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Oly Sports took a weeks vacation but we are back tonight for week eight of the high school football season. The Pioneer Bowl is the obvious highlight tonight. Tumwater and Black Hills are both 7-0 this season and this will determine the 2A EvCo title. Can Black Hills pull off the upset? Stranger things have happened.

John McGlamery and I will be in Shelton with the call of the homecoming matchup between the Highclimbers and Mount Tahoma. Pregame on 1030 AM KMAS and 103.3 FM begins at 6:45 PM with a 7:00 PM kickoff.

Here is the full schedule with broadcast links…

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Black Hills Wolves @ Tumwater T-Birds
Tumwater Stadium – 7:00 PM | Webcast: Eli Sports

North Thurston Rams @ Capital Cougars
Ingersoll Stadium – 7:00 PM

Olympia Bears @ Bellarmine Lions
Memorial Stadium, Tacoma – 7:00 PM

Rainier Mountaineers @ Ilwaco Fishermen
Ilwaco HS – 7:00 PM

River Ridge Hawks vs. Fife Trojans
South Sound Stadium – 7:00 PM | Webcast: Eli Sports

Rochester Warriors vs. Hoquiam Grizzlies
Rochester HS – 7:00 PM

Shelton Highclimbers vs. Mount Tahoma T-Birds
Highclimbers Stadium – 7:00 PM | Radio: KMAS

Tenino Beavers @ Montesano Bulldogs
Rottle Field, Montesano – 7:00 PM | Radio: KWOK

Timberline Blazers @ Puyallup Vikings
Sparks Stadium, Puyallup – 7:00 PM

Yelm Tornadoes @ Gig Harbor Tides
Roy Anderson Field, Gig Harbor – 7:00 PM | Radio: KGHP

Great night of football on tap tonight. The #3 team in 4A, Gig Harbor, comes to town to face the #6 team, Olympia, at Ingersoll Stadium. We will have the call on 1030 AM, 103.3 FM and KMAS.com beginning at 6:45. It should be a great game but the Bears will have to replace their star running back Scott Gunther, who was lost for the rest of the regular season at least with a collarbone injury against Stadium last week.

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Black Hills Wolves @ Kelso Hilanders
Schroeder Field, Kelso – 7:00 PM | Radio: KLOG

Capital Cougars @ Mount Tahoma T-Birds
Mount Tahoma Stadium, Tacoma – 7:00 PM

Olympia Bears vs. Gig Harbor Tides
Ingersoll Stadium – 7:00 PM | Radio: KMAS

Rainier Mountaineers vs. Life Christian Eagles
Rainier HS – 7:00 PM

River Ridge Hawks @ Clover Park Warriors
Harry Lang Stadium, Lakewood – 7:00 PM

Rochester Warriors vs. Montesano Bulldogs
Rochester HS – 7:00 PM

Tenino Beavers vs. Eatonville Cruisers
Tenino Stadium – 7:00 PM

Timberline Blazers vs. Stadium Tigers
South Sound Stadium – 7:00 PM

Tumwater T-Birds vs. West Valley (Yakima) Rams
Tumwater Stadium – 7:00 PM | Webcast: Eli Sports

Yelm Tornadoes vs. Bellarmine Lions
Yelm HS – 7:00 PM

Kyle Witzel earlier this season

Men’s Soccer
Saint Martin’s 2, Western Washington 1 – Box Score

A wild 90th minute ended when Kyle Witzel scored off of a corner kick with two seconds left to give Saint Martin’s an incredible 2-1 victory over Western Washington at the SMU Soccer Field in Lacey.

39 seconds prior, Luke Olney finished a rebound to draw the Vikings level with the Saints and it looked like overtime was in the cards. But the Saints marched down to the other end off of the restart and won a corner. With 12 seconds left, Kaleb Strawn took the corner and Jake Zimmer eventually found Witzel on the right side for the goal.

Witzel also scored the first goal of the game in the 74th minute off of an assist by Austin Yon. Witzel now has five goals this season for the Saints, who improved to 3-8-1 overall and 2-6-0 in the GNAC. Both of their conference wins have come over the Vikings and it is the first time in program history that the Saints have beaten Western Washington twice in a season.

Ian Fry made his first start in goal and made seven saves for the Saints.

Women’s Soccer
Western Oregon 2, Saint Martin’s 0 – Box Score

College Volleyball
Northwest Nazarene 3, Saint Martin’s 1 (21-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-11) – Box Score

High School Football
Shelton 38, North Thurston 21

Colton Paller ran for 212 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Shelton Highclimbers to a 38-21 win over North Thurston on Thursday night in Lacey. Paller has rushed for seven touchdowns in the last two games to lead the Highclimbers to a 3-2 record in the 3A Narrows League, half a game behind Wilson and Central Kitsap, who both play on Friday night.

Shelton dominated the first quarter and a good portion of the second quarter building a 21-0 lead on a 16 yard touchdown run, a 14 yard touchdown run and an incredible 93 yard touchdown sprint by Paller.

The Highclimbers gained 232 yards in the first half but only took a seven point lead into the break after Rams quarterback Jake Harn completed four passes of 20 yards or more in the last six minutes of the half. He hit Brandon Morgan for a 28 yard touchdown at the 2:55 mark and then threw a 20 yard strike to Devin Santos that got them down to the one. Quentas Ward punched it in from a yard out with seven second left in the first half to cut the Highclimbers lead to 21-14 at the half.

Following a 32 yard field goal by Cody Bragg, Shelton extended their lead after quarterback Tyler Giraldes found Kyle Kimball on a slant pattern that he worked into a 40 yard gain and Paller did the rest covering the final ten yards in two plays for his fourth touchdown of the game and a 31-14 lead for the Highclimbers.

Harn found Santos for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to get to within 10 points, but Shelton strung together a 10 play drive capped off by a Giraldes sneak for a one yard touchdown and a 38-21 lead that would stand up over the final four minutes of the game.

The 38 points was the most points scored by Shelton since they beat Mount Tahoma 42-0 on October 25th, 2013.

Harn threw for 251 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

The Highclimbers improved to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in the 3A Narrows. Wilson and Central Kitsap are both 3-1 and tied for second place in the league but neither of them have played Lincoln yet with Central Kitsap facing the Abes on Friday and Wilson facing them one week later.

High School Volleyball
North Thurston 3, Lincoln 0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-13)
Capital 3, Mount Tahoma 0 (25-10, 25-4, 25-12)
Tumwater 3, Columbia River 1 (28-26, 17-25, 25-21, 25-23)
Black Hills vs. Fort Vancouver – No report

Girls Soccer
Stadium 4, Olympia 2
Capital 5, Mount Tahoma 0
North Thurston 5, Shelton 0
River Ridge 2, Washington 1
Columbia River 3, Tumwater 0
Black Hills vs. Fort Vancouver – No report

The defending state champion Tumwater volleyball team is off to another hot start at 9-0 in full length games and 3-0 in the 2A Evergreen Conference and Maddy Pilon’s all around presence on the floor for the T-Birds has earned her the trust of her coach and teammates and now the OlySports.com and TAGS Awards & Specialties Premier Player Award.

Pilon racked up 23 assists in the state championship game against North Kitsap as a sophomore and has continued her phenomenal play this season. She has 108 assists through the first three 2A EvCo matches over the past two weeks including 36 assists in a three set sweep of Black Hills on Tuesday night.

“They rely on me to lead them, to be a playmaker,” said the now junior Pilon. “My job is to put up a good ball, to better them.”

But it’s not just setting the ball for Pilon. She also is often second on the team in multiple other categories only behind the one player whose job it is to rack up those stats, as was the case this past weekend at the Capitol City Invitational where she was second on the team in blocks, second in digs and second in service aces and joined teammate Kennedy Croft on the all-tournament team.

“She’s an all around great player,” praises Tumwater head coach Tana Otton. “Sometimes in a setter, you don’t get that. But she’s a phenomenal blocker, she’s a great defensive player, she’s a great server.”

The setter on a volleyball team isn’t often in the limelight and sometimes goes unnoticed, but that doesn’t faze Pilon, who does the work to set up Croft and her other teammates for the kill.

“It’s fun to give others the credit and not have it all about me.”

Sorry Maddy, but the Premier Player Award this week is all about you, and it is well deserved.

Pilon and the T-Birds take a week off from league play before resuming their quest for the 2A EvCo title, a return to the state tournament and another state title. They have already proven themselves capable by knocking off the two top teams in the 4A SPSL and historic powerhouses, Curtis and Emerald Ridge, and came up just short of tournament wins at the Kent Classic and the Capitol City Invite.

And tonight (Thursday, October 15th), they get another test when they face another undefeated team in Columbia River at 7:00 PM at Tumwater High School.

Previous Premier Player Award Winners:
Scott Gunther – Olympia High School
Maddy Midstokke – Capital High School
Kobe Key – River Ridge High School

*** About the OlySports.com and TAGS Awards & Specialties Premier Player award: The Premier Player award will be handed out every week (the male and female award will alternate weeks) to a Thurston County high school athlete. Brandon Sparks of OlySports.com will choose each award and all inquires can be directed to him at olysportsblog@gmail.com. Coaches can also email Brandon with nominations. The award winner will be chosen every Monday and awarded on Wednesday or Thursday throughout the school year.

Four teams are STILL unbeaten. Olympia, River Ridge, Tumwater and Black Hills. But this week is where it gets really interesting. Olympia – currently the #6 team in 4A in the AP poll – hosts #3 ranked Gig Harbor while Black Hills heads south to face Kelso.

Meanwhile, Tumwater and River Ridge face lesser opponents with the next week more on my mind.

Rainier also has a huge game this week for their chase for the playoffs and maybe the most important game for playoff purposes happens on Thursday when North Thurston and Shelton square off and try to get the jump on the middle pack of the 3A Narrows.

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1. Olympia Bears (6-0 overall, 3-0 4A Narrows)
Last week: #1 (no change)
Previous game: Beat Stadium, 44-6
Next game: vs. Gig Harbor (3-0 4A Narrows, 6-0 overall ) – Ingersoll Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The biggest game of the season to this date is here. Two top-10 4A teams who are both 6-0 and 3-0 in league, Olympia and Gig Harbor, meet on Friday at Ingersoll Stadium. Gig Harbor has outscored their opponents 299-27 this season while the Bears have outscored their opponents 256-59. Unfortunately for the Bears, they lose 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns with Scott Gunther out with an injury.

2. River Ridge Hawks (6-0 overall, 4-0 2A SPSL)
Last week: #2 (no change)
Previous game: Beat Washington, 48-34
Next game: @ Clover Park (0-4 2A SPSL, 0-6 overall) – Lang Stadium, Lakewood – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: River Ridge built a huge lead and then saw Washington chip away at it until they were within one score. The Hawks finished it out with a 48-34 win and should have an easy time with Clover Park this week before they face Fife on October 23rd.

3. Tumwater T-Birds (6-0 overall, 1-0 2A EvCo)
Last week: #3 (no change)
Previous game: Beat Centralia, 49-6
Next game: vs. West Valley, Yakima (2-4 overall) – Tumwater Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Tumwater is healthy and running the ball has been easy. Jarid Barrett, Dominic Jones and Easton Trakel each rushed for a pair of touchdowns against Centralia. They host 2-4 West Valley on Friday night and will face Black Hills on the 23rd in a Pioneer Bowl that should settle the 2A EvCo.

4. Black Hills Wolves (6-0 overall, 1-0 2A EvCo)
Last week: #4 (no change)
Previous game: Beat Port Angeles, 41-0
Next game: @ Kelso (5-1 overall) – Schroeder Field, Kelso – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Black Hills easily dispatched of a bad Port Angeles team, which comes as no surprise. They continue their best start of the season and will get a huge test on Friday night when they travel to Kelso to face the Hilanders in a non-league game. Win or lose, they will face Tumwater on the 23rd with the 2A EvCo title on the line.

5. Tenino Beavers (5-1 overall, 3-1 2A/1A Evergreen)
Last week: #5 (no change)
Previous game: Beat Aberdeen, 38-7
Next game: vs. Eatonville (1-3 2A/1A EvCo 2-4 overall) – Tenino Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Tenino started slowly, taking a 13-0 lead into the locker room at the half, but finished strong in the second half with a dominating performance over the 2A Bobcats. Thomas Pier ran for 155 yards and three touchdowns for the Beavers, who will face Eatonville at home this week. The Cruisers were garnering top 10 votes earlier this season but are just 2-4 overall now.

6. Rainier Mountaineers (4-2 overall, 3-2 2B Pacific)
Last week: #6 (no change)
Previous game: Beat Tacoma Baptist, 50-6
Next game: vs. Life Christian (4-1 2B Pacific, 4-1 overall) – Rainier HS – Friday, 7:00

Notes: Rainier took advantage of a beat up Tacoma Baptist team on Saturday beating them 50-6. McCoy Bichler scored a pair of touchdowns and will lead the Mountaineers into a big game against Life Christian. The Eagles are 4-1 in league play, a game up on both Ilwaco and Rainier for third place.

7. Shelton Highclimbers (3-3 overall, 2-2 3A Narrows)
Last week: #10 (+3)
Previous game: Beat Central Kitsap, 28-27
Next game: @ North Thurston (2-2 3A Narrows, 3-3 overall) – South Sound Stadium – Thursday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Against Wilson, the Highclimbers missed on a tipped extra point and a missed field goal at the final whistle. One week later, Shelton blocked an extra point with 1:29 left and held on for a 28-27 win over previously unbeaten in league play Central Kitsap. It was the biggest win for the Highclimbers since the 2012 season that featured Ralph Kinne. They now play a huge game on Thursday night against North Thurston, who are also 2-2 in league play. The teams ahead of both the Rams and Highclimbers – Wilson and Central Kitsap – have yet to play Lincoln, so the winner of this game is in a great position for second place in league.

8. Rochester Warriors (4-2 overall, 3-1 2A/1A Evergreen)
Last week: #8 (no change)
Previous game: Beat Eatonville, 25-22
Next game: vs. Montesano (4-2 2A/1A Evergreen, 3-1 overall) – Rochester HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Because of their ridiculous league and the ridiculous rules set forth for them to make the playoffs, Rochester is already out. But they have played well despite that and sit at 4-2 this season. But first place Montesano comes to town on Friday night.

9. North Thurston Rams (3-3 overall, 2-2 3A Narrows)
Last week: #7 (-2)
Previous game: Lost to Lincoln, 41-0
Next game: vs. Shelton (2-2 3A Narrows, 3-3 overall) – South Sound Stadium – Thursday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Hard to punish the Rams for losing to Lincoln, who are easily the class of the 3A Narrows and ranked #3 in the AP poll but they lose a couple of spots nonetheless. They can easily get those spots back with a win over Shelton on Thursday. The two teams look to be very evenly matched especially if you look at the Central Kitsap games they have played. The Rams lost 23-22 while Shelton won 28-27.

10. Capital Cougars (1-5 overall, 1-3 3A Narrows)
Last week: #9 (-1)
Previous game: Lost to Wilson, 17-16
Next game: @ Mount Tahoma (1-3 3A Narrows, 1-5 overall) – Mount Tahoma Stadium, Tacoma – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Capital, despite their 1-5 record and loss to Wilson, only dropped a spot in the Scoreczar.org computers to #34. Needless to say, they have played a tough schedule. They should get a reprieve this week when they face Mount Tahoma, who are the last team in 3A despite the same record as the Cougars.

11-tie. Timberline Blazers (1-5 overall, 1-3 4A Narrows)
Last week: #11 (no change)
Previous game: Lost to Gig Harbor, 51-0
Next game: vs. Stadium (1-3 4A Narrows, 2-4 overall) – South Sound Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Blazers are now past Gig Harbor, Olympia and Bellarmine with two more league games ahead of them – if this week’s game is played. Stadium had a lot of their gear destroyed and as I type this has not decided whether or not they will be able to play.

11-tie. Yelm Tornadoes (4-2 overall, 1-2 4A Narrows)
Last week: #12 (+1)
Previous game: Beat Evergreen, 25-18
Next game: vs. Bellarmine (3-0 4A Narrows, 5-1 overall) – Yelm HS – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Tornadoes racked up over 440 yards of offense in Vancouver on Saturday but had to come from behind to beat Evergreen in a non-league game. At 4-2, they should be higher than tied for 11th but the loss to Timberline is perplexing and makes it hard for me to rank them higher than the Blazers. They currently sit in fourth place in the 4A Narrows but face all three teams ahead of them – Bellarmine, Gig Harbor and Olympia – to close the season. Can they pull an upset somewhere?

High School Football
Shelton 28, Central Kitsap 27

After Tyler Tubbs hit Kaleb Bates on a five yard touchdown pass with 1:29 left to play, the Shelton special teams came up huge with a blocked PAT and the Highclimbers held on to a 28-27 win over league leading Central Kitsap at Highclimbers Stadium.

Colton Paller scored three touchdowns in the first half for the Highclimbers including a 30 yard touchdown with 3:48 left in the first quarter. He added runs of five and six yards in the second quarter and Shelton built a 21-7 lead.

The Cougars cut the lead to 21-14 after a pair of Climbers penalties kept the final drive of the first half alive. Tubbs threw his second touchdown of the first half with 39 seconds left, when Bates spun off a pair of Shelton tacklers and sprinted into the end zone for a 23 yard touchdown reception.

After a scoreless third quarter, junior quarterback Tyler Giraldes extended the Shelton lead to 28-14 with a 23 yard strike to Marshall McCullough and everything seemed to be coming up Highclimbers when Skylar Ross picked off his second pass of the game mid way through the fourth quarter.

But on the next play, the Central Kitsap defense recovered a fumble on the 13 yard line and four plays later, Isaiah McGee plowed in from one yard out to get the Cougars within seven points, 28-21.

After a three and out, Tubbs hit Alika Sorano for an 18 yard gain followed by a 22 yard rumble by McGee to give the Cougars a first down and goal. Shelton stuffed McGee on two straight runs and forced Tubbs to throw an incompletion on third down before Tubbs found Bates on a quick slant for the five yard touchdown that got them to within a point.

Shelton blocked the extra point, Central Kitsap kicked the onside kick out of bounds and Giraldes took a knee three times to preserve the 28-27 win and knock the Cougars out of the ranks of the unbeatens in the 3A Narrows League. The Highclimbers improved to 2-2 in league play and 3-3 overall while Central Kitsap fell to 3-1 in the Narrows and 3-3 overall.

Paller rushed for 88 yards and three touchdowns and Willy Ruiz added 102 yards on the ground. Giraldes wasn’t asked to do a lot and was very efficient passing for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Tubbs passed for 196 yards and three touchdowns for the Cougars.

Shelton will face North Thurston, who are also 2-2 in the 3A Narrows, on Thursday night at South Sound Stadium at 7:00 PM. Central Kitsap gets a visit from the #3 team in the state, Lincoln, at 5:00 PM on Friday.

In other action…
Olympia 44, Stadium 6 | Bears 6-0, face Gig Harbor next week.
Wilson 17, Capital 16
Lincoln 41, North Thurston 0
Black Hills 41, Port Angeles 0 | Christian Williams, 4 TD passes.
Tumwater 49, Centralia 6 | Barret, Trakel, Jones with 2 TDs apiece.
River Ridge 48, Washington 34 | Hawks remain unbeaten at 6-0.
Rochester 25, Eatonville 22 | Tiki Hickle with a 95 yard INT TD in 4th Quarter
Tenino 38, Aberdeen 7

Men’s Soccer
Evergreen 2, Southern Oregon 0 – Box Score

It took 76 minutes, but Juan Lopez and Tanner Williams each scored in the final 15 minutes of play to give the Geoducks at 2-0 win over the first year Southern Oregon program. Evergreen is now 5-1-0 in the CCC and 8-1-0 overall, their best start in program history. Geoducks goalkeeper Angel Guerra faced only two shots on goal, making both saves.

Women’s Soccer
Southern Oregon 5, Evergreen 0 – Box Score

College Volleyball
Oregon Tech 3, Evergreen 1 (26-24, 25-9, 21-25, 25-22) – Box Score