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Friday and Saturday’s slate reshuffled the state picture: a top-ranked program lost, an individual performance vaulted a previously struggling team into the headlines, and several ranked squads made clear pushes toward postseason positioning. For coaches, players and fans in Washington, the weekend’s results created immediate movement in the race for sectional seeding and the next state Top 25.
Puyallup stuns Sumner, ends long streak
Puyallup pulled off a seismic result, edging No. 1 Sumner 36-34 and handing the Spartans their first loss of the season. The victory snapped Sumner’s 15-game winning streak and ended a five-year slide Puyallup had suffered against its county rival.
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After falling behind early, the Vikings rallied behind quarterback Noah Smith, whose two touchdown strikes to J’Isaiah Mitchell flipped momentum in the third quarter and put Puyallup up 22-13. Sumner answered with a 74-yard bomb from Brennan Abbott to Gray Longoria, then sliced the margin again with a goal-line fumble recovery touchdown by Kai Moody late in the fourth.
In the end Puyallup recovered an onside kick and held on — a result that immediately positions the Vikings as a major contender in the Class 4A title chase and likely to shift the Top 25 when rankings are updated.
Special-teams explosion: Cade Koesel’s historic night
Few single-game showings this season have matched what Riverside’s Cade Koesel produced in a 45-36 upset over Lakeside. Koesel returned three kickoffs for touchdowns and also hauled in a 60-yard touchdown reception, his scoring plays totaling roughly 298 yards.
The sequence began with an 83-yard return in the first quarter. Later, Koesel returned kickoffs of 78 and 77 yards in the third quarter on back-to-back kickoffs — a flurry that swung field position and the scoreboard in Riverside’s favor. The performance snapped Lakeside’s five-game winning streak and stands out among the season’s top individual efforts statewide.
Eight-man sibling connection: Max and Nolan Grindy
In a rout that turned into a family highlight, Almira/Coulee-Hartline sophomore Nolan Grindy caught three of his brother Max’s five touchdown passes in a 58-6 blowout of Wilbur-Creston-Keller. Max finished with 241 passing yards and five scores as the unbeaten Warriors opened a 44-0 halftime lead and improved to 7-0.
The win underscores how dominant Almira/Coulee-Hartline has been in Class 1B — the Warriors have already dispatched defending Class 1B champion DeSales and are averaging well over 60 points per game through seven outings.
| Game | Score | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Puyallup vs. Sumner | 36–34 | Top-ranked upset; playoff seeding implications for Class 4A |
| Riverside vs. Lakeside | 45–36 | Cade Koesel’s special-teams outburst; Lakeside’s five-game streak ends |
| Almira/Coulee-Hartline vs. Wilbur-Creston-Keller | 58–6 | Eight-man powerhouse stays unbeaten; balanced offense |
| Graham-Kapowsin vs. Yelm | 75–14 | Continued offensive dominance from a Class 4A contender |
| O’Dea vs. Eastside Catholic | 42–35 | Signature Seattle rivalry; keeps O’Dea in the 3A title hunt |
Other headline results
Several established programs delivered statement wins while regional powerhouses continued to flex offensive depth.
- Graham-Kapowsin crushed Yelm 75-14, extending a tear that has the Eagles among Class 4A’s most dangerous teams.
- Lake Stevens (No. 3) rolled past Mariner 55-7, staying on track for a deep postseason run.
- Moses Lake overwhelmed Sunnyside 68-7 in one of the weekend’s most lopsided performances.
- Chiawana beat Pasco 42-6, continuing its rise in the eastern Washington rankings.
- Skyview delivered a notable regional statement with a 35-7 win over long-time rival Camas.
- Mount Si limited nationally recognized Skyline to seven points in a 34-7 result that could affect upcoming Top 25 placements.
Close finishes and the small-school drama
Not every story this weekend involved blowouts. Tight margins defined several games and highlighted how deep the state’s competitiveness is across classifications.
In eight-man action, Liberty Christian escaped Pomeroy 44-42 in an 86-point shootout. In the 11-man ranks, Meadowdale nudged Mountlake Terrace 21-20, Jackson edged Kamiak 34-31 and Touchet beat Yakama Nation Tribal 20-19 — one-point games that will linger in coaches’ weekly reviews.
What this weekend means for rankings and the postseason
The upsets and emphatic wins will shift narrative lines as coaches prepare for district play and the selection committees assemble brackets. Puyallup’s victory over the No. 1 team is the clearest example: expect movement near the top of the next High School On SI Washington Top 25.
Key immediate takeaways:
- Momentum shifts: Puyallup, Graham-Kapowsin and Mount Si look to be trending upward at the right time.
- Special-teams edge: Koesel’s performance is a reminder that kickoff returns can instantly alter playoff-caliber games.
- Depth across classifications: Eight-man and small-school contests produced as much drama and headline-worthy play as any statewide matchup.
The final whistle
This weekend reinforced a simple truth about Washington high school football: between the top-ranked collision in Pierce County, breathtaking individual nights and tightly contested showdowns across the map, the playoff picture has become clearer—and more intriguing. Coaches will take notes, ranking voters will re-evaluate, and fans should expect even higher stakes as postseason play draws near.
We’ll return next week with another roundup of the games that move standings, shape narratives and spotlight the players making this season memorable.
