After dropping their first game of the season in a 23-7 non-conference loss to Kelso, the Timberline Blazers (3-1 overall, 2-0 SSC) ride a 3- game winning streak as they travel across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge for the 2nd straight week, facing the Gig Harbor Tides (2-1 overall, 1-1 SSC) at Roy Anderson Field in Purdy.
The match-up features the number #2 ranked defense in the 8-team SSC league in Timberline, coming off a 37-0 shutout at Central Kitsap last week, and the Blazers allow just 18 points per game, and 10 points per game in their 3 game winning streak. In the shutout a week ago, jr defensive lineman Ty Evans had a big game with 7 tackles, for for a loss and a forced safety. Darrell Gipson had a interception for a touchdown in the win as well.
Evans and the Blazers defense will be tested this week against a versatile Gig Harbor attack, led by Senior quarterback Will Landram and Blaze Herbert, who are both having monster seasons respectively. Herbert has run for over 400 yards through 4 games, and last week had another game over 100-yards rushing with 139 yards on 20 carries and 2 touchdowns. Landram has been tearing it up as of late too, throwing for 347 yards and 4 scores last week in the 44-21 win over Capital. After averaging 22 points a game offensively in their first 2 games, Gig Harbor is averaging 37 points a game in their first two SSC games.
The Tides and 1st year head coach Darrin Reeves will look to get back to their dominant defense that they displayed in their first two non-conference games where they pitched a pair of 20-0 and shutout victories over Spanaway Lake and Bonney Lake. The Tides are still 3rd in the league in points allowed, but since starting SSC play, Gig Harbor has allowed 40 points to rival Peninsula in a loss and 21 last week to Capital, which is 30 PPG. Timberline´s offense has gotten better every week with sophomore quarterback Jacob Nadeau, and he has some nice weapons in receiver Cedric Ragland among others, so it will be interesting what happens in this one.
Live coverage of the game on Thursday starts with the pre-game show at 6:45 and kickoff at 7 pm on the Eli Sports Network and NFHS. link to watch the game is below.
