Three to see: Week 8

The Olympian’s top three South Sound high school football games to watch this weekend:

7 p.m. Friday, Tumwater District Stadium

About the Wolves: Black Hills is off to a 7-0 start for the first time in program history, but hasn’t bested top-ranked Tumwater since 2009, when it won, 19-7. Either team would clinch the 2A EvCo title with a win. The offensive line has been the workhorse for the Wolves all season, creating opportunities for five 40-plus point outings. QB Christian Williams has passed for six TDs in the last two games. Behind LBs Milo Ames and T.J. Borden, the defense has allowed seven or fewer points in four games this season, including a 42-7 win at Kelso last week and a 41-0 shutout at Port Angeles the week before.

About the T-Birds: Nothing has stopped Tumwater so far, but this year’s Pioneer Bowl could be the biggest challenge to this point. The T-Birds lead the overall series, which started in 1999, 13-3. And the Wing-T offense continues to be explosive and unpredictable. The T-Birds haven’t scored fewer than 35 points in a game this season, and have five players — Easton Trakel, Dominic Jones, Noah Andrews, Trayten Rodriguez and Griffin Shea — averaging more than 11 yards per carry. Black Hills is averaging 39 points per game, though Tumwater has not allowed more than 21 — including holding four opponents to single digits.

Olympian pick: Tumwater, 42-28.

7 p.m. Friday, South Sound Stadium

About the Trojans: Similar to the Hawks, Fife is plenty dangerous on the ground. Tanner Knapp, a Seattle University baseball commit, is averaging 9.6 yards per carry during the last two games. In only four games — at first, he decided not to play football because of a conflict with baseball — he has 512 yards on 76 carries and seven TDs. Jackson Cooley and Wesley Nixon each have 400-plus rushing yards through six games, adding plenty of headaches for opposing defenses.

About the Hawks: The Trojans are the only team standing in the way of River Ridge clinching its first individual 2A SPSL title. Tre’vonne Dorfner picked up 421 yards on 44 carries in the last two games in place of injured RB Gusavo Diaz (elbow). Coach Steve Schultz calls Dorfner and fullback Padric Green his dual threat in the backfield. Green scored on an 18-yard TD pass from QB Kobe Key in last week’s 35-0 win at Clover Park.

Olympian pick: River Ridge, 35-31. 

7 p.m. Friday, Bellarmine Prep Memorial Field

About the Bears: It took three late TDs against an otherwise relentless Olympia defense for third-ranked Gig Harbor to escape with a one-point win last week. A similar defensive effort from the Bears — nine tackles for losses against Gig Harbor, with Amir Matheney and Logan Wood at three apiece — could be key to shutting down Bellarmine RB Ahmad Lewis. The Bears need a win to remain in contention for the 4A Narrows title, and relied heavily on multipurpose WR David Woodward last week — he had 158 of Olympia’s 168 rushing yards and three TDs — in the absence of RB Scott Gunther (shoulder).

About the Lions: Like the Bears, the Lions need a win to remain in 4A Narrows title contention after losing in OT to Yelm last week. Lewis (199 carries, 1,136 yards, 16 TDs) rushed for four of Bellarmine’s five TDs. He is averaging 162.3 yards and 2.7 TDs per game, though Olympia’s defense has allowed only 86 points in seven games, and never more than 27 in a single game. Bellarmine’s offense is averaging 38 points per game.

Olympian pick: Olympia, 35-21.

This story was originally published October 22, 2015 at 8:33 PM with the headline "Three to see: Week 8."