SPSL Football Media Day: New Look, Same High Level Competition

8/14/24

(Tacoma, WA) Like many other leagues going into the 2024/25 school year, the 4A South Puget Sound League looks quite different than it has in years past. With the reclassification count, Bellarmine Prep left the SPSL but three new schools joined. Spanaway Lake, Bonney Lake, and Yelm all moved up from 3A to run the total schools in the SPSL to 12. With the additions, the league split into two divisions that you can see below.

SPSL North (Alphabetically)
Curtis
Emerald Ridge
Puyallup
Rogers (Puyallup)
South Kitsap
Sumner

SPSL South (Alphabetically)
Bethel
Bonney Lake
Graham Kapowsin
Olympia
Spanaway Lake
Yelm

Not only are the teams different in the league this year, but the split into two divisions will also change the scheduling for the schools from now on. In the past, the SPSL teams just played one another in football with no non-league games being played. Now, each team gets three non-league games which creates opportunities to see teams from other 4A leagues that they could see in the playoffs. The change came a bit late which created a bit of a scramble and some teams were forced to schedule non-league games with teams from the opposite division. There will also be a crossover between the two division in week 9 to determine the teams moving onto the new round of 32 that will take the place of crossover week.

Another new touch for the SPSL 4A would be the league’s first media day. All 12 head coaches visited The Ram restaurant in Tacoma on Wednesday along with some of their players to talk about the upcoming season. ESN was there and met with all 12 teams to discuss the new league and each team specifically. We asked each team the same five base questions and the entire interviews can be seen below with a short blurb about each squad.

Curtis Vikings

2023 Record: 8-3 (Lost in First Round to Kennedy Catholic)

2024 Schedule
9/6 @ Mount Si
9/13 Peninsula
9/20 Lakes
9/28 @ Rogers
10/4 South Kitsap
10/11 @ Emerald Ridge
10/18 Sumner
10/25 @ Puyallup

Coach Darren McKay, Jayden Rice-Claiborne, Xavier Ahrens, Joey Costanti, Parker Mady

Emerald Ridge Jaguars

2023 Record: 8-3 (Lost in First Round to Kennedy Catholic)

2024 Schedule
9/6 @ Kentwood
9/12 Bethel
9/20 Graham Kapowsin
9/27 @ Puyallup
10/4 Rogers
10/11 Curtis
10/18 @ South Kitsap
10/25 @ Sumner

Joshua Moultrie, JJ Nguyen, Head Coach Torey Donovan, Kaden Thompson, Jesse Mains

Puyallup Vikings

2023 Record: 5-5 (Lost in Crossover to Skyline)

2024 Schedule
9/6 @ Tumwater
9/13 Evergreen (Vancouver)
9/21 @ Skyview
9/27 Emerald Ridge
10/3 @ Sumner
10/10 South Kitsap
10/18 @ Rogers
10/25 Curtis

Head Coach Brian Grout, Seanje Finister, Kyson Douglas, Coach Tracy Cutler

Rogers Rams

2023 Record: 0-10

2024 Schedule
9/6 Bellarmine Prep
9/12 @ Kentridge
9/20 @ Silas
9/28 Curtis
10/4 @ Emerald Ridge
10/11 @ Sumner
10/18 Puyallup
10/25 @ South Kitsap

Jurrien Hollingsworth, Blake Lukas, Head Coach Shawn Yohn, Jalen Franks, Rashard Boone

South Kitsap Wolves

2023 Record: 2-8

2024 Schedule
9/5 Kentridge
9/13 @ Mount Rainier
9/20 Central Kitsap
9/27 Sumner
10/4 @ Curtis
10/10 @ Puyallup
10/18 Emerald Ridge
10/25 Rogers

Josaiah Asuega, Boden Harvey, Head Coach Sean Banks, Brycen Clay, Franklin Fox

Sumner Spartans

2023 Record: 7-4 (Lost in Quarterfinals to Eastlake)

2024 Schedule
9/6 Lake Stevens
9/13 Auburn Riverside
9/20 @ West Linn (OR)
9/27 @ South Kitsap
10/3 Puyallup
10/10 Rogers
10/18 @ Curtis
10/25 Emerald Ridge

Head Coach Keith Ross, Luke Richardson, Jaden Chimese, Carter Cocke

Bethel Bison

2023 Record: 4-6 (Lost in Crossover to Skyview)

2024 Schedule
9/6 Bellevue
9/12 @ Emerald Ridge
9/21 @ North Creek
9/27 @ Olympia
10/4 Spanaway Lake
10/10 @ Graham Kapowsin
10/18 Yelm
10/25 Bonney Lake

Head Coach Travis Domser, Owen Lago, Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, Louis Filimaua

Bonney Lake Panthers

2023 Record: 7-4 (Lost in Crossover to Monroe)

2024 Schedule
9/7 Eastmont
9/13 @ Lakes
9/21 Peninsula
9/26 @ Graham Kapowsin
10/4 Olympia
10/11 @ Yelm
10/18 Spanaway Lake
10/25 @ Bethel

Head Coach Javid Shoemaker, Talyn Weir, Jack Martin, Simeon Wood, Brady Liston

Graham-Kapowsin Eagles

2023 Record: 13-1 (Lost in State Championship to Lake Stevens)

2024 Schedule
9/6 @ O’Dea
9/13 @ Skyview
9/20 @ Emerald Ridge
9/26 Bonney Lake
10/4 @ Yelm
10/10 Bethel
10/18 @ Olympia
10/25 Spanaway Lake

Noah Fox-Flores, AJ Tuivaiave, Caleb Braithwaite, Head Coach Jeff Logan

Olympia Bears

2023 Record: 3-7 (Lost in Crossover to Lake Stevens

2024 Schedule
9/6 Capital
9/13 @ Issaquah
9/20 Hazen
9/27 Bethel
10/4 @ Bonney Lake
10/11 @ Spanaway Lake
10/18 Graham Kapowsin
10/25 @ Yelm

Kaleb Mulcare, Forrest Carter, Head Coach Nick Mullen, Cam Downing, Joshua Muckian

Spanaway Lake Sentinels

2023 Record: 4-6

2024 Schedule
9/5 Stanwood
9/13 Kentwood
9/21 @ Federal Way
9/27 Yelm
10/4 @ Bethel
10/11 Olympia
10/18 @ Bonney Lake
10/25 @ Graham Kapowsin

Laron Paige, De’arius Hawkins, D’Aryhian Clemons, Head Coach Cameron Robak

Yelm Tornados

2023 Record: 13-1 (Lost in 3A State Championship to Bellevue)

2024 Schedule
9/6 Mount Tahoma
9/13 @ Lincoln (Tacoma)
9/20 Kamiakin
9/27 @ Spanaway Lake
10/4 Graham Kapowsin
10/11 Bonney Lake
10/18 @ Bethel
10/25 Olympia