Images from the 2B Football State Championships between Napavine and Kalama Friday, November 30, at the Tacoma Dome.
The top scorer in Week 1 of the prep (fantasy) football season was — stop me if you’ve heard this before — Napavine’s quarterback.
The cache of Stanleys may be empty, but the fantasy points from the Tiger under center are still piling up. (Coming next week: My “Were Wyatt and Dawson Stanley Actually Just System Quarterback?” column.) This year it’s young Laythan Demarest, who moved from receiver to take over and … well, he seems to be doing just fine. Despite a long bus ride across the mountains to Spangle, Napavine thumped Liberty and Demarest did the heavy lifting with 127 rushing yards and four touchdowns, 172 passing yards, and a PAT kick for a slick 43 points.
This week’s runner-up award goes to the regionally ineligible Mason Priddy from Columbia River. Priddy was sitting pretty with 263 passing yards and four touchdowns, along with 105 rushing yards and a score for 42 points. He must be a keeper in The Columbian’s Clark County Fantasy Football League.
Week 1 Stars
Adna’s Braden Thomas looked sharp during a win at Pe Ell-Willapa Valley, breaking off two 30-plus yard TD runs and throwing a handful of sharp passes. He finished with 151 passing yards and two scores, along with 128 rushing yards and two scores (38 points). … His most productive target was breakout receiver Zander Blankenship-Todd, a big, speedy target who caught three passes for 108 yards and two scores (22 points). … The fantasy surprise of the week? Hometown Centralia! The Tigers piled up rushing yards and points in a win over Columbia River. Brady Hoyt ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns (25 points), Blaine Wass ran for 126 yards and two TDs (24 points), and Chase Sobolesky-Reynolds ran for 137 yards and kicked five PATs (18 points). … Onalaska’s Ashton Haight, the highest-scoring LCFF returner, saw limited action in a blowout of Toutle Lake but managed two touchdowns, two conversion runs and 55 yards for 21 points. Running back Gunnar Talley made the most of the extra action with 45 rushing yards and three touchdowns for 22 points. … Jaiyden Camoza, W.F. West’s speedy senior running back, piled up 209 yards and a touchdown in a tight win over River Ridge for 26 points. … Another massive source of fantasy output? Winlock! Nolan Swofford, who looked solid in a preseason jamboree, ran for 62 yards and three touchdowns as the Cardinals torched North Beach. Quarterback Bryce Cline passed for 138 yards and two scores, and ran in a conversion and a touchdown for 22 points. Receiver Noah Patching caught two touchdown passes, notched 59 receiving yards, and kicked five PATs for 22 points. … Rochester quarterback Daniel May was effective in a season-opening Scatter Creek Showdown, with 57 rushing yards and a touchdown, and 188 passing yards and a score for 22 points.
Week 1 Notables
Onalaska QB Lucas Kreger was in the same boat as the rest of the Logger starters and didn’t see a ton of snaps, but ran for 20 yards and a touchdown and passed for 50 yards and a touchdown (14 points). … Napavine running back Tanner Low looks like the lead back in an always-diverse Tiger backfield early on, running for an even 100 yards and a score (16 points) against Liberty. … Toledo’s win over MWP in the midst of a thunderstorm in Morton produced more defensive highlights than anything else, but Davin Kinsman was the standout in a crowded backfield with 46 rushing yards and two touchdowns (16 points). … Tenino quarterback Aiden Wright ran for 42 yards and a touchdown and passed for 102 yards and two scores (19 points) in a Week 1 loss. … Rochester’s Tristen Johnson ran in two touchdowns in short-yardage situations (12 points). … PWV’s offense didn’t find much room to run against Adna, but Peter Hamilton picked up 64 tough yards (6 points) and Kollin Jurek hauled in a 28-yard touchdown catch (8 points).
Week 2 Notes
The biggest game on the schedule is a rematch of last year’s State 2B championship game, with two-time state champ Kalama visiting Napavine. There’s lots of new faces all over the field, and Demarest and Kalama sophomore Jackson Esary are exciting young quarterbacks. Receiver Brennon Vance, though, is the Chinooks’ biggest playmaker and should draw plenty of attention from the Tigers in this top-10 matchup. … Adna heads for Wahkiakum (a tough place to play), with Thomas (and running back Cole Fay) possibly receiving plenty of chances to pick up more fantasy points. … MWP heads for Willapa Harbor to take on Raymond, with a more favorable matchup (and hopefully more favorable weather) than in their opener. … New-look Toledo hosts a new-look Rainier squad in a barometer matchup for the Mountain and River divisions. … Onalaska hosts mostly-unknown Amity (the horror!) in schedule-filler after Life Christian combined with NW Christian and left the Mountain Division. … Winlock welcomes 3A Fort Vancouver, a more formidable opponent than Week 1’s North Beach. … Tenino tries to get its first win at Chimacum. … Five of the six EvCo teams won in Week 1. W.F. West opens its home slate, and tries to get its passing attack on track, with 3A Capital in town. … The Tigers will rely on their home turf and stable of running backs with Evergreen visiting the Hub City. … Rochester hosts former league-mate Elma in its home opener.
