Community Sports

Tides look like contenders in blowout win over Capital

The Gig Harbor Tides (3-1, 2-0 South Sound Conference) put it all together in a 52-15 thrashing of the Capital Cougars (2-2, 1-1) at Roy Anderson Field on Friday, Sept. 22.

Confidence is defined as “a feeling of self-assurance arising from one’s own abilities.” That aptly describes the way the Tides are playing since quarterback Benji Park walked out of a phone booth with his Superman outfit on after halftime of the Fish Bowl.

In the six quarters since taking over for an injured Koi Calhoun, Park has completed 26 of 34 passes for 418 yards with five passing touchdowns and a rushing TD. He hasn’t thrown a interception.

The 6-foot-5 inch, 230 pounder has the size, arm strength and accuracy necessary to succeed. The team’s confidence in him and themselves has skyrocketed since he emerged.

Tides senior quarterback Benji Park hands the ball off to Jayden Mayes. Photo by Christi Adams

Offense clicks from the start

The Tides peppered the Cougar defense with an assortment of offensive looks. They sailed down the field on their opening drive, which started from midfield after elusive sophomore D.J. Darling returned the opening kickoff 40 yards up the sideline.

Park then fired a pass to Darling for nine yards and running back Ryland Geldermann converted a fourth-and-one run for a first down. After a couple more out-route completions widened the defensive safeties, Geldermann burst through the line for a 27-yard touchdown run with 9:30 to go in the first quarter.

After a brief Capital possession resulted in a punt, Park hit senior Ryder Ruiz for a five-yard touchdown and the Tides were rolling, 14-0.

Then Gig Harbor senior defensive back Matt Ehler picked off a Capital pass and returned it 40 yards to set the Tides up for another score. One play later, senior Jayden Mayes made an excellent cut to score on a 10-yard run and give the Tides a a 21-0 lead.

D.J. Darling led Gig Harbor with six receptions in the 52-15 win. Photo by Christi Adams

Limiting penalties

Then Park hit wide receiver Drake Matthies for a five-yard touchdown pass and a 28-0 lead.

Matthies had a breakout game with five catches for 119 yards and a touchdown. His running mate Darling led the receiving corps with six catches for 57 yards and added an interception as a defensive back.

One thing that has really jumped out about the Tides lately is the increased discipline in running their offense without penalties. Head coach Darrin Reeves’ offense is in and out of the huddle efficiently and has definitely looked sharper than previous seasons, while the defense is physical but controlled.

The team committed just nine penalties in the last three games and the results have shown on the scoreboard.

Capital avoided a shutout when a speedy slot receiver ran a crossing route for a pretty 35 yard scoring strike to make the score 28-7.

Then Geldermann ripped off another big gain into Capital territory. The sophomore, who averaged a healthy 8.5 yards per carry, finished with 94 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Tide kicker Boone Leverett completed the first-half scoring with a 32-yard field goal that would have been good from 52 yards. If there were a fantasy football league for high schoolers, Leverett would be my kicker, as he hasn’t missed a field goal or extra point all season and has scored 26 points in four games.

Backups get plenty of run

The Tides coaching staff substituted freely in the second half. The reserves played well while gaining valuable experience that should help down the road.

The second half was much like the first, as the Tides imposed their will on their way to 420 yards of total offense without committing a turnover. Geldermann scored again on a short run, Ruiz caught another quick pass for his second touchdown of the night and sophomore Paeton Harris slashed through the defense for a nice 39-yard touchdown run to make the score 52-7 in the fourth quarter.

Tides senior Jayden Mayes rips off a 10 yard touchdown run versus Capital. Photo by Christi Adams

The Gig Harbor starting defense was relentless and disciplined, surrendering only 151 passing yards and 119 running yards. Their defensive backs kept everything in front of them and their linebackers made sure tackles. Mayes led the Tides with nine tackles.

Gig Harbor plays the Timberline Blazers (3-1, 2-0) next Friday, Sept. 29, at South Sound Stadium in Lacey. The Tides should expect a physical game, much like the one they had in their victory over Peninsula. But they will definitely take the confidence of a team that is playing well enough to win a tough road game to stay atop of the South Sound Conference standings.

Gig Harbor’s offensive line dominated Capital in the Tides’ 52-15 win. Photo by Christi Adams

Peninsula earns first win

Peninsula (1-3, 1-1) jumped into the win column with a resounding 48-10 victory over North Thurston (2-2, 0-2) at South Sound Stadium in Lacey. The Seahawks got complete efforts on both sides of the ball and are starting to get some key players back from injuries.

The Seahawks host River Ridge (0-4, 0-2) at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, at Roy Anderson Field.