Results, recaps and more from Week 12 state tournament quarterfinal high school football contests around the South Sound will be posted on this page on Saturday night. Looking for more scores? Find them on our statewide scoreboard here.
2A: NO. 2 TUMWATER 27, NO. 7 FRANKLIN PIERCE 6
Tumwater coach Willie Garrow needed his scout team to simulate Franklin Pierce’s unique Power-T offense during practice in the week leading up to Saturday afternoon’s Class 2A state tournament quarterfinal game against the Cardinals. He knew just the man to turn to.
Pat Johnson, an assistant on the Tumwater coaching staff, was the offensive coordinator at Tenino under then-head coach Cary Nagel several years ago. Nagel later brought the Power-T to Trevor Hanson’s Franklin Pierce squad.
Needless to say, Johnson knows the offense well.
“He coached our scout team all week,” Garrow said. “Our kids were running (the Power-T) well by Wednesday. They actually looked like a Power-T team and executed that. (Johnson) was instrumental in helping us get a good look on scout team.”
Tumwater’s lights-out defense took care of the rest, holding Franklin Pierce to one touchdown in a 27-6 win on Saturday afternoon at Tumwater District Stadium. The win sends Tumwater through to the 2A state tournament semifinals.
“Our scout team, they did a really good job for us,” said linebacker and running back Blake Heryford. “They’re the reason we won this game. They gave us a great look all week.”
Tumwater’s defense held star running back Bryson Allen — the South Sound’s leading rusher this fall — in check.
“Our kids did a really good job of reading keys and not letting their eyes deceive them,” Garrow said. “Our coaches were really demanding. We had long days at practice this week. They did an awesome job not chasing, staying home and reading the things they were supposed to read as linebackers and DB’s.”
Tumwater struck first on a 22-yard pass from Jaxon Budd to Evan Baxter in the first quarter, then added another score before half on a Peyton Davis 2-yard rush. Franklin Pierce closed the gap before halftime on a 25-yard pass from Jeremiah Orcutt to Adam Cook, who hauled in an impressive catch near the back of the end zone.
Tumwater added a Blake Heryford 7-yard rushing touchdown and a 4-yard rushing touchdown from Tyler Briscoe in the second half.
Now, Tumwater finds itself in familiar territory — the state tournament’s final four.
“We wanted to be here, we expected to be here,” Heryford said. “It’s the standard to play on Thanksgiving every year.”
