Week 1: What we learned from this week’s high school football games in the South Sound
Week 1 of the high school football season is in the books. TNT high school sports reporters Jon Manley, Lauren Smith and Tyler Wicke discuss what stood out from this week’s action.
What’s your biggest takeaway from Week 1?
Manley: Everyone is kind of who we thought they were. We expected Graham-Kapowsin, Emerald Ridge and Sumner to be the frontrunners in the 4A SPSL and they all won big in Week 1. We thought Curtis would be a contender, too, and they won big against Olympia on Thursday. We thought Enumclaw would be the favorite again in the 2A SPSL and for the second straight year, the Hornets beat 3A state tournament regular Peninsula. There just really wasn’t anything shocking that went down in Week 1.
Smith: The 4A SPSL is as tough as advertised — again. Defending league champion Sumner opened the season with a convincing shutout of Bellarmine Prep on the road in Tacoma, and Graham-Kapowsin scored six TDs in the first half in a victory over Rogers in Puyallup, but other contests were closer early on. Olympia led early on the road at Curtis, and trailed only 14-13 at halftime before the Vikings eventually pulled away in the second half, scoring on all five offensive possessions. Emerald Ridge put up enough points in the first half to keep rival Puyallup out of reach — the Jaguars had a 22-6 advantage at the break, and eventually led by as many as 21 — but the Vikings continued to pressure with a pair of late scores. Bethel’s win over South Kitsap was decided by five points. Graham-Kapowsin, Emerald Ridge, Sumner — all returning from impressive runs in the state bracket last season — and Curtis still appear to be the early favorites, but several more teams could also be in the mix for the league’s six postseason bids.
Wicke: The perennially-great programs are still great. Several title contenders began their seasons with big wins, spanning multiple classifications. Like Jon said — Graham-Kapowsin, Emerald Ridge, and Sumner are gearing up for 4A SPSL title runs. 3A favorite Yelm held 4A power Camas to seven total points. Enumclaw provided a statement win over Peninsula, and Tumwater’s defense completely suffocated Burlington-Edison (eight points allowed).
Which team impressed you most in Week 1?
Manley: Where do I begin? Emerald Ridge, Graham-Kapowsin, Curtis and Sumner all won big and looked good doing it. I’ll go in a different direction with two other teams, though. I liked what I saw from Mount Tahoma, which went toe-to-toe with North Kitsap, which played for the 2A state title last fall. It didn’t result in a win, but I liked the fight I saw from the T-Birds. Trailing multiple times throughout the game, they just kept clawing back. RB Brison Bailey is back after missing 2022 with injury and looked great. He runs really hard.
In 2A, I was impressed with Steilacoom. It’s probably a stretch to call a Week 1 game a “must-win,” but Steilacoom’s 35-20 win over Washington was a big deal. It gets the Sentinels off to a 1-0 start in league play, coming against a team that played in the state tournament last year. I figured Steilacoom would be able to put points on the board again this year, but the most encouraging thing for me was seeing four interceptions. That defense struggled last year, but I chalk that up to how young they were. Seeing some takeaways early is a positive sign for that unit.
Smith: Orting rallied from an early 14-0 deficit to upend Fife — which has made back-to-back appearances in the 2A state playoffs — on the road Thursday night. This is the second time in as many seasons the Cardinals have bested their league rivals, and the Week 1 victory gives the program an important quick start in a 2A SPSL that features several postseason contenders. After allowing the two early TDs — one rushing, one fumble recovery return — Orting scored four unanswered and shut Fife out the rest of the way to post a 28-14 win.
Wicke: Lincoln defeated a strong Auburn Riverside team on Friday despite graduating dual-threat QB and 2022 TNT All-Area player of the year Gabarri Johnson. Both defenses impressed in a 14-6 contest, but the Ravens are a much better offense than what their week-one stats say. Auburn Riverside’s Jonathan Epperson, a four-star recruit, ripped off a 68-yard TD — but perhaps the Lincoln defense is just that good.
Which Week 1 result was the most surprising?
Manley: Yelm needing a last-second field goal block to escape with an 8-7 road win against Camas. I was curious to see how Yelm would replace the production of versatile WR Kyler Ronquillo this season, and it looks like that’s still a work in progress. It didn’t help that four-star recruit Brayden Platt was limited to six carries, dealing with an injury. But look, a win’s a win, especially in Week 1, on the road at Doc Harris Stadium, which is a tough place to play.
Smith: The Yelm-Camas score was surprising at first glance, considering the Tornados piled up six TDs in this matchup last September, posting a 44-14 win to kick off their undefeated 3A state championship run. But, still a key season-opening road win for Yelm — and a solid defensive effort — regardless of the 8-7 result. Camas rarely loses at home, and this is the first time the Papermakers have been held to seven points in a home contest since a 28-7 loss to Mount Si in the first round of the 3A state playoffs in 2006.
Wicke: Curtis blew the doors off Olympia in Thursday’s season-opener, 45-13, behind six total TDs from Vikings QB Rocco Koch. The 4A SPSL may have a budding contender if Koch, last year’s league co-offensive player of the year, continues to put up video-game numbers. Health has never been an issue for Koch, a good sign — Thursday marked his 26th career start.
Timberline looks the part of a 3A contender following a 31-3 rout of Kelso, a program that reached the state quarterfinals in 2022.
Which team should be on every opponent’s radar moving forward?
Manley: I think Orting put the 2A SPSL on notice with a 28-14 win over Fife, which is a consistent winning program. Enumclaw remains the favorite to repeat as league champion, but the rest of the league feels wide open, with Steilacoom, Franklin Pierce, Orting, Washington and Fife all capable of beating up on each other in the coming weeks. I’m fascinated to see how things shake out in that league.
Smith: Mount Tahoma was one win away from reaching the 3A district round last fall, and has continued to make strides, opening the 2023 schedule with an impressive performance against last year’s 2A state runner-up North Kitsap. The 3A PCL has three postseason allocations, and the T-Birds are looking to advance to the district round for the first time since 2006 as a 4A Narrows League team. Upcoming contests with other 3A PCL contenders — including two-time defending league champion Lincoln in Week 4 and perennial state contender Lakes in Week 9 — will be intriguing.
Wicke: Auburn won the 3A NPSL title in 2022 — and Auburn Riverside now possesses the deepest talent in the league — but Auburn Mountainview QB Elijah Baird has the ability to help his Lions contend for the title. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Baird collected five total TDs in a blowout win over Kentridge on Saturday, three passing and two rushing. Coach Kent Rodseth believes Baird could emerge as one of the state’s top signal-callers.
Which individual performance stood out most in Week 1?
Manley: Curtis QB Rocco Koch’s line — 11-of-12 passing for 207 yards and five TDs and 128 rushing yards and another TD on 15 carries. My favorite part of that line? Koch completing 92 percent of his passes. That’s the one area of his game I know he and Curtis coach Darren McKay wanted to take to the next level this season. If he can hover in that 70 percent range this season, Curtis is going to be really dangerous.
Smith: The South Sound has several talented quarterbacks and receivers, and many put up impressive numbers in Week 1, but Navarre Dixon’s production in the backfield was key in Emerald Ridge’s win over Puyallup. A 3A PCL first-team running back last season, Dixon averaged 7.3 yards per carry against Puyallup, converted seven first downs and scored a pair of fourth-quarter TDs to keep the clock running and the Vikings out of reach in Emerald Ridge’s first win in the rivalry series since 2016. Dixon collected 160 rushing yards on 22 carries, added a 25-yard catch in his 4A SPSL debut, and gives the Jaguars’ offense another talented playmaker.
Wicke: Malachi Durant transferred from Puyallup to Graham-Kapowsin in the offseason and, in his first Eagles touch Friday night, took the opening kickoff 90 yards to the house. Then he snared another two receiving TDs on four catches for 109 yards. Durant, an Oregon State commit, gives Eagles QB Daveon Superales another weapon on perhaps the most-talented group of skill players in the state. He just may move the needle enough to put Graham-Kapowsin back atop the 4A world.
This story was originally published September 4, 2023 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Week 1: What we learned from this week’s high school football games in the South Sound."
