Preview of the 2024 NPSL high school football season

High school football practices are currently underway in the South Sound. Here’s a look at how the 2024 season could play out for each team.

4A NPSL

Kennedy: 8-0 in 2023: 1. (10-2)

The Lancers are the cream of the crop when it comes to football in the South Sound. The perennial favorites are looking to be back. Last year, the Lancers’ offense only managed to score 30 points once. This team is now a 3A school. Kennedy will be a powerhouse this fall.

Tahoma: 6-3 in 2023: 3. (4-6)

Tahoma will be part of a very competitive race for second place in the league. I think the Bears have enough returning talent with experience from a tough season last year to make a splash in the NPSL this season. I look forward to the game against Auburn Riverside in Week 5 to see where both programs will finish.

Auburn Riverside: 6-3 in 2023: 1. (7-4) (3A)

Head coach Greg Herd is no stranger to a tough schedule. This year, the Ravens open against the secretly good Lakes and then face Sumner in Week 2. They will be one of three teams with a shot at second place in the division. Their games against Kentwood and Tahoma will be interesting to see how UW newcomer Jonathan Epperson is used and if Andrew Wold can take the next step at quarterback. And as we all know, the last game against Auburn is a wide open.

Kentwood: 5-4 in 2023: 5. (3-7)

The Conks could go anywhere from 7-2 to 4-5 this year. Last year, Kentwood went 3-6 – one of the worst seasons in the last 20 years, with only 2022 being slightly worse (2-8). But this year, Kentwood wants to lead from the field. Antoine Lee is the school’s best runner in its history and leads in 6 different categories. Will teams be able to slow him down? We’ll see. If not, Kentwood will be a tough team to beat.

Auburn: 5-4 in 2023: 2. (7-3) (3A)

Auburn is another team that could give many opponents problems. The Trojans made the playoffs last year with a 7-3 record, but were soundly beaten by Auburn Riverside. Lucas Whitehall-Gilkes, RJ Conlan and Christian Titialii will have to carry the up-tempo offense. Baylen Erdmann, who is entering his junior year, will be the engine that carries the Trojans. On defense, the Trojans have done their job well. The way the offense plays demands a lot from the defense and they deliver. Playing at the 4A level will be a real challenge for Head Coach Aaron Chantler’s boys and they could be a dangerous team on any given night.

Stadium: 4-5 in 2023: 6. (5-4) (3A PCL)

I don’t think the new additions to the NPSL will have much of an impact on the lineup this year. Last season, the Tigers went 5-4 and their win over Cedarcrest in week one was their only win against a team with a record above .500. I think 4A will be a bit of an adjustment for the Tigers, especially with teams like Kennedy, Tahoma and Riverside on the schedule.

Kentridge: 2-7 in 2023: 7. (0-10)

With head coach Nick Carins entering his second year, Kentridge has a lot of work to do. On offense, the Chargers scored just 5.2 points per game last year. Kentridge went 0-10 and was held to a clean sheet in four of those 10 games. Defensively, the Chargers were able to hold Kentlake and Mount Rainier under 20 points. They allowed 40 or more points in 7 of their 10 games. I think Kentridge is still a ways off, but they will get a win this season.

Mount Rainier: 0-9 in 2023: 6. (1-8)

After winning just one game against Kentridge last year, the Rams will be at the bottom of the standings this year. With former head coach Tremain Mack moving on to Thomas Jefferson, Quincy Carter has a huge challenge ahead of them. Someone has to be at the bottom of the standings. Unfortunately for Mount Rainier, I think it will be them this year.

3A NPSL

Decatur: 8-1 in 2023: 2. (8-2) (4A)

Last year was a breakout year for the Gators. Decatur now drops back to 3A and returns a ton of talent. Nehemiah Washington, who was the Gators’ leader at running back, returns with Spencer Holloway at quarterback. The Gators’ defense was outstanding last season and really made the difference. Decatur was the only team to hold Kennedy to just 30 points, while no other team scored over 30 points against the Gators all year. The first game of the season against Enumclaw will say a lot about how ready and at what level Decatur will be.

Enumclaw: 7-1 in 2023: 1. (12-1) (2A SPSL)

I think the fact that Enumclaw’s first game against Decatur is on the road means it’s going the Gators way. The Hornets have proven they have the talent to hang with the best in the state by reaching the semifinals at 2A State the last two seasons. Outside of Decatur, the Hornets will rule the field. Federal Way could be a surprise contender, but that’s at home in Pete’s Pool. Overall, I don’t see much that could stand in the Hornets’ way this season.

Federal Way: 5-2 in 2023: 4. (3-7) (4A)

The Eagles, who lost the 2023 season, will be looking for revenge this season. After a rocky 0-3 start in the amateur division of the season, Federal Way won two of four games before losing 16-14 to Decatur. If the Eagles can develop a little more consistency, they will be in an excellent position in a league that can throw up some surprises.

Auburn Mountainview: 4-4 in 2023: 4. (4-4)

Auburn Mountainview will not take the field against either Auburn or Auburn Riverside for the first time in school history. Quarterback Garrett McKay, who is playing for the first time this year, hopes to make the most of supremely talented quarterback Elijah Baird this year to bolster an offense missing Elijah Carney (transferred to Lincoln), John Wanlemvo (graduation) and Isaiah Wallis-Caw (graduation). The Lions could lead 4-0 in Week 5. If that’s the case, they’ll be in great position to make the playoffs. Last year, Kent-Meridian shocked the Lions with a 38-point loss. The year ended in controversy and they had to forfeit their playoff spot. Hopefully the Lions can finish on a much nicer note.

Kent Meridian: 4-5 in 2023: 3. (4-6)

Last season was a revolution for the Royals. Head coach Randy Robbins was the perfect man to revive a program and school that had been dormant for decades. After sneaking into the postseason and having an unfortunate run-in with Yelm, the Royals can look back on their 2023 season with awe. There will be a new man under center this year as quarterback Jayden Saelee is graduating, which raises a big question mark because he was so dynamic with the ball in his hands. But Robbins has created a special culture at 256th Street. We’ll see if they continue their upward trajectory.

Thomas Jefferson: 4-5 in 2023: 6. (2-7)

The Raiders welcome new head coach and former NFL Pro-Bowler Tremain Mack this year. Mack spent over a decade at Mount Rainier, where he became one of the state’s most respected coaches. This year at TJ, both parties get a fresh start. It’s been eight years since the Raiders were above .500 (2015, 8-3). Since 2020, the Raiders have won a total of nine games. There are winnable games on the schedule, but the games against the top three teams in the league could get ugly.

Todd Beamer: 3-4 in 2023: 5. (3-6)

Head coach Rodney McCurry returns from his post at the helm of the Seattle Majestics and will bring new energy and perhaps a different attitude to Todd Beamer’s season. But the loss of Sekou Bangoura will hurt the Titans in many ways. If Todd Beamer can get a few things together, they can be at the top of the table for a playoff spot. But they’re going to have to work hard to do that.

White River: 3-6 in 2023: 6. (4-6) (2A SPSL)

White River has some of the same problems as many other teams in this area of the standings. They can beat bad teams, but they lose to good teams. I think a lot of these teams will outdo each other. There will be a lot of ties at the bottom of the standings, but White River is coming from a not-so-great division into one where the top teams are the top teams for a reason. If they can get a couple of wins against Thomas Jefferson or Auburn Mountainview, they can easily work their way up.

Kentlake: 2-6 in 2023: 7. (2-8)

Last year, the Falcons won only two games against Mount Rainier and Kentridge. This year, I expect more of the same. Kentlake just needs to develop some offensive consistency to prove they can be a threat in the NPSL. Last year, the Falcons kept a clean sheet in four of their 10 games and scored over 10 points in three of them. Kentlake scored 26 points against Auburn Mountainview, which was the first time they scored over 20 points since the final game of the 2022 season.