The T-Birds sit atop the Oly Sports preseason power rankings.

With an easy win over Shelton, Tumwater kept a grip on their top spot in the power rankings – at least for one week. Forget the intrigue of the Spaghetti Bowl, the real game this week is at South Sound Stadium. The T-Birds travel across town to play Timberline in what could be the biggest and best non-conference game of the season in the Olympia area.

The story of last week had to be the big wins that three new head coaches earned. Rochester, Yelm and Rainier all made moves in the offseason and took big leaps in the power rankings after convincing week one victories. Definitely impressive debuts, but can they keep their high spots in these completely unscientific power ranking that don’t necessarily say which team is best but which team is playing best in the Olympia area regardless of class.

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1. Tumwater T-Birds (1-0)
Last week: #1 (No change)
Previous game: Tumwater 41, Shelton 0
Next game: @ Timberline (1-0) – South Sound Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Tumwater came out and did exactly what was expected: they took it to Shelton running off 34 points in the first half and then took their foot off the gas pedal in the second. Christian Cummings was fantastic rushing for three easy touchdowns and Jayden Croft found Easton Trakel twice. But they’ll have a much stiffer test this week when they face Timberline at South Sound Stadium.

2. Timberline Blazers (1-0)
Last week: #2 (No change)
Previous game: Timberline 40, River Ridge 0
Next game: vs. Tumwater (1-0) – South Sound Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Blazers dominated River Ridge but didn’t quite run away with it until the fourth quarter when the game was long done. Gabe Gutierrez threw two touchdowns to Stevie Cleveland to put the game away early. This week they host Tumwater, a battle of the only two ranked area teams.

3. North Thurston Rams (1-0)
Last week: #3 (No change)
Previous game: North Thurston 41, Steilacoom 26
Next game: @ Black Hills (0-1) – Tumwater Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: They may not be blindingly fast like Tumwater and Timberline but the Rams are big and strong and used that to run right over Steilacoom this week. Hayden Maliska, Josh Ramirez and Josh Mosquera each scored twice behind a huge offensive line anchored by the giant Alex Rice, who is shockingly bigger than anybody else on the field. I don’t see how Black Hills will be able to stop them this week.

4. Olympia Bears (0-1)
Last week: #4 (No change)
Previous game: Lake Oswego 7, Olympia 6
Next game: vs. Capital (0-1) – Ingersoll Stadium – Friday, 7:30 PM

Notes: The Bears nearly upset the mighty Lake Oswego Lakers, one of Oregon’s top teams, giving up just one touchdown late in the game. Quite the improvement from last season when the Bears were knocked off easily, 34-0, at Ingersoll Stadium. Next up for Oly is the always intense Spaghetti Bowl.

5. Rochester Warriors (1-0)
Last week: #11 (+6)
Previous game: Rochester 34, Ridgefield 0
Next game: @ RA Long (1-0) – Longview Memorial Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Eric Snelson’s debut as a head coach was a convincing win over 2A Ridgefield. Tyler Yarber rushed for 229 yards and a touchdown but it was the defense that really opened eyes forcing a safety, recovering a fumble and posting a shutout. They take on another 2A team this week when they travel to Longview to take on RA Long, who posted a 42-28 win over Battle Ground in week one.

6. Yelm Tornadoes (1-0)
Last week: #10 (+4)
Previous game: Yelm 48, Highline 0
Next game: @ Olympic (0-1) – Silverdale Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: A convincing win against an opponent going through some hard times. That’s what Jason Ronquillo got in his first game as the Yelm head coach. But they will have a tougher opponent on Friday when they take on Olympic in Silverdale. Last season the two teams played a close barn burner with the Tornadoes coming out on top 49-48.

7. Rainier Mountaineers (1-0)
Last week: #12 (+5)
Previous game: Rainier 46, Naselle 7
Next game: vs. Mossyrock (0-1) – Rainier HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Well look at Rainier. Last season they scored just 67 points all season. On Friday, under new head coach Terry Shaw, they put 46 points on Naselle. Now granted, it’s a 2B team, but those same Comets beat the Mountaineers 39-6 last year. What a turnaround. Next up, Mossyrock, who beat them 42-12 last year. Can they get the same production out of McCoy Bichler, who rushed for 192 yards and four touchdowns this week?

8. Capital Cougars (0-1)
Last week: #5 (-3)
Previous game: Newport 35, Capital 7
Next game: @ Olympia (0-1) – Ingersoll Stadium – Friday, 7:30 PM

Notes: Not sure what to take from Capital’s 35-7 loss to Newport on Friday night. Newport is an improved, good 4A team while Capital is a young 2A squad. This week the Cougars get another improved 4A team in Olympia. The Cougars will have to grow up quick to get the big rivalry win.

9. Black Hills Wolves (0-1)
Last week: #6 (-3)
Previous game: Clover Park 42, Black Hills 35
Next game: vs. North Thurston (1-0) – Tumwater Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Wolves played a pretty good Clover Park team tough, taking them down to the wire. Jayden Troy threw four touchdowns, two to Nick Knittle, in the win. They have an even tougher test ahead of them with North Thurston coming into Tumwater Stadium on Friday night.

10. Tenino Beavers (0-1)
Last week: #9 (-1)
Previous game: Raymond 27, Tenino 21
Next game: @ Washougal (1-0) – Fishback Stadium, Washougal – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Not sure what to take away from Tenino’s loss to Raymond. The Gulls went to the 2B playoffs last season and played a better Tenino team tough in the opener a year ago. They go from a 2B opponent to a 2A opponent when they take on Washougal this week. The Panthers knocked off Hudson’s Bay 35-0 in week one.

11. River Ridge Hawks (0-1)
Last week: #7 (-4)
Previous game: Timberline 40, River Ridge 0
Next game: @ Sequim (0-1) – Sequim HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Hawks at least kept it relatively close until the fourth quarter when Timberline took at 20 point lead and doubled it. Not much to take from a shutout loss to a really good team in week one and we’ll see what they can do against a Sequim team that lost to British Columbia’s New Westminster in week one.

12. Shelton Highclimbers (0-1)
Last week: #8 (-4)
Previous game: Tumwater 41, Shelton 0
Next game: vs. North Mason (1-0) – Highclimber Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: They played the #2 team in the state that was ready for some revenge in front of a packed house in Tumwater. Predictably, nothing went right. They managed just 69 yards worth of offense all night and only threatened to score when Tumwater made mental mistakes with a couple of silly penalties. With their undersized line and lack of experience on both sides of the ball, it might be a very long season for the Highclimbers and their broadcast crew.

The T-Birds sit atop the Oly Sports preseason power rankings.

It’s that time of year again, folks. Football season is just days away and so is the local media’s near non-stop obsession. And I guess Oly Sports is no different, so let’s kick off this season with some preseason, highly unscientific power rankings. A little preview of the upcoming season for each local team and where they sit in relation to each other. Of course, they aren’t all in the same division or on the same level, but what does that really matter?

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1. Tumwater T-Birds
Last season: 12-2 – Lost to Lynden in the 2A state title game
Next game: vs. Shelton – Tumwater Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Outlook: The T-Birds lost their two top players from last season’s 2A second place team – Andrew Brown and Jamie Bryant – but as always, the T-Birds are able to quickly reload. They return quarterback Jayden Croft, tight end Zach Delucco and two important pieces of the wing-T running game, running backs Christian Cummings and Tyrus Snow on offense. On defense, they feature DI recruit Nick Foerstel and senior Korye Trejo on the defensive line. In week one they get a Shelton team that gave them an opening day defeat last year, their only loss of the regular season. Hard to imagine it happening two years in a row especially since Shelton has lost most of their top players from a year ago, including running back Ralph Kinne.

2. Timberline Blazers
Last season: 9-2 – Lost to Marysville-Pilchuck in 1st round of state playoffs
Next game: vs. River Ridge – South Sound Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Outlook:  The Blazers return a great deal from a team that made it to the first round of the state playoffs including do-everything Asan Neil-Evergin, who already has an offer from Eastern Washington. Also coming back after his season ended prematurely is junior quarterback Gabe Gutierrez. His sophomore season was eye opening and look for him to continue to excel in Nick Mullen’s pistol offense.

3. North Thurston Rams
Last season: 9-3 – Lost to University in the state quarterfinals
Next game: vs. Steilacoom – South Sound Stadium – Saturday, 7:00 PM

Outlook: Ryan Mets returns to the quarterback position for the Rams and Hayden Maliska will hold down the running back duties this season and play linebacker and the Rams will try to improve upon their run to the state quarterfinals last year. Watch out for 6-6, 320 pound offensive lineman Alex Rice who will be opening up holes for Maliska and Josh Ramirez.

4. Olympia Bears
Last season: 4-7 – Lost to Auburn in crossover game
Next game: @ Lake Oswego – Lake Oswego, Oregon – Friday, 7:00 PM

Outlook: With the Derrick Becker transfer question behind them, the Bears hope to improve upon their tough 4-7 2012 that still saw them make the playoffs thanks to a rather weak 4A Narrows League. With Becker, a two-time all league player at Capital, likely their quarterback, Mitch Fettig at wide receiver and Cedar Frost and Caden Waggoner behind him in the backfield, chances are the Bears will be one of the better offensive teams in the league. And with Fettig and Cooper Murphy on defense, you could see a major turnaround from last season.

5. Capital Cougars
Last season: 10-3 – Lost to Lynden in the state semifinals
Next game: vs. Newport – Ingersoll Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Outlook: Gone are three key offensive cogs to the Cougars success last season – QB Derrick Becker and the single season rushing record holder Kai Van Sickle and lineman Mat Cox.  But the Cougars do return two runners that filled in admirably for Van Sickle when needed in juniors Connor Kennedy and Ryan Rieta. Capital lacks experience but it is hard to imagine that JD Johnson’s team will struggle too much this year.

6. Black Hills Wolves
Last season: 4-5 – 5th in 2A EvCo
Next game: @ Clover Park – Harry Lang Stadium, Lakewood – Friday, 7:00 PM

Outlook: The first team in the power rankings with a new head coach is Black Hills. The Wolves let Jack Zilla go and in comes Dominic Yarrington, who has been successful in all of his stops, most recently in West Seattle. He will have an experienced group of linemen that play both ways to lean on and has installed an up-tempo spread offense. Look for a lot of running back Nick Knittle and running back Mitch Stone.

7. River Ridge Hawks
Last season: 5-4 – 4th place in 2A EvCo
Next game: vs. Timberline – South Sound Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Outlook: How do you replace Brad Wallace? That’s what River Ridge will be asking itself all year long in all three of his sports.  Chris Leiba sounds like a good option but he is only a sophomore and will be asked to play both running back and defensive back. They will be fast and have a big line, but with only two returning starters on offense, it might be a struggle for the Hawks.

8. Shelton Highclimbers
Last season: 7-3 – Lost to Nathan Hale in the crossover game
Next game: @ Tumwater – Tumwater Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Outlook: The Highclimbers lost one of their best classes of all-time – Ralph Kinne, David Ajamu, Jake Lindley, DeShon Bell, Jared Welander amongst others – but do return a decent group of players on defense including Brian Nault and will have Jake Henry, who looked good in the scrimmage and in mop up duty for Kinne last season, at running back. Jake Beck takes over at quarterback.

9. Tenino Beavers
Last season: 6-4 – Lost to Woodland in crossover game
Next game: vs. Raymond – Beaver Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Outlook: Another team with big losses, the Beavers won’t have offensive juggernauts Devante Harris and Mac Shaw to rely on. To be honest, I don’t know what to expect for Tenino but I expect that they will find a way to reload and will battle with Elma for third place in the league behind powers Hoquiam and Montesano.

10. Yelm Tornadoes
Last season: 5-5 – 5th in 4A Narrows League
Next game: vs. Highline – Yelm Tornadoes Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Outlook: Jason Ronquillo takes over the head coaching duties for the Tornadoes and will have to reteach his team how to play football. The Tornadoes didn’t have a quarterback last season in Randy Swilley’s rugby style offense and will be without their all time leading rusher Jake Swilley. But Ronquillo’s resume turning around Hoquiam does bode well for Yelm. Don’t be surprised if they move up this list quickly.

11. Rochester Warriors
Last season: 2-7 – 6th in 1A Southwest
Next game: @ Ridgefield – Ridgefield Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Outlook: The senior class of Rochester football players are now on their fourth head coach. This year, it’s Eric Snelson. Snelson is a first year head coach but brings a wealth of experience with him from Black Hills including Jack Zilla, Shane Dover and just about any other Wolves coach you can think of. It might be a struggle in Rochester, but if they can keep Snelson in town, the Warriors’ fortunes may be on the rise.

12. Rainier Mountaineers
Last season: 1-8 – 7th in 1A Southwest
Next game: vs. Naselle – Rainier HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Outlook: The last new head coach is Terry Shaw, who has the unenviable task of trying to right the ship in Rainier. Numbers are up for the Mountaineers and I’d expect an extra win here or there, but as one of the smallest 1A schools in the state, it’s hard to imagine much improvement record-wise, especially in a league that consists of Hoquiam, Montesano, Elma and Tenino.