The Rams are still #1, but they will have a stiff test over the next three weeks to stay there

Not much movement at the top of the Oly Sports power rankings as the top seven teams all took care of business. The biggest jump this week comes from Olympia who moves up two spots to #8 thanks to their 15-14 win over South Kitsap. It wasn’t terribly convincing, but South Kitsap is a decent team and it does move them to 2-0 in the 4A Narrows. Black Hills and Yelm each drop a spot in my totally unscientific power rankings…

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1. North Thurston Rams (5-0)
Last week: #1 (No change)
Previous game: North Thurston 34, Wilson 0
Next game: vs. Tumwater (4-1) – South Sound Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: North Thurston’s defense has been ridiculous allowing just 42 points through five games, and most of those points have come when the game was long over. The Rams’ will get their opportunity to prove themselves over the next three games starting with a non-league test against Tumwater, a trip to Shelton in two weeks and homecoming against Timberline in three weeks. All three opponents feature a dynamic offensive player the quality that the Rams have yet to face. Will their defense be up to the task or have they just played weaker offenses? We shall see.

2. Tenino Beavers (5-0)
Last week: #2 (No change)
Previous game: Tenino 62, Rainier 6
Next game: @ La Center (5-0) – La Center HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: As expected, the Beavers drilled Rainier 62-6. But like North Thurston, Tenino faces three straight extremely tough challenges. This week they head to La Center to take on the 5-0 Wildcats in a non-league game. They then host Montesano and travel to Hoquiam in three weeks.

3. Shelton Highclimbers (5-0)
Last week: #3 (No change)
Previous game: Shelton 43, Foss 8
Next game: @ Lincoln (3-2) – Lincoln Bowl, Tacoma – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Ralph Kinne rushed for another 269 yards and four touchdowns and now has rushed for 1439 yards and 14 TDs through five games this season. And since the Highclimbers knew that Foss would offer no real challenge, they practiced their passing game and finally got David Ajamu some catches and confidence. The Highclimbers next get a Lincoln team that has been roughed up by North Thurston and Timberline the last two weeks.

4. Tumwater T-Birds (4-1)
Last week: #4 (No change)
Previous game: Tumwater 21, WF West 20
Next game: @ North Thurston (5-0) – South Sound Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: It was uncomfortably close, but the T-Birds did get past WF West on Friday night and are now sitting pretty in the 2A Evergreen Conference. While the non-leaguer against North Thurston is relatively unimportant for the T-Birds in the long run, a win will really show how far this young team has come since their opening game loss to Shelton.

5. Timberline Blazers (4-1)
Last week: #5 (No change)
Previous game: Timberline 28, Lincoln 13
Next game: @ Foss (1-3) – Mount Tahoma Stadium, Tacoma – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Timberline took advantage of a ton of Lincoln mistakes to run their record to 4-1 this season and are rewarded with games against the 3A Narrows League’s basement, Foss and Mount Tahoma in consecutive weeks. This is a time that Timberline can work out a few kinks and set themselves up for a strong stretch run against North Thurston and Shelton.

6. Capital Cougars (4-1)
Last week: #6 (No change)
Previous game: Capital 48, Centralia 3
Next game: @ Bellarmine (5-0) – Memorial Field, Tacoma – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Capital got back on track with a drubbing of Centralia, which comes as no surprise. But this week they face another 4A school when they travel to Tacoma to take on 5-0 Bellarmine. The Cougars are 3-0 over 4A teams this season but they haven’t faced anyone quite like the Lions yet.

7. River Ridge Hawks (4-1)
Last week: #7 (No change)
Previous game: River Ridge 20, Black Hills 13
Next game: @ Centralia (0-5) – Tiger Stadium, Centralia – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Hawks are 4-1 and a win over Black Hills on Thursday finally broke the two schools apart in these rankings. However, River Ridge hasn’t sold me yet, mainly because they haven’t played the three EvCo powers yet. But they will, three weeks in a row to close out the regular season. But first, a trip to 0-5 Cemtralia.

8. Olympia Bears (2-3)
Last week: #10 (+2)
Previous game: Olympia 15, South Kitsap 14
Next game: vs. Central Kitsap (4-1) – Ingersoll Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: After not scoring in their first two games, the Bears have played relatively well for three games. They played Timberline tough, beat up on lowly Stadium and pulled off a surprising one point win against South Kitsap in Port Orchard. The Bears are in second place in the 4A Narrows League at 2-0, a half game behind Bellarmine. Third place Central Kitsap comes to town on Friday.

9. Black Hills Wolves (3-2)
Last week: #8 (-1)
Previous game: River Ridge 20, Black Hills 13
Next game: vs. WF West (3-2) – Tumwater Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Wolves took an early lead against River Ridge but were unable to hold on against a similarly matched team and have settled into fourth place in the EvCo. Black Hills isn’t a bad team but in a league that has turned out to be exceptionally deep, the Wolves are probably the sixth best team ahead of only Centralia. A win against WF West this week would prove me wrong.

10. Yelm Tornadoes (3-2)
Last week: #9 (-1)
Previous game: Central Kitsap 35, Yelm 17
Next game: vs. South Kitsap (3-2) – Yelm Tornadoes Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Yelm went 3-0 to start against weak competition but now that they are into the meat of their schedule, they have hit the skids. Shelton roughed them up last week and Central Kitsap dropped them to 1-1 in conference with a 35-17 win. Can they get back on track on Friday when South Kitsap comes to town?

11. Rochester Warriors (1-4)
Last week: #11 (No change)
Previous game: Elma 33, Rochester 13
Next game: vs. Montesano (3-2) – Rochester HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: New coach, same old problems for the Warriors. But how could you expect anything to change quickly for a team that is on their third coach in three years? And the prospects are slim to improve on last season with Montesano, Forks and Tenino still ahead.

12. Rainier Mountaineers (0-5)
Last week: #12 (No change)
Previous game: Tenino 62, Rainier 6
Next game: @ Forks (2-3) – Forks HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: And finally, we have Rainier. The Mountaineers have been outscored 242-39 this season and will struggle to pick up a win in the next three weeks against Forks, Hoquiam and Montesano. They do have a non-league game at the end of the season against 0-5 Seton Catholic that could keep them from going winless.