday over visiting Stony Brook.

Jason Ronquillo pointed to Cooper Cleveringa, who was in on six tackles and made two sacks, and William Carreto, who had four tackles, as defensive standouts, along with Ray Wright, who had three sacks.

Timberline’s road continues to be a tough one as they travel to meet a Peninsula team fresh off a miraculous 35-28 “Fish Bowl” win over crosstown rival Gig Harbor in which the Seahawks had trailed 28-0. Yelm will face another up and coming Lacey school, 2-1 River Ridge.

The Hawks bounced back from their only loss of the season so far, at 4A North Creek, to blast North Thurston, 39-0. They also provided the Tornados with their closest spring game, losing just 22-21.

River Ridge benefitted from a ball-hawking defense that recovered four Rams fumbles, two by Dominick Sloon, and a 97-yard pick six from Jaiden Cason, who was also in on seven tackles. The Hawks first two touchdowns came when they took over already inside North Thurston’s red zone.

“Our defense was disciplined, we played a lot better,” said Hawks coach Steve Schultz.

River Ridge won its 3A South Sound Conference opener handily after a tough pre-season that included 2A power Fife and sneaky-good 4A team North Creek of Bothell.

The Hawks beat Fife, 14-10, in a true defensive struggle before falling to North Creek, a newer school with a varsity sports program that’s now maturing after serving mostly underclass students its first few years.

“I don’t usually schedule ‘down,’” said Schultz of playing at Fife, a classification smaller than River Ridge. “But they’ve got a solid program, they do things right. It was a competitive game and both teams’ players got along.”

North Creek, led by quarterback Kennedy McGill, hasn’t been on the statewide radar, but is located in a part of town that often fed strong athletes into Bothell High.

“We learned we have to hit a lot harder,” said Schultz of the game at newly-remodeled Pop Keeney Stadium last week. He credited line coach Robert Dearborn for drilling his players to keep their pads lower against North Thurston.

The Hawks also unveiled a pair of potential freshman contributors against the Rams.

“I don’t believe in putting a freshman out under the Friday night lights unless they’re ready,” said Schultz, who may have found a pair who can contribute.

Ronaldo Gonzalez, a 5-foot-7, 145-pound running back, rushed for more than 100 yards while Jacob Tracy, a 6-4, 235-pound tight end, caught a touchdown pass.

In another 3A game involving a local school, Capital was beaten at home by Central Kitsap, 35-21.

OLYMPIA’S ROAD IS TOUGH AT 0-3 BUT HOPE THEIR RESOLVE FINDS A WAY

After falling a couple of missed conversions short of at least continuing its Saturday game with visiting Emerald Ridge into overtime, Olympia, now 0-3, could look up at all the teams ahead of it in the 4A South Puget Sound League standings in despair.

But the Bears know six SPSL teams will advance to the district round of the playoffs. Head coach Nick Mullen is convinced his team has what it takes to make a move as the season continues.

“Losing can expose your character or it can build your character. It’s going to build our character,” Mullen said after falling to the Jaguars, 28-26, on what started out as a rainy afternoon at Ingersoll Stadium.

A tale of two halves turned into a story of two missed conversions.

The Jaguars led, 14-0, at halftime. With the weather turning dry after intermission, the Bears, riding a 149-yard rushing performance by junior Kenyatta McNeese, Jr. but mixing in more of its usual air attack, rallied to within 21-20 on a 17-yard run from McNeese.

“We can run the ball,” Mullen said. “We don’t just sling it. We’ve got a gem in Kenyatta.”

But with the momentum about to shift, it didn’t.

Olympia kicker Cale Allen had blasted his first two PAT tries through easily and boomed a couple of kickoffs into the end zone. But, this time, the Jaguars’ University of Washington-bound receiver Denzel Boston made his mark on special teams, rushing through to block the attempt, leaving Olympia a point short.

After Emerald Ridge extended its lead to 28-20 on a clutch fourth down touchdown pass from 14 yards out by quarterback Jake Schakel to Tony Harste, Olympia again had its work cut out for it.

The Bears responded.

After suffering a three-and-out on its immediately previous possession, Olympia marched from its own 23 to the Emerald Ridge 45, fueled by passes from junior quarterback Gabe Downing to Jack Rieger and Logan Matthews.

It was time for McNeese, who carried the ball 24 times and grabbed four passes while also playing defense, to step up yet again. Snagging a short pass from Downing, he picked his way through tacklers up the left sideline for a 45-yard touchdown that brought the Bears to within 28-26 with just under two minutes to play.

On the two-point conversion try, Downing rolled to his right while one of Olympia’s two returning all-league receivers, Parker Fouts, broke open in the end zone… and slipped to the wet turf.

Mullen was encouraged by his team’s comeback.

“We want our kids to show heart, show resolve and play tough,” he said. “All I asked them to do was come out and win the third quarter. They did and then came out and won the fourth quarter. What makes me proud of these kids is they don’t quit, they fight the whole time.”

Olympia’s first two touchdowns came on a nine-yard pass from Downing to Mason Juergens, who would lead the Bears with five catches for 46 yards, and a one-yard run by McNeese.

TENINO’S OFFENSE SOARS TO AT LEAST AN 18-YEAR HIGH

First, the Beavers scored 56 points in an opening night win at King’s Way Christian. Then they hung 64 on North Beach.

Friday night in Vancouver, they put a damper on a celebration of 10 years of Seton Catholic football and the Cougars’ first night home game with a 78-26 rout.

It was the most points a Tenino team has scored since at least 2003, the year before the MaxPreps website began curating game by game records.

Takari Hickle, Tenino’s Oregon State-bound running back, scored four touchdowns, the shortest on a 20-yard run, the longest from 45 yards out. Triston Whitaker and Dylan Spicer each ran for two scores and Toby Suess one. Max Craig ran a kickoff back 80 yards for a TD.

The 1A Beavers will face their toughest challenge of the season thus far Friday night when they host Onalaska, the fifth-ranked team in 2B, which comes off a 62-10 road rout of Wahkiakum.

SMALL SCHOOLS HIT BY DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS

In addition to Aberdeen cancelling game with Tumwater, two other local teams took byes they’d rather not have.

Elma cancelled its game for a second straight week as did Rainier.

Northwest Christian was expected to open its 8-man season on Saturday but now hopes to play at Lake Quinalt on Tuesday afternoon.