Two really interesting and big football games in the area tonight when North Thurston travels to Shelton and Tenino hosts Montesano.

North Thurston and Shelton is a matchup between the highest scoring offense in the league (Shelton) and the stingiest defense (North Thurston). While Ralph Kinne and the Highclimbers have yet to see a defense like the Rams, the Rams have yet to see a running back like Kinne. Something’s got to give tonight for these two 3-0 3A Narrows League teams fighting for a league championship and seeding into the playoffs.

According to The Olympian, Tenino hasn’t beaten Montesano in over 20 years but the Beavers haven’t had a combo like Mac Shaw and Devante Harris either. Tenino lost their first game of the season last week to undefeated La Center who limited Shaw and Harris to just one touchdown. Meanwhile, Monte is 4-2 with their only losses coming to 1A powerhouses Hoquiam and Cascade Christian.

Here are the games happening in the Oly area…

Black Hills @ Capital – Ingersoll Stadium – 7:00 PM
North Thurston @ Shelton – Highclimber Stadium – 7:00 PM
Tumwater vs. Centralia – Tumwater Stadium – 7:00 PM
Timberline vs. Mount Tahoma – South Sound Stadium – 7:00 PM
Rainier vs. Hoquiam – Rainier HS Stadium – 7:00 PM
Tenino vs. Montesano – Beaver Stadium – 7:00 PM
Rochester vs. Forks – Rochester HS – 7:00 PM

And all the road games out of the area…

Olympia @ Gig Harbor – Roy Anderson Field – 7:00 PM
Yelm @ Bellarmine – Memorial Stadium, Tacoma – 7:00 PM
River Ridge @ W.F. West – Bearcat Stadium – 7:00 PM

The Highclimbers clinched a playoff spot but can they stay #1 against North Thurston?

Two number ones down, now it’s Shelton’s turn to see if they can hang on to that top spot in the Oly Sports power rankings. It’s pretty remarkable to see six teams still at 5-1 or better and a seventh at 4-2 and then there’s a 2-4 team that still has a fighting chance. But there will be some shakeup in the next few weeks when local teams actually start playing each other. And the big one the week is between Shelton and North Thurston with first place in the Narrows on the line….

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1. Shelton Highclimbers (6-0)
Last week: #3 (+2)
Previous game: Shelton 34, Lincoln 28
Next game: vs. North Thurston (5-1) – Highclimber Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Ralph Kinne set the school’s single season rushing record and scored four more touchdowns and Shelton built a 28-7 lead at halftime. But for the first time all season, the Highclimbers were outplayed in the second half and it took a late turnover to give Jake Frakes an opportunity to hook up with David Ajamu for the game winning touchdown with just six seconds remaining. With the win, the Highclimbers clinched a playoff spot and now get to fight with Timberline and North Thurston for seeding.

2. Tumwater T-Birds (5-1)
Last week: #4 (+2)
Previous game: Tumwater 28, North Thurston 12
Next game: vs. Centralia (0-6) – Tumwater Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The T-Birds are really on a roll. Since dropping the opener to Shelton, they have now won five straight games knocking off Timberline, Capital and North Thurston along the way. Andrew Brown has been fantastic in all phases of the game. The only bump in the road the rest of the way might come from River Ridge, though a rivalry game can always be interesting.

3. Timberline Blazers (5-1)
Last week: #5 (+2)
Previous game: Timberline 41, Foss 8
Next game: vs. Mount Tahoma (0-6) – South Sound Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Timberline’s only hiccup so far came at the hands of those surging Tumwater T-Birds and with win over Foss, the Blazers clinched a playoff spot. After Friday’s spanking of Foss, the Blazers get another tuneup against Mount Tahoma before finishing with North Thurston and Shelton.

4. North Thurston Rams (5-1)
Last week: #1 (-3)
Previous game: Tumwater 28, North Thurston 12
Next game: @ Shelton (6-0) – Highclimber Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The defense didn’t play too bad allowing just 14 points, but two Tumwater special teams touchdowns did the Rams in. Still, it was a non-league loss and the Rams have already clinched a 3A Narrows League playoff spot and play Shelton and Timberline the next two weeks before finishing with Mount Tahoma.

5. Capital Cougars (4-2)
Last week: #6 (+1)
Previous game: Bellarmine 24, Capital 14
Next game: vs. Black Hills (3-3) – Ingersoll Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Kai Van Sickle rushed for 130 yards and a TD and the Cougars played a tough game against the #3 4A team in the state, holding Bellarmine to their lowest score of the season. Still, the Cougars have lost two of their last three games with only a win against a bad Centralia team between their two losses. And they have a relatively tough schedule remaining with Black Hills, WF West and River Ridge still left on the docket.

6. Tenino Beavers (5-1)
Last week: #2 (-4)
Previous game: La Center 40, Tenino 6
Next game: vs. Montesano (4-2) – Tenino HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Tenino had their first test of the season against an undefeated La Center team…and failed. But it was a non-league, road test. This week they get their first home, league test against a good Montesano team that has only lost to #6 Hoquiam and #5 Cascade Christian.

7. River Ridge Hawks (5-1)
Last week: #7 (No change)
Previous game: River Ridge 41, Centralia 34
Next game: @ WF West (4-2) – Bearcat Stadium, Chehalis – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Winless Centralia gave the Hawks a tough test, but backup running back Chris Leiba scored the game winning touchdown in the fourth quarter to spare the Hawks from an embarrassing loss. Brad Wallace scored three times but was forced from the game when he required stitches to his finger. But the Hawks and their struggling defense have a scary road ahead with WF West, Tumwater and Capital coming up.

8. Olympia Bears (2-4)
Last week: #8 (No change)
Previous game: Central Kitsap 17, Olympia 14
Next game: @ Gig Harbor (2-4) – Roy Anderson Field, Gig Harbor – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Again, the Bears’ defense is giving the offense a chance to win a game. Last week the offense did just enough to knock off South Kitsap but this week came up short against Central Kitsap. The Bears are now 2-1 in Narrows League play and play two very winnable games against Gig Harbor this week and Yelm in the final week.

9. Black Hills Wolves (3-3)
Last week: #9 (No change)
Previous game: WF West 24, Black Hills 6
Next game: @ Capital (4-2) – Ingersoll Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Black Hills has lost two straight games and the road doesn’t get any easier with Capital and Tumwater still left to play. But Centralia is there between the two!

10. Yelm Tornadoes (3-3)
Last week: #10 (No change)
Previous game: South Kitsap 45, Yelm 7
Next game: @ Bellarmine (5-1) – Memorial Stadium, Tacoma – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Tornadoes have lost three straight games and haven’t been remotely competitive in any of them and next visit #3 ranked Bellarmine. But Gig Harbor and Olympia are coming up and both of those games look possibly winnable.

11. Rochester Warriors (1-5)
Last week: #11 (No change)
Previous game: Montesano 44, Rochester 7
Next game: vs. Forks (3-3) – Rochester HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Chin up Warriors, try to keep that coach there for more than one season and get something going.

12. Rainier Mountaineers (0-6)
Last week: #12 (No change)
Previous game: Forks 39, Rainier 0
Next game: vs. Hoquiam (6-0) – Rainier HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: No injuries, have fun boys.

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.