Capital retains the top spot after a week which saw all but two local teams come out on top

Week three is in the books and all but two of the area’s teams picked up wins. Rainier was roughed up by Rochester and Oly played tough against Timberline before finally succumbing. So where do the previous #11 and #12 teams wind up this week? Welcome to the Oly Sports high school football power rankings, a highly unscientific look at where the 12 Olympia area football programs stand, in my (not so expert) opinion…

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1. Capital Cougars (3-0)
Last week: #1 (No change)
Previous game: Capital 27, Bothell 11
Next game: vs. Tumwater (2-1) – Ingersoll Stadium – Saturday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Kai Van Sickle returned to the lineup and rushed for 224 yards and two touchdowns and 2A Capital knocked off their third straight 4A team in Bothell, who had previously lost to the #1 4A and 3A teams before falling to the #2 2A team. They open EvCo play on Saturday night at home against Tumwater in one of the more anticipated games of the season in the South Sound.

2. Tenino Beavers (3-0)
Last week: #2 (No change)
Previous game: Tenino 50, Elma 22
Next game: vs. Forks (2-1) – Tenino HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Mac Shaw and Devante Harris did it again in their 50-22 win over Elma on Friday night. Shaw threw for three touchdowns and rushed for three more and Harris caught two TDs and rushed for another. They did trail 16-14 in the second quarter and took just a 21-16 lead into the locker room at half before exploding in the third and fourth quarters.

3. North Thurston Rams (3-0)
Last week: #3 (No change)
Previous game: North Thurston 50, Black Hills 14
Next game: @ Lincoln (3-0) – Lincoln Bowl, Tacoma – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The North Thurston defense has been awesome through three games giving up just 35 points total and seven points when there was any doubt about the outcome. Between week two and the first half of week three, the Rams scored 51 unanswered points. That defense will be seriously tested this week when they face undefeated Lincoln. The Jon Kitna led Abes have scored 145 points and knocked off Mount Tahoma 55-0 on Friday.

4. Shelton Highclimbers (3-0)
Last week: #4 (No change)
Previous game: Shelton 35, Wilson 25
Next game: @ Yelm (3-0) – Yelm HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Ralph Kinne rushed for 359 yards putting him at 899 yards through three games and Deshon Bell had 180 yards including three touchdowns of 13, 59 and 40 yards in their 35-25 win over Wilson. Shelton has been plagued by penalties and it put them in a hole down 18-7 at halftime but the Highclimbers played a clean second half and made nice adjustments against an offensive style they had yet to see. Friday night’s non-leaguer against Yelm should be a lot of fun if you like great running backs.

5. Yelm Tornadoes (3-0)
Last week: #5 (No change)
Previous game: Yelm 45, Stadium 6
Next game: vs. Shelton (3-0) – Yelm HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Tornadoes have scored 147 points in their three games to move to 3-0, albeit against teams that are a combined 1-8 this season. They will get their first true test on Friday when they face Shelton. Jacob Swilley rushed for 224 yards and four touchdowns against Stadium on Friday and became the school’s all-time leading rusher.

6. Tumwater T-Birds (2-1)
Last week: #6 (No change)
Previous game: Tumwater 31, Inglemoor 28
Next game: @ Capital (3-0) – Ingersoll Stadium – Saturday, 7:00 PM

Notes: It took a 94 yard punt return by Andrew Brown to get past 0-2 Inglemoor on Friday night, but the T-Birds did get the win and have a little bit of momentum heading into Saturday’s 2A EvCo opener with Capital. Brown scored all three touchdowns in the second half for Tumwater, the first a 13 yard run, the second a 59 yard run before the punt return that proved to the the game winner.

7. Timberline Blazers (2-1)
Last week: #7 (No change)
Previous game: Timberline 23, Olympia 12
Next game: @ Wilson (2-1) – Stadium Bowl, Tacoma – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: I’m still not sure about this Timberline team. They knocked off River Ridge easily in week one, they then lost to Tumwater and on Friday they were only up on a struggling Olympia team by two points going into the fourth quarter. A big defensive play and a Spencer Crump touchdown run sealed the deal for the Blazers, but all things considered, this was quite the scare. The true barometer will come this weekend when they take on the aerial attack of Wilson in Tacoma

8. River Ridge Hawks (2-1)
Last week: #8 (No change)
Previous game: River Ridge 61, Ridgefield 40
Next game: @ Hockinson (3-0) – Nautilus Field, Brush Prairie – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Since they were shutout on opening day by Timberline, the Hawks have scored 95 points. Colby Schultz has nine touchdown passes, five to Wesley Coats. Brad Wallace scored five times on Saturday night against the Spudders, his first scores of the season. The Hawks get one more non-league game at 3-0 Hockinson on Friday night. The other Hawks have outscored their opponents 143-36 this season.

9. Black Hills Wolves (2-1)
Last week: #9 (No change)
Previous game: Black Hills 34, Bainbridge 20
Next game: vs. Aberdeen (1-2) – Tumwater Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Wolves rebounded nicely after getting shutdown by North Thurston with a 14 point win over Bainbridge on the road. Another non-league game is on tap when they host Aberdeen, losers to two 1A schools, albeit two really good 1A schools in Montesano and Hoquiam.

10. Rochester Warriors (1-2)
Last week: #10 (No change)
Previous game: Rochester 52, Rainier 0
Next game: @ Hoquiam (3-0) – Olympic Stadium, Hoquiam – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Rochester got on track quickly against Rainier behind five touchdowns by Tyler Yarber, four on the ground and one passing. But the Warriors travel to Olympic Stadium on Friday for what could be an ugly game against red hot Hoquiam.

11. Olympia Bears (0-3)
Last week: #12 (+1)
Previous game: Timberline 23, Olympia 12
Next game: vs. Stadium (1-2) – Ingersoll Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Well, they scored points and played Timberline pretty tough, hence the one place climb over Rainier. They have a chance to get things going this week when they take on what looks to be a weak Stadium team in their 4A Narrows League opener.

12. Rainier Mountaineers (0-3)
Last week: #11 (-1)
Previous game: Rochester 52, Rainier 0
Next game: @ Elma (0-3) – Elma Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: After getting blown out by Rochester, poor Rainier has been outscored 133-18 this season. The Mountaineers do get 0-3 Elma this week, something has to give.