The T-Birds are still #1

It was a very good week for the local schools. The only losses came to other in-area schools and Rochester’s loss to Centralia so there isn’t much of a shakeup in the Oly Sports power rankings this week. With more in-area games this week, there will definitely be some changes next week.

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1. Tumwater T-Birds (1-0)
Last week: #1 (no change)
Previous game: Beat Capital, 14-3
Next game: @ Timberline – South Sound Stadium – Thursday, 7:00 PM

Notes: It took a half of football, but the second ranked team in 2A finally got the job done in the second half to knock off the Cougars 14-7. Junior Spencer Dowers struggled a bit in his first start at quarterback but Addison Barrett and Easton Trakel each scored for the T-Birds. Next up, Timberline on Thursday night, who they trounced last season 44-0.

2. Tenino Beavers (1-0)
Last week: #2 (no change)
Previous game: Beat Charles Wright, 50-8
Next game: @ Castle Rock – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Beavers hung 30 points on Charles Wright in the first quarter and never looked back in their 50-8 whomping of the Tarriers. Thomas Pier had runs of 94 and 95 yards and the single wing worked to perfection in Randy Swilley’s debut and the Beavers moved up to #4 in 1A in this week’s AP poll.

3. Timberline Blazers (1-0)
Last week: #3 (no change)
Previous game: Beat North Thurston, 34-21
Next game: vs. Tumwater – South Sound Stadium – Thursday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Gabe Gutierrez threw a touchdown and rushed for three more in a game that wasn’t as close as the score maybe indicates. Timberline took advantage of North Thurston turnovers to take home the win but now they draw a team in Tumwater that beat them up good last season, 44-0, and it will be interesting to see how the Blazers respond and will show a lot about where this team actually is this season.

4. Olympia Bears (1-0)
Last week: #4 (no change)
Previous game: Beat Ferris, 20-13
Next game: @ Capital – Ingersoll Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Bears got a nice performance out of running back Collin Courter and the defense made a clutch stop to knock off the #9 team in last week’s AP poll. The win moved Olympia into the top ten of the poll and now they put that ranking up against their fierce rival, Capital.

5. River Ridge Hawks (1-0)
Last week: #6 (+1)
Previous game: Beat Aberdeen, 49-7
Next game: vs. North Thurston – South Sound Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes:  Wow River Ridge! We knew they had some speedy weapons but they absolutely rocked Aberdeen on both sides of the ball and suddenly look like a very dangerous team. And for the first time in a long time, you look at the Hawks schedule and you can’t see too many roadblocks. We’ll see if they can repeat that performance against North Thurston on Friday night.

6. Rainier Mountaineers (1-0 overall, 1-0 in 2B Pacific)
Last week: #7 (+1)
Previous game: Beat South Bend, 44-2
Next game: @ Kittitas – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Rainier’s first game in 2B couldn’t have gone better. It’s nice to get a team that was winless the season before to build some confidence and the Mountaineers did just that. Nic Henry ran for 250 yards and three touchdowns. Next they travel to Central Washington for non-league game against Kittitas.

7. Black Hills Wolves (1-0)
Last week: #9 (+2)
Previous game: Beat Montesano, 33-7
Next game: vs. Rochester – Tumwater Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes:  The Wolves spoiled the opening of Montesano’s rebuilt Rottle Field thanks to a backup quarterback. Chase Morrow threw for over 350 yards and four touchdowns against the 1A – albeit a historically good 1A school – Bulldogs. They next face a Rochester team that is staffed by many former Wolves assistants.

8. Capital Cougars (0-1)
Last week: #5 (-3)
Previous game: Lost to Tumwater, 14-3
Next game: vs. Olympia – Ingersoll Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes:  As I said last week, Capital could be a pretty good team. But this schedule that they play is nearly impossible. They played a very good defensive game against Tumwater in week one and took a 3-0 lead into the half. But not being able to get into the endzone when they were holding the T-Birds down was their demise and now they take an 0-1 record into a game with their rival, the #9 ranked 4A team Olympia.

9. North Thurston Rams (0-1)
Last week: #8 (-1)
Previous game: Lost to Timberline, 34-21
Next game: @ River Ridge – South Sound Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes:  It looks like it might be a rough season for the Rams. The only reason I didn’t drop them further below winners like Yelm and Shelton is that they lost to a pretty good team in Timberline while the Tornadoes and Highclimbers beat weaker competition. The Rams next get a River Ridge team that looks poised to have a big season and the speed of the Hawks will likely be a major problem for the Rams.

10. Yelm Tornadoes (1-0)
Last week: #11 (+1)
Previous game: Beat Steilacoom, 22-12
Next game: @ Foss – Mount Tahoma Stadium, Tacoma – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes:  Yelm made the necessary adjustments to knock off Steilacoom but it was hardly convincing. Devante Pearson started at quarterback but moved to running back and scored a pair of touchdowns.

11. Shelton Highclimbers (1-0)
Last week: #12 (+1)
Previous game: Beat North Mason, 28-21
Next game: @ Sumner – Sunset Chevy Stadium, Sumner – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes:  Confidence. Last year the Highclimbers opened against Tumwater and were completely stymied in a big loss. That loss, though expected, set the tone for the rest of the season. The coach, the players, nobody seemed to have any confidence to do anything other than run Jake Henry straight up the middle. This year, you can tell that the team has more confidence. They have matured and against North Mason they opened the playbook, played more players and reaped the benefits against a Bulldogs team that didn’t take proper advantage of their best weapon, Daniel Burggraaf. But now they get Sumner, a team that went 11-1 last year and easily beat Franklin Pierce in their opener.

12. Rochester Warriors (0-1)
Last week: #10 (-2)
Previous game: Lost to Centralia, 47-7
Next game: @ Black Hills – Tumwater Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes:  Rochester, with a big loss, is already out of the playoffs. That is the sad by-product of running away from the 2A EvCo and joining Aberdeen – who also lost to a 2A school and is eliminated – in the hybrid 2A/1A. Basically, they had to beat all of their 2A opponents to get in and they didn’t and now they are done. Perhaps that will allow them to play with a certain abandon from here on out.