Six wins in a row put the T-Birds on top. Can they escape the Oly Sports jinx?

Is the top spot of the Oly Sports power rankings becoming a curse? Capital lasted just two weeks, North Thurston lasted just two weeks and now Shelton drops after just one week. Tumwater could easily last the rest of the season if they can get past River Ridge this week, but have I already jinxed them? Can my highly unscientific rankings be cursed? We’ll see…

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1. Tumwater T-Birds (6-1)
Last week: #2 (+1)
Previous game: Tumwater 48, Centralia 0
Next game: @ River Ridge (5-2) – South Sound Stadium – Thursday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Six straight wins for the T-Birds move them into the top spot of the power rankings after Shelton took a tumble. Thursday’s River Ridge game is their last major test before the post season and it could be a really interesting, fun game to watch.

2. Timberline Blazers (6-1)
Last week: #3 (+1)
Previous game: Timberline 40, Mount Tahoma 6
Next game: @ North Thurston (6-1) – South Sound Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Well, they’ve practiced against both Foss and Mount Tahoma leading into their game this week with North Thurston and have now won five straight games. But, and this is a big but, sophomore QB Gabe Gutierrez broke his arm and the Blazers will now turn to senior Chris MacNeil the rest of the way.

3. North Thurston Rams (6-1)
Last week: #4 (+1)
Previous game: North Thurston 21, Shelton 20
Next game: vs. Timberline (6-1) – South Sound Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The defense came up big for the Rams once again stopping Shelton twice on the goal line in the second half including a controversial strip of the ball while Ralph Kinne was going into the endzone with less than three minutes left to play. But the Rams did get the win and are still undefeated in the 3A Narrows League with their also undefeated rival coming up next.

4. Shelton Highclimbers (6-1)
Last week: #1 (-3)
Previous game: North Thurston 21, Shelton 20
Next game: vs. Mount Tahoma (0-7) – Mount Tahoma Stadium, Tacoma – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: What a heart breaker for the Highclimbers. Ralph Kinne appeared to have scored the go ahead touchdown but the ball came out close to the goal line and was ruled a fumble and Shelton never got the ball back respond. North Thurston has a really good defense, but it is very concerning that the Highclimbers could not do anything in the air once the Rams started limiting the running game. But they do get a chance to work out some of the kinks against 0-7 Mount Tahoma this week before taking on Timberline in the regular season finale.

5. Capital Cougars (5-2)
Last week: #5 (No change)
Previous game: Capital 56, Black Hills 7
Next game: @ WF West (5-2) – Bearcat Stadium, Chehalis – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Cougars exploded for 56 points against Black Hills this week. Kai Van Sickle rushed for 294 yards and four touchdowns and the Cougars racked up 582 total yards. This week they face WF West with second place in the 2A Evergreen Conference on the line.

6. Tenino Beavers (5-2)
Last week: #6 (No change)
Previous game: Montesano 50, Tenino 7
Next game: @ Hoquiam (7-0) – Olympic Stadium, Hoquiam – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Two straight big losses to really good teams has the Tenino Beavers reeling. The previously unstoppable offense has scored just 13 points in the last two games and next get a really good Hoquiam team at venerable Olympic Stadium.

7. River Ridge Hawks (5-2)
Last week: #7 (No change)
Previous game: WF West 44, River Ridge 26
Next game: vs. Tumwater (6-1) – South Sound Stadium – Thursday, 7:00 PM

Notes: No surprise that River Ridge lost to WF West on Friday. Despite how good the Hawks have played, there just seems to be a natural order for the 2A Evergreen Conference this season. Tumwater, Capital and WF West will compete for 1-3, River Ridge is fourth, Black Hills fifth and Centralia sixth. But the Hawks could upset the whole balance with a upset of the T-Birds on Thursday night. Can they do it? The offense is good enough but can the defense and special teams stop Andrew Brown? Probably not.

8. Olympia Bears (3-4)
Last week: #8 (No change)
Previous game: Olympia 14, Gig Harbor 0
Next game: vs. Bellarmine (6-1) – Ingersoll Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Olympia’s strange season continues. They started 0-3 and have since played a slew of close games and currently sit at 3-1 in the 4A Narrows League, good enough for third place. But Bellarmine comes to town this week to give the Oly defense their toughest test to date.

9. Black Hills Wolves (3-4)
Last week: #9 (No change)
Previous game: Capital 56, Black Hills 7
Next game: vs. Centralia (0-7) – Tumwater Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Wolves have dropped three straight games and have only scored 13 points in the past two contests against WF West and Capital, which isn’t much of a surprise. The Wolves hope to get back to .500 when 0-7 Centralia comes to town this week.

10. Yelm Tornadoes (3-4)
Last week: #10 (No change)
Previous game: Bellarmine 56, Yelm 7
Next game: vs. Gig Harbor (2-5) – Yelm Tornadoes Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: 3-0 to start, but in four straight losses the Tornadoes have been outscored 174-41. Gig Harbor’s bad offense and good defense comes to Yelm this week and I have no idea which team will prove to be the better team.

11. Rochester Warriors (1-6)
Last week: #11 (No change)
Previous game: Forks 23, Rochester 0
Next game: @ Stevenson (3-4) – Stevenson HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Rochester is struggling, no doubt. I’m more interested in their opponent, Stevenson. The Bulldogs either win by a ton or get stomped. What strange results. Their losses are 49-8, 46-6, 41-0, 44-0. Their wins are 50-0, 30-0 and 44-0.

12. Rainier Mountaineers (0-7)
Last week: #12 (No change)
Previous game: Hoquiam 63, Rainier 0
Next game: @ Montesano (5-2) – Rottle Field, Montesano – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Oh boy, poor Rainier has to take on Montesano on homecoming, playing on their home field for the first time since the historic structure burned to the ground.