Community Sports
Peninsula, Gig Harbor score lopsided victories
The Peninsula and Gig Harbor football teams both had their way against conference opponents on Oct. 14, cruising to lopsided victories.
Peninsula 50, Capital 27
Peninsula handled the Capital Cougars 50-27 in the Seahawks’ Homecoming game. They remain unbeaten in the South Sound Conference, sporting a 5-0 league record and 6-1 overall record.
The Seahawks have steadily climbed the Class 3A RPI rankings and are now 12th. Their only loss came in the first game of the season, to the tough Enumclaw Hornets, 29-27.
Peninsula scored early and often against the Cougars, who came into the game fifth in the conference at 2-2. The SSC boasts four teams in the Top 20 of the Class 3A RPI ranking.
Seahawk Issac Smith scores one of his three touchdowns for Peninsula in the Seahawks’ win over Capital. Ronnie Glover
Standout performances
The Seahawks got several standout performances against the Cougars.
At the head of the list is senior Isaac Smith, who has been scoring like a loose pinball machine with 11 touchdowns in the past three games.
He is an elusive runner with good balance and breakaway speed. He is making a convincing case for a first team all-conference selection because of his versatility. On Friday, all he did was run the ball 11 times for 71 yards with three touchdowns and catch four passes for 60 yards and another touchdown. He averaged 24 yards on kickoff returns and intercepted a pass as a cornerback as well.
Senior running back Aiden Lester continues to prove reliable as he made the most of his touches Friday night. He plays in a crowded backfield but always responds when called on, as he averaged an impressive 21 yards per carry against the Cougars. Lester is a ball of muscle who has a burst, rushing for 105 yards on 5 attempts and also catching two passes for 27 yards.
Senior running back Aiden Lester flys down the sideline for the Seahawks. He had 105 yards to lead Peninsulas rushing attack, in their 50 -26 win over Capital. Ronnie Glover
Junior Isaiah Brown had the play of the night, when the Cougars were threatening to score on Peninsula’s 8-yard line in the third quarter. Brown broke from his cornerback position and intercepted a pass, then turned on the jets for a 92-yard touchdown return that made the score 50-14.
Quarterback Payton Knowles continues to be efficient, completing 12 of 16 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown. The senior could have easily thrown for more yardage, but the Seahawks were controlling the ball on the ground and chewing up clock with the lead.
Seahawk cornerback Isaiah Brown returns an interception for a 92-yard touchdown as his teammates start to celebrate. Ronnie Glover
No. 3 Yelm up next
The Seahawk defense surrendered a couple late touchdowns with reserves getting some valuable playing experience, but the first team unit held the Capital offense scoreless in the first and third quarters. Jones Stalker led the defense with two interceptions from his linebacker position. The Seahawks’ defensive line, led by Grady Johnson, pressured the Cougar quarterback into four interceptions.
A much-anticipated battle between conference unbeatens happens Friday, Oct. 21, as the Seahawks play the Yelm Tornados (7-0, 5-0 SSC) at Roy Anderson Field at 7 p.m. The Tornados are ranked third in the state RPI rankings and the SSC title will go to the winner.
Peninsula has outscored conference opponents 230-88, which included surrendering 30 points to Gig Harbor’s high-octane offense. The Tornados, who haven’t faced the Tides yet, have punished their SSC opponents by a score of 316-21.
Both teams have talented offenses and stingy defenses. This game has garnered statewide attention and is a must see for local football fans. The Seahawks don’t lose often at home and with the SSC title on the line, should benefit from their legion of supportive fans.
Gig Harbor 35, North Thurston 7
The Gig Harbor Tides (5-2, 3-2 SSC), ranked 17th in the Class 3A RPI standings, rolled all over North Thurston 35-7 on Friday in Lacey. But if one looked at the stats without knowing the score, they might have thought this game was a lot closer.
The Rams ran 25 more plays than the Tides and had more first downs and rushing yards. North Thurston converted half its third down attempts (going 7-14 on the night).
So how did the Tides win by 28 points? Big plays and takeaways. Gig Harbor struck quickly with several long passes, while their defense bent but didn’t break and forced four turnovers.
This game proved stats are sometimes deceiving and don’t always tell the whole story. First downs and time of possession are important in a grind-it-out game, but when you can score with explosive plays those stats become irrelevant. At the end of the game all that matters is that you have outscored your opponents and the Tides certainly did that convincingly.
Standout performances
Here are a few of the standouts from last Friday’s game.
Quarterback Will Landram who was on point with the long ball again. Defenses continue to allow Tides receivers to race by them while Landram buys time in the pocket with his feet. He was 14-16 for 364 yards and three touchdowns against the Rams.
Gig Harbor wide receiver Ben Stevens (pictured in a game earlier this season) scored two touchdowns on 150 receiving yards in the Tides’ 35-7 victory over North Thurston. Bryce Carithers
Receiver Ben Stevens is coming on strong, using his speed to leave defensive backs in the dust. It doesn’t matter who you put on him in the SSC, he can run faster — he was the conference track champion in the 100 and 200 meters.
But receiving isn’t always about speed. Former pro football player Devard Darling is the new wide receiver coach for Gig Harbor and his tutelage is showing. Stevens caught four balls for 150 yards and two touchdowns, of 69 and 49 yards.
Do-it-all senior receiver Gavin Nash exploded for a 35-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter and caught a 77-yard bomb for another TD in the third. Nash averaged 42 yards per reception against the Rams.
Defensive dominance
One the defensive end the Tides got a fine game from defensive lineman Nic Fortney, who was in the Rams’ backfield all night. The senior has been a big part of both lines for the Tides for years and is making the most of his time left on a high school field.
He is drawing attention from college scouts and Friday night’s performance didn’t disappoint. The 285-pounder had seven solo tackles, three assists and a remarkable five tackles for loss against the Rams.
Junior linebacker Ryland Heckman combines size with speed and was also all over the field as he played his best game as a Tide. He had seven tackles, four assists and a tackle for loss while blanketing the Rams’ tight end on pass routes.
The Tides play at winless Central Kitsap at 7 p.m. Friday before returning to face Yelm with a shot at the state playoffs on the line on Oct. 27.