HS Football: Yelm cruises past Peninsula to win SSC Title answers nearly final question in league standings

10/26/22

The SSC league Champions are the Yelm Tornados and with that will get the #1 seed out of the league into the 32-team match-up committee to determine the crossover games for a chance to get to the State Play-Offs. With 4 advancing from the SSC it is certain that Yelm is the #1 seed now they could ultimately share the league Championship with Peninsula because head-to-head games do not break a tie. Yelm would have to lose to Gig Harbor this week and then the winner of the Peninsula at Timberline game would tie for the league championship but the Tornados would get the #1 seed out of the SSC. It is then up to the 3A match-up committee to seed the 32 teams advancing to crossovers 1-32 for match-ups in the crossover or District round of post season.

2nd through 4th remain up in the air as well as Peninsula and Timberline come in with 5-1 records and Gig Harbor is 4-2. The only certainty is Yelm is #1 and Peninsula, Timberline and Gig Harbor have all clinched the other 3 births, it’s a matter of order at this point.

Below are the scores from last week the updated league standings, next week’s schedule and our coverage of Yelm’s win over Peninsula with video highlights.

Last Week’s scores:
Yelm 58, Peninsula 14
Timberline 24, Capital 8
Gig Harbor 42, Central Kitsap 0
River Ridge 26, North Thurston 0

South Sound Conference

School	Class	League	Overall	PF	PA
Yelm	3A	6-0	8-0	464	55
Peninsula	3A	5-1	6-2	302	182
Timberline	3A	5-1	6-2	194	166
Gig Harbor	3A	4-2	6-2	283	122
River Ridge	3A	2-4	2-5	141	259
Capital	3A	2-4	2-6	158	306
North Thurston	3A	0-6	1-7	85	279
Central Kitsap	3A	0-6	0-8	97	313

This Week’s schedule:
Thursday, Oct 27 Yelm at Gig Harbor
Thursday, Oct 27 Peninsula at Timberline
Friday, Oct 28 Central Kitsap at North Thurston
Friday, Oct 28 River Ridge at Capital

Yelm 58, Peninsula 14

(Purdy, WA)

In a game that featured the final two unbeaten teams in South Sound Conference play, it was all Yelm Tornados as they started off fast and stifled a strong Peninsula team at Roy Anderson Field in a 58-14 victory to stay undefeated and win the SSC championship.

Yelm has not played a close game all season and Peninsula tried to change that on Friday, but the Tornados struck first on the 3rd play from scrimmage on a Kyler Ronquillo 53-yard TD run. Peninsula needed a fast start offensively, but instead went 3-and-out on their first two drives and Yelm capitalized as William Carreto found the endzone on a 4-yard run to give Yelm the early 14-0 lead. They pushed the lead to 30-0 late in the 2nd quarter when Peninsula got into the redzone late in the quarter, but linebacker Ray Wright intercepted Payton Knowles and took it the distance on what appeared like a pick-six. However, the interception was brought back due to penalty but the turnover remained to keep the score 30-0 at halftime.

The Tornados were playing with their two-way star in linebacker and running back and 4-star recruit in Brayden Platt, but at least on Friday, it didn’t matter as the Tornados defense kept Peninsula’s offense that came in averaging over 42 points a game in check. Isaiah Patterson had a big game for Yelm with 4 sacks of Seahawks QB Knowles.

The ESN Player of the Game for Yelm was Ronquillo who finished with 8 carries for 134 yards and a TD, 2 receptions for 24 yards and a TD and added a 96-yard kickoff return for a score. William Carretto is starting to come into his own for Yelm as well, as he followed up a 200-yard rushing game last week with 98 yards and two TD’s against Peninsula.

It was a tough night at the office for the Seahawks as Gonzaga baseball commit Payton Knowles completed 13 of 24 passes for 146 yards, a TD and an INT and fumble. Aiden Lester did get free for a 61-yard TD run with Peninsula trailing 51-0 to get the Seahawks on the board, and Jones Stalker added a TD reception for the Seahawks.

The loss for the Seahawks dropped Peninsula to 6-2 overall and 5-1 in the SSC. It was also the first loss for PHS in the SSC since 2018, which was also the last time Yelm beat Peninsula. The 44-point margin of defeat was the most for Peninsula since a 54-10 loss to Clover Park in 2004. The Seahawks travel to Timberline next week for the 2nd seed in the SSC.

On the other side, Yelm perhaps made their largest statement of the season to improve to 8-0 and 6-0 in the SSC, and will travel back to Purdy next week to face 6-2 Gig Harbor.